slowly

Well, I've run every day apart from yesterday and Thursday this week.
Is it getting any easier? Hard to say really. No harder, certainly.
There's still a lot of stress going on on my feet, especially the right one (I am generally wonky) which I guess will work its way out eventually.
But I'm still finding it really tough - much harder than I would have hoped. I think I'm not terribly fit at the moment but this is taking the mick.
So the plan is to keep on going for it and I guess eventually I will be back up to my old distance, if not the speed, and hopefully without the various knee and hip niggles which were troubling me before.
Fingers crossed.

run#1

New shoes, new running style - what could possibly go wrong?

Well, nothing really. I went for 1.1 miles or so to get used to the new shoes and it was OK. Until about 0.1 miles in and it became clear that these shoes weren't going to make this easy.
The old shoes really support your feet - these don't. There is a lot of effort to come out of your feet with these, which makes your feet very tired very quickly. I could feel the ache starting in the back of my calves as well, so after this miniscule run I was quite glad to be stopping.

But I know I will have to keep it up to get over this teething problem.

I know of other people who're switching over - people who are far fitter than I am - and they are also finding it a bit painful. It's a matter of perseverance I think, and not going too far too fast.
I think I can manage that side of it - it's the keeping going for weeks on end which will be the struggle...

New Era

Have taken the plunge and gone for some merrell barefooty sort of running shoes.
So much for this being the cheap option, however...
Anyway - they put me on the treadmill and they felt amazing. In fact it makes you wonder how much the big shoe companies are playing down such things as they want to continue making a fortune from the anti-pronation, complex supporting shoes they've been flogging us for the past generation.
I hope I'm going to use them...
The chap in the shop said it can takes ages to get used to the style, but my treadmill work looked good, like it was coming naturally (that's how it feels) but I know I have to build it up slowly. In truth I'm so out of shape at the mo it'll probably work better for me to build up to the hour-long run over the next couple of months and then perhaps the calfs won't be quite so whingy...

ow

my calfs hurt

At long last

Well, I have been for a run - bully for me, eh!
I went almost the whole of the long route, but it was about an hour or so, bit longer maybe. And I ran very slowly. At the end, very, very slowly... 
Calf-news and they seemed ok. I stretched a bit before and after and although my legs got very tired the calf-things didn't feel like they were being murdered. I'm certain they'll hurt tomorrow but perhaps my fears of the pain are overwrought.
So I felt very pleased with myself when I got in and have fought the urge to replace all the calories I used on the run by stuffing myself.
And now I have to continue with this marvellous effort and repeat it 2 or 3 times a week for the rest of my life...

Oh dear...

Went for a deliberately short run this morning - about 1/2 an hour - but my calfs/calves are hurting. They started hurting right from the off, in truth, which is a bit of a worry.
and now, an hour or so later, they're aching.
I don't think it's my achilles as it's too high up, and deep in the muscles.
So what's to do???
I really don't want to stop running - and I don't think I could go back to the old way of running either.
So I have a modest plan to stretch my calfs (I'm going to stick with 'calfs' as 'calves' feels a bit bovine) everyday. Not sure how long this plan will continue, mind.
And the gym calf exercise, I guess, will have to be my friend. And I could do the bunnyhops as well.
How long is this going to take? I just don;t know - I guess I will have to run again next week and see how it feels and if it's getting better, continue with the modest plan and build up the running time?
hmm
Not a very happy bunny, tbh

A note of caution here...

...my calves/calfs have only just stopped hurting and it's Friday. It's really hard to walk when your calf muscles are screaming at you to sit down and never contemplate running ever again (very eloquent, my calf muscles)
And then at the gym the following day there was the seated calf exercise - well, that was just taking the mick frankly.
Anyway - although in many ways I did enjoy the run, I think I would be better off running less distance, more often. Perhaps starting this weekend...

And a happy new year to everyone

Well, yesterday I went for a run - hurrah, etc!
It started off OK but I was struggling to remember how to run the 'art of running' method. But I got it and it really does make it easier to run, if you don't go very fast.

I headed off round the normal 6 and a bit mile route but cut some corners - and it felt fine. Until about 4 miles or so and my left hip began aching. then it began hurting. And then aching and hurting at the same time. Not very pleasant. And I ran out of puff, taking minute steps (which is part of the running style but they were getting ridiculously short as the pain increased) I did have to walk for a short while but I got home ok.

And once I'd stopped it felt absoloutely fine

It's the IT band, I am convinced - the pain goes from my hip down the outside of my leg and ends up in my knee. So once it's had a day's rest I'm going to get on with stretching it. I seem to spend most of my days at work sat at a desk, so it's no wonder I'm seizing up. Perhaps this is the kick I need to sort myself out. After all the thought of getting old does worry me and keeping flexible (and fit, strong, slim) are important ways of fighting it. But running is also a classic way of injuring yourself so you can't do any exercise...

The Shame...

I just can't seem to get myself out there any more. Something to do no doubt with this perishingly cold, dark time of year, but surely I would feel better for having a dawdle round the downs???

wishful thinking...

I so wish I could be blogging about my latest run, about how I've missed sharing my running experiences for the last few weeks.
But the truth is, I haven't been running since the last blog which is over 2 weeks ago. And it's turning chilly now and I can't seem to find the wherewithall to haul myself out there. (if wherewithall's what I need, perhaps I'm more in need of  'gumption' . Or 'a backbone')
Anyway- Christmas is coming which means all exercise goes out the window (rather than the front door ha ha ha ha ha ha ha) and I will survive on promises of 'getting into shape' in the new year. Which lets me off the hook as far as eating like a gutbucket for the next month is concerned. And early next year I will berate myself for having to go through the hell of dieting to lose the pounds I've put on between now and then rather than upping the exercise NOW and heading into Christmas/new year feeling good and not dreading the jan/feb starvation/denial...
Or is that just me.

pooped

I know it's been ages since I last ran - and I did have a couple of gin and tonics last night - but my god I suffered this morning. I amazed myself by going for the full run but by the last couple of miles I was knackered. This new running style is OK but I think I'm still getting used to it. And my calves/calfs were aching again. But I have to hold onto the fact that running is better for me than not running. So I should do more of it!

Killer calves. Calfs?

My lower legs are still killing me to the extent that it's hard to stand up without looking like an ancient.
I know the cure for this is to do more of it and keep doing it until it stops hurting - but that kind of goes against the grain for someone only interested in fast results.

Lost runs

I have run since the last post - the one about the art of running - and I thought I'd blogged them, but apparantly not.

So, the week after, I did a run with my new-found skills and it's true - you can run with less effort which is nice. But it's a bit slower. And the nike+ will have to be re-calibrated as I think my stride length is a lot less.
So, it makes my feet ache and my calves tired cos this is where all the bounce is coming from. It make sense though. And my left hip didn't hurt anything like as much. Result...

And today's run - which was in lovely sunshine over the downs and across the bridge - was fine. I thought I might have forgotten how to do this technique - and there were times I felt I was losing it, but remembering to keep all the action under your body (rather than striding out ahead) seems to work. And I think I was using my glutes a bit better as well.
So I shall just wait for the aching lower legs to begin, tomorrow morning I imagine - just as I get on my bike to cycle to the gym...

So at least I've broken my duck of not running for 3 weeks which is the longest I've left it for quite a white. Whether I will go for evening runs this week or not remains to be seen. Frankly going out into the cold of a November evening is not my idea of fun. But think of all the mince pies which I can snaffle with no regret...

hmm

*thinks about mince pies*

tippy toes

Not a blog about a run as such - more about running.
I did the 'art of running' workshop with Malcolm Balk

http://www.theartofrunning.com/

and it's really good.
I'm hoping that by following this technique I'll stop getting the aches and pains and will be happier to run more often.
You feel very light doing this - the idea is to put in far less effort than you normally would. Having my running style videoed and analysed is a little disconcerting but it was amazing how much of a difference it made just after a couple of hours of practice. 

So all I have to do now is to put it into practice - which might involve running without the ipod for a bit to concentrate. not to very happy about that!

Hottest 30th Sept since 1908

It was baking hot today - and tomorrow might be the hottest October day on record. It's very weird - being very warm, windows open and in the pitch dark at 8 o clock.
So I had a choice - to go for a run tonight and have a couple of ice-cold beers - or have a couple of ice-cold beers this evening and then have to get up about 7am and run in the morning. Very glad this one is over
And I've used the nike+ again - I will have to check if it's calibrated properly...
stats - just in case they're accurate -
67mins 15 secs
7.37 miles
9 mins 7secs per mile
695 calories

am very pleased if it is accurate cos it's a lot faster than I've been running recently.

(Perhaps I will be disappointed if I do check it out and it's all calibrated wrong... )

later
have checked the distance on map my run and it turns out I ran....
.
.
.
.
..
7.36 miles
Result!!! In both senses - 1. that I calibrated the thing correctly and 2. I am running faster than I ever dreamed possible.
Well, it's nice to think I'm not as decrepit as I think...

Phew

Just got in from my Sunday morning run-fest and it's pouring down. For once I missed it - hooray.
And I actually felt OK on the run (the usual 11km thingy) except for:
1. left hip, well, back of hip and a bit higher up than hip - it took a nasty turn at one point.
2. Left outside of knee where I think there is a tendon or something
3. Left calf - very tight. I think it's cos I'm trying to run on my toes a bit more to save my knees. Unforseen consequences...
4. right outside of knee pretty much the same as no. 2

but all in all satisfactory.

There is still an outside chance of doing the stroud 1/2 marathon - I know I will have to run twice as far as today pretty much but I think I'm fit enough.Whether the joints and tendons etc would hold out for another 6 miles is another matter. I will have to up the mileage during the week - but there are 5 weeks I think until it starts.

hmm

not sure about this

Grunt

Don't like this evening running - I seem to have no energy to begin with. And my knees ache.
Weirdly towards the end if I pushed myself a bit harder, it seemed I did have the energy after all. Odd.

Cobblers

The nike + thing - I had to get a new one and I guess it was wishful thinking that I wouldn't have to calibrate it. How wrong I was. According to the thing I'm running just over 7 minute miles. It's cobblers. What's really irritating though is that the blurb says that it's pretty accurate for most people. So I'm obviously some kind of freak.
Annoying.
I even splurged and a really good neoprene sock thingy for it.
But at least I went on another midweek run. And what a struggle it was... Until about 3 miles in I had no energy at all and had to walk for 30 seconds and it was very hard to get going again. But I did. Hurrah for me

weekday running

OK this is it - I went for a run on a Monday evening after work and it wasn't too bad. OK it wasn't brilliant but it was OK.
And there is a chance, I think, that I could possiby think about maybe going for the Stroud 1/2 marathon.
Just a thought

Stroud

There's a 1/2 marathon in Stroud next month. I could do it - do a lot more running between now and then and lose a load of weight to boot.
It's tempting.
Dropping people off for the Bristol half this morning I did feel a bit left out. I know I did a fairly long run yesterday - could I manage another 5 miles on top of that? I have 6 weeks to get up to speed.
It's doable...
Is there any reason why I shouldn't?
I can think of 100s frankly, but if I am serious about keeping up with the running and also with trying to shift a bit of flab before another birthday drags around, then it seems (at the moment, full of cake) like a good idea...

13... km

Well that was a long run.
Also it's nearly 2 weeks since I last ran it seems like it was a big deal.
Boyf dropped me off near the water tower and I did a lap of the downs, up to the camera obscura which always puts a bit of energy my way and then over the suspension brudge (very sorry the Brunel gorilla has gone...) and then back the usual way.
At times I thought I was going to die through lack of energy and then at others I was whizzing along thinking I would have been happy to do the 1/2 marathon again.
But it's tomorrow and now I'm back home in a puddle of sweat and achyness I think I'm wise not to do and do it. Not that I was planning to or anything.

an ok run

Do you ever get those dreams where you're running as fast as you can, but in fact you're barely moving? It's like the 'running through treacle' idea where no matter how much effort you put in there, you still can't move.
I felt a bit like that this morning - I think it's cos I have the strength from going to the gym, but no energy. And I see my legs moving like they should do, but I'm still hardly moving.
Hey ho.

My biggest concern is tinnitus. After a run it's usually louder and sometimes feel like there is pressure inside my head. Today it was the wort it's ever been. I'm wearing in-ear buds to listen to the radio as I run, so I wonder if there is a connection there. Should I get some phones that sit outside the ear?  Will there ever be a cure for it? It's depressing and frustrating and it's diving me nuts.

New shoes

They are good.
Not in the sense that I can now run like a gazelle and never go red in the face.

But they don't rub and my knees didn't explode.

And they have dark grey laces which look quite cool :)

oo get me!

I have new running shoes.
Mizuno nirvanas
I'm wearing them in the house.
I will wear them outside, and possibly run in them soon.
Hope they're OK - there is always that feeling with new (really rather pricey) running shoes that you're going to get a mile down the road and you'll be blistered and have exploding shin splints (or whatever shin splints do, I'm not sure on that one)
Will keep you posted.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

I nearly died this morning - I know part of the problem was a little too much dry white the night before, I accept that, but it really hurt... Left hip aching, right foot just being, well, flat I guess. Plus bruised toes.
I think I might need new trainers as I felt extremely un-bouncy in those. Not sure if that's the problem though. Although at the back of my mind I think I got an email from moti to tell me it was so long since I bought the things I should think about changing them. Well they would say that wouldn't they. But it might have been about a year ago so perhaps they were onto something. Hey - shopping for shoes - ugly, practical shoes....

stats: well, bit of a problem there...
0.34 miles, 4 min 53 seconds
Thing is, the thing fell off my shoe and I didn't notice it, so now I don't have a nike+ thing any more. I feel quite sad about that...

The other amazing thing about today's run (I lead a very dull life...) is I went The Wrong Way Round - as in going up Ashley Hill first, then Glos Rd, then down past Tescoe and along to the water tower and back through Henleaze and Bishopston. It made it a fraction more interesting, but it felt a lot harder - perhaps there's more uphill going that way round - I know it has to be the same amount but the severity of the hills might just mean it feels worse this way round.
Anyway, it's done and I need to keep going at least 3 times a week for it to do me any lasting good, don't I....

running in the rain

Torrential at times - and then the sun came out and it all went gin-clear and sparkly again. British summer for you...

Here are some stats which I find interesting but doubt if they're very riveting for anyone else
1h 1m 42s
6.28 miles
9m 49s /mile
592 calories

It was hard work - despite not having any wine last night and having a breakfast an hour before setting off - but still it took a couple of miles to get going properly. Perhaps that's not unusual, perhaps it's evidence of getting old. Having said that, there was less pain than usual: feet and knees were OK, the only twinge was coming from my left lower back, but I know that works better when I've stretched properly (if only my yoga teacher wasn't on holiday for the next few weeks...)
Again when I'd gone up to the observatory and done that intense hill, it seemed to unlock some energy reserves - is this how bodies work?
I did a different route - driving up to the downs then doing a circuit taking in the camera obscura and then across the bridge which was really nice - I had ambitious plans to go into Ashton Court but I think I did the right thing not to go that far. I'm sure I would have made it though - perhaps if I was in proper training, for a 1/2 marathon say, then I would have pushed myself, but just going to lose a few lbs then meh, it's probably better to do more shorter runs during the week rather than concentrate on the marathon at the weekend. Sort of...

tuesday morning

I missed running on Sunday cos I was working in Weymouth and despite the lure of running along a lovely sandy beach first thing in the morning, I really couldn't be arsed. Well, I did have to start work at 9am so blah excuses

So I took today off and went for a run at about 11am which is an odd time for me but it was ok. Felt lacking in energy but I guess there's nothing new there, being not very fit. But it was good to run a different route - I dropped the car off in Clifton and ran up Pembroke rd and across the downs from there. Don't know about a change being as good as a rest though..
stats
oh - forgot major running news - orange ipod 'it's alive' has died - the centre button stopped working.
So I went down to the apple store and they told me it'd be £70 to mend (as in get another one exactly the same and they didn't have any in stock) so I said I'd treat myself to one of the new nanos, with the touchscreen. I think I made a mistake getting the £50 cheaper 8GB one, rather than the 16GB but hey ho, it just means I shall have to manage it a bit better.
But as a thing, it's great - it runs the nike+ thing and I can listen to the radio at the same time - good times.

anyway, stats:
6.4 miles,  1hour 2mins 43s, 9m 46/mile (very slow) 604 calories
(this assumes I don't have to recalibrate the thing for the new ipod, but I would guess not)

So that's it. I was a very sweaty betty when I got back cos it's quite warm and I am a sweaty betty these days. Not a good look.

Motivation

Well, this morning's run was tough. Mostly cos of the wine last night - note to self, although alcohol has many calories they don't count as carbo-loading. I felt terrible, really slow and sluggish. Kept getting over taken by other runners (no one older or fatter than me though)
And the motivation thing is - to lose weight and fight ageing. Nothing too trivial then.

I did run last Sunday as well but I think it was a lot better...

Och Aye x 3

Been running on Bute. Ascog, near Rothsay, to be precise.
It was bute-iful (no-one's ever made that joke before) The weather was perfect - despite packing for rain and cold it was shorts and tees all week.
The route was from our landmark trust place down to the main road then along the sea shore in either direction. There weren't many roads.
First run I went right towards Mount Stuart (a fantastic castly, gardeny place) which was OK but the pavement ran out and there was a lot of running along the edge of the road with cars coming at you round blind corners. Didn't do that one twice.
Then I did 2 runs the other way into Rothsay (as far as the small co-op to be precise) then running back - about 5.4 miles so not too shabby.
It's brilliant running alongside the sea - the air is just so clean and fresh and there's scenery to look at - just perfect really.
I'm sure it would be a different matter in the winter when you're fighting a gale and hail, but for that one week it was as near perfect as you can get...

weighty bum

When I run, my bum feels really heavy. I guess it's because it's quite large. I know if I lose a bit of weight some will eventually go from my arse (tbh I mean haunches. Awful, awful word but descriptive and accurate)  But in the meantime I will continue to run with a slab of flab bringing up my rear.
Mmm, nice mental picture...

But the run was fine. Little bit too much dry white last night for it to feel comfy, and the weather was too hot so I had to keep crossing the road to get into the shade.
But it's done - 70 mins so probably 7 miles. And it was ok. There was a lot of mental argument going on - I really wanted to walk for a while but I just had a stern word with myself and got over it. My feet were a bit achy towards the end which wasn't very pleasant but I don't think there's an easy way around that - other than perhaps to run quite a bit more often.
Then perhaps I will achieve the lightweight bum I crave...

Sizzling

Looks like summer decided to show its face this morning - it was very warm. Warm enough for a 2-hour red face.
Run was ok - did about 75 mins and was OK til the last bit when I ran out of energy - I guess one sugar-free red bull substitute was never going to get me round 7 miles or so...
Also my left hip didn't hurt too much - I've done a few stretches and they seemed to have worked. I'm just going to have to continue. Simples.

evening run

OK, cos I missed the run on Sunday I decided to go this evening for a change. Don't like running in the evening for some reason - and the reason is, cos I'm not so good in the evenings. I find it far harder work both physically and mentally.

But hey ho - I went the full 10k+ route and it really really hurt. My left hip and knee were really painful and towards the end my left hip was aching too. But as soon as I stop, it goes away. I know I should be doing the stretches - and if I'm going to go for the 1/2 marathon again I'm going to have to do them. Bah humbug.

I should just be grateful that at my enormous age I can still drag myself round a 10k course...

8 days without a run...

Can't say I really miss it. Is that wrong?

I had a migrainey thing yesterday (brought on by Pirates of the Carribean - I think it was the 3d aspect of it rather than an overdose of Mr Depp...) so I stayed in bed til 3pm (apart from the odd rush to the lav for vomming - lush) and decided a run wasn't the best plan...

But now I have the annual dilemma of whether I should enter the 1/2 marathon. It's 12 weeks til the event which is more than long enough to get into shape for it - but can I get into mental shape for it and not chicken out again? I know it's a great motivation for upping the running and losing weight (10 lbs between now and then would be good...) so what's not to like?

Just do it???

Bad run

Was dropped off at the water tower.

Then the radio thingy for the ipod wasn't working - it would only play absolute radio and bfpo that sort of thing.

And even though it was a lovely day, I was unhappy and kept stopping to question what the hell I was doing.

So I ran home as hard and fast as I could just to get it over with.

Not a happy experience frankly.

Bit of a first for me...

Went for an hour's run - IN THE RAIN.

It was quite vile - but the rain was set in for the day so it was a no-brainer really. (Well, I could have just not gone of course) and actually once you get out there and have got wet, it kind of doesn't get any worse. I had slight misgivings about running in a wet tee-shirt of course but more worried about my wobbly belly than boobie delights...

And today (Monday) I have a hurty knee. I hope it's not the old IT band problem coming back to haunt me although I can't see what else it might be. I will have to knuckle down and get doing those awful stretches which really hurt but seem to go right to the problem.

Run of the mill run

Well it was the 10km+ route, I felt a bit tired but nothing too bad. Weather was OK. Listened to the radio - Broadcasting House was interesting as usual. And then a little of the Archers.

So, all in all pretty pedestrian.

I lost my headband which is a bit annoying but frankly I looked terrible in it, don't know what I was thinking. I have hair and fringe issues, never quite sure what's the best look. But then when there is a saggy middle-aged face to flatter, there are very few options. A balaclava maybe...

But at least I went for a run. I had a shock on the bathroom scales this morning which is making me more determined to up the mileage a little. And eat less. Etc.

the stats, Igor, the stats

Time: 53' 16"
PB I'll have you know. Again.

Overall placing (of 9000 runners): 3593rd (sadly the podium didn't extend beyond the first 3 places otherwise I'd have been up there...)

I'm quite pleased with myself tbh - when finishing in the middle of 1000s of others (and being overtaken by a couple of blokes literally sprinting to the line) it's easy to forget the amount of effort I put into getting there.
Pat on back.

PB

Hurray!!! I've done a PB in the 10k!!!
Not entirely sure what the actual timing will be but I crossed the line at 53 25 ish and that was after crossing the startline a few seconds after the start so I guess it's about that long.
It felt OK mostly. It's pretty flat so there's no breathlessness issues in the 1st 100m and the usual aches and pains didn't seem to materialise much either.
The hardest bit was km7 and 8 which was off the bottom of the portway and over the cumberland basin (a longer hill than you're expecting) and then the drag down past Spike Island to the Louisiana. It seems to go on and on and there is a very slight uphill slope but by then even a slight slope seems like a massive insult.
I was passing people there and was getting my breath back from the hill over the cumberland basin and it was all good.
Soooo good to get into the centre and towards the finish though... I'd missed the 9km marker but I knew exactly where the finish was and it was getting closer with every step and when I saw the clock I was delighted! I felt I'd pushed reasonably hard all the way round and so it was great to see there was a decent outcome. I guess it was cos there weren't any massive hills like there have been on the past couple of runs - plus the crowd helps (even thought it was quite sparse in places...)

so then began the job of finding boyf. We'd got separated before the start and it's a nightmare trying to find anyone in that sort of a crowd. but we got back together at the car and then off for a slap up shower and a feast at the cowshed.
So why is it that I've done that distance many times before but doing it with 9,000 other people makes it so much more knackering?

all in the mind #2

Suddenly 10k seems like a very long way.

I know I've run far further even quite recently - but once there is a label on the run it seems like that is the target which makes it the hardest part of the run. Does this make any sense?
I think what I mean is I can go for a long run and be surprised at the distance when I get back. When it's a measured distance, that is the peak point of the run, the point where you have used up all your energy and you can then stop.
Plus the fact it's done in front of other people makes it more of a challenge, it makes it an event, something which can be failed. If it wasn't an event there would be ne shame in cutting a corner and going home early.

hmmm.

Am less optimistic about Sunday now. But that way lies ruin: I must maintain a slightly manic yet realistic positivity.

And is will all be over by 11am on Sunday. And we've already booked a Sunday lunch somewhere excellent. :)

it's all in the mind

Well, some of it is foot and leg related obviously, but it's amazing how much your head is in control.
For instance, when my lovely ipod told me I'd done 10k this morning, it seemed like the hardest thing in the world to keep going let alone to keep the energy going.

But I did. What a trouper, etc.
statto - the stats:

1 hour 4 mins 39secs
6.94 miles
9'18" per mile
644 cals

Things to remember for next Sunday
the first 3 km or so are hard work - feet hurt and so on. After that the left hip begins tightening up but feet are getting better.
after that it's mind over matter.
I have to keep up the pace if I'm going to get under the hour. And that's hard work.

I've realised this morning that if I feel I'm pushing quite hard then I will equal what I did in the last 10 when I was feeling rough. But also thinner and younger. It's just the ravages of age. Perhaps I could get a lot quicker but I would have to lose about 15lbs and do a lot more training. And I don't want to do that. Perhaps I'm just not motivated enough.

Last week's run stats were:

bah - they're not kept. Today's lesson - if you want to keep your stats you have to download them otherwise the next one will overwrite the previous one...

Virtuous holiday running

I primed the nike+ to do a 10k run rather than just a basic workout and set off along the treacherous road out of our holiday let in Kingsbridge. It's one of those roads where there's no footpath and the traffic's pretty racy. In one direction there's a sign to pedestrians to go through the cemetery rather than risk the side of the road. Pretty sobering when they're turning away potential customers in the interest of safety...

So, anyway, had a jog around the town, found a leisure centre then failed to get very far around the estuary. Too many private roads. Turned back and found myself running up a hill steep enough to remind me of the cheese-rolling one in Gloucestershire - I had to walk the last bit. But surprisingly (well, actually this happens every time I go up a steep hill) after I got my breath back I felt really good.
I wonder if for the 10k I'm going to have to do a quick sprint at some point as a boost... (perhaps I won't risk that...)

So then I find myself going through a rather dull housing estate before continuing along the estuary, past the cemetery and up to the bridge, as in 'Kingsbridge', that one.

By this time the nice chap on the nike+ was telling me there were 4km to go and so I reckoned I would just go for the full 10. Which was quite challenging in itself - but there was the added thing of wanting to get it done in under an hour. I know the poxy hill slowed me down rather a lot, but there is no way I'm going to beat the previous time of 57 mins something especially as I felt I ran quite well.

So perhaps this 10k race will simply be a case of trying to keep up with my younger self...

time is running out

I have just realised (finger on the pulse, me) that it's only about 18 days until the 10k...

I reckon I'll get round OK (providing I prepare better than last time) but I would like to do it in under an hour - and that's going to be a struggle for fat little old me.

Last time I felt I pushed it and did it in about 57mins and the usual scrum at the beginning kind of slowed me down a bit. I have to do 9 1/2 minute-miles which is doable I think. It fecking ought to be - it's hardly olympic standard is it...

Should I run tonight, after work, in the heat???

oh my days

Well after a long break I went for a run this morning, in the Easter heatwave we seem to be having. OK it was only 830, before it got really hot, but it was still fairly steamy.

And I went 13k or so - which is further than I was planning (not that I ever plan these things)

So I feel very pleased with myself and it's counteracted all the immense amount of food I've been eating recently. So, hurray for me.

But I need to do a lot more before the 10k in May - the distance isn't perhaps too much of a problem, but the speed and the ease of running it is. Today I felt knackered and it was a struggle to keep going, frankly. But I did. I slowed down a lot and just accepted that it was never going to be a happy run. I have to take preparation a little bit more seriously if I'm going to beat my previous time of 57mins, some seconds. I would like to think I came in under the hour at least.
We shall see...

another half of half a marathon

Well, I've signed up for this year's 10k in Bristol.

Ulp.

Well, I guess I know I can do the distance (witness my heroic last run) but it's whether I can do one to order. As in, at a time and place which I haven't chosen. At least I know the route will be flat (no side trips to the camera obscura. At least I really hope not - the Portway is about 100m below the thing...)

But, last time I did the 10k I suffered. I was a bit stressed out for some reason - after all I'd done the training and I'd already done the 1/2 marathon, so there should have been no reasn for fear. But I had butterflies while waiting for the off. I also needed a wee which didn't help, but I was doing my usual thing of being so desperate not to be late for a thing that I got to the start line too early - I probably did have time for a wee cos it takes so long for everyone to get through the start. Hey ho, next time will be good!

I've put in for a 55mins time which is 5mins 30 per km - I have no idea how that translates to mins per mile - about 9 30 probably which is doable - as long as I get the right carbo-loading worked out. No wine the night before, I'd suggest for starters.

woop woop

Glorious sunny morning. Slightly more suitable carbo-loading last night of fish and chips and chocolate.
And my run was lovely - hard work, some aches and pains but generally almost enjoyable.
8.66 miles which is the furthest I've gone for a long time.

General feeling of well-being!

carbo loading

As part of a scientific experiment involving major self-sacrifice I can now disclose my findings.

White wine and chocolate do not constitute carbo-loading.

In fact, if anything, I might even conclude that taken together the night before a very unambitious run is something of a hindrance.

But at least I left the house wearing stretchy stuff and went for a run. Hurrah  

Ashton Court Parkrun

Just seen this:

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ashton-court/Home.aspx

It's basically a 5k run every Saturday in a nice location, they time you and then you go for a cup of tea.

Sounds like a nice thing to do.

But it's 0900 on a Saturday morning which means leaving home by 815 and cycling over the bridge to Ashton Court. And then back home again.

Still it's a good incentive to go for a run I guess....

Any takers???

Denial

After avoiding the issue all weekend, I finally went for this week’s pretentious display of middle-age denial this morning. I didn’t give myself the hint of an option not to go. Not exactly something I have been looking forward to is it.

But I dragged my screaming carcass round the downs and even took in the loop around the camera obscura which I hadn’t intended doing. Everything hurt going up that bloody hill – but it was so good to get to the top and see the view and just run down again. And as I was running downhill it struck me that a lot of the time I’m trying to brake as I go downhill which is a waste of energy, so today I just relaxed and let it happen. It felt good…

So, stats:

Dur – felt like an hour

Dist – whatever the distance is around that route

Calories – 100 per mile…

Time/mile – slowish

Fact is I didn’t use the nike + - this was pure radio one all the way round…

One of my many thoughts as I was trudging round was to rename this blog middle-aged denial, or running away from the truth about getting old. I do feel the weight of age these days – probably due to the weight of flab I carry although that’s not excessive. I haven’t lost any weight recently which is no surprise considering how lax I’ve been regarding the low-carb approach to life, but my old jeans fit better than they have for a while so I guess a lot of what’s going on is to do with getting musclier.

I can only hope… 

Still steaming from the run...

That was very hard work...

I was buzzing from having 2 strong coffees and a toasted teacake (quite a sugar rush for me...) so I thought I would run now (Saturday afternoon) rather than wait for Sunday morning (also it's likely to be raining tomorrow)

It was an odd one - the caffeine was giving a kind of superficial energy but I was definitely lacking in proper fuel. I was feeling sick and in a cold sweat for the first couple of miles which wasn't very pleasant. I had to stop running a couple of times to cross the road which possibly helped a bit, got the blood to the right places and then I could set off again.


They say a change is as good as a rest, but frankly that's bollocks: I changed my normal route and I don't feel rested at all. Boyf dropped me off by the water tower and I went down ladies mile and clockwise round the downs, along to coldharbour rd and then kellaway avenue, glos rd and ashlety hill and sefton park road.

I'm very glad I've been and wish I was a bit keener to keep it up.

Is it going to knacker my knees and hips in the long run or make them stronger? Does anyone really know or is it the luck of the draw, joints-wise?

Anyway, the all-important stats:
59m 11s
6.11miles
9m 40s/mile

Long time, no run

I have suffered...
My left thigh and hip and knee were very sore today - pretty sure it's the IT band thing again and I'm also pretty sure it will wear off if I run a bit more. In fact, once I'd gone about 4 miles it did start to feel a lot better and I have no idea what I'd done other than up the pace a little bit. I was trying to see what it feels like to run at a sub-2hour 1/2 marathon pace. And I found it was tough...

stats:
43m 32s
4.68 miles
9m 18s/mile

At least I went for a run. Hold that thought...

bring on the excuses....

It's Sunday, it's a lovely day, and I'm not running.
Don't want to.
Can't make me.

how to survive torture

There is a method of surviving torture - you believe that it's not going to end, that you will be killed, so you abandon hope. That way you know pain will end eventually and there is no point in fighting it.
It's what I was telling myself as I was running (running? dragging more like) my wobbly carcass up to the camera obscura. I knew I was going to keep going no matter what, that it wouldn't end until it was over, so I abandoned hope. I got to the top and was euphoric.
It's one of the best views in Bristol imho and all the better for arriving there knackered and in some little distress.
And another truism held - 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Running back down the hill was lovely and although it was so muddy my feet kept flying out from under me, the cross-country bit back up to the downs really didn't feel too bad.
I'm rambling.
It was a good run, it made me feel better and I must do it more...

Another day, another triumphant run

Well, it was just a run around the downs, but it *was* a run!!!

But at least I don't feel too old and knackered after it, which is an improvement.

It was very cold this morning and there were lots of other people out running - possibly cos the Bath 1/2 marathon is quite soon. I'm definitely not up for a 1/2 marathon yet, but I do have to make the decision whether or not to go for it quite soon. One of the reasons for doing it - I know this is terribly shallow - that I want to impress people with my fitness at my huge age etc etc. But boyf will be doing it after intensive training and will no doubt acheive his goal of under 1h 30mins and my  gym person regularly runs to the gym  - from Portishead... so there will just be myself to impress then...

Oh yes!

6.86 miles
1h 07m 18s
9m 49s / mile
670 cals (well that should see off last night's chocolate..)


Very glad I went running - it was a lovely morning and I felt pretty good. Then when I got to Tescos on kellaway avenue I saw the time was after 10 and I was supposed to be back before 1030 so I had to go faster (not a happy thought) but I did and it wasn't anything like as bad as I'd feared.
But my left hip/lower back was quite stiff. I know I should stretch more - yoga more than once a month would help - and my right foot was a bit weird, not sure what's going on there.

But I've run again, less than a week after the last one - is this the dawning of a new era? Ummmmm....

The problem with running...

...is I'm middle aged and not as fit as I think I am...

I twisted my ankle about 3 weeks ago - on the same day I went flying off my bike on some black ice and skinned my knee - and frankly it's still not right. I also have an aching left hip and my feet aren't all they might be - not flexible enough.
And there is the issue of my not being very fit - I cycle to work which takes about 40 mins and I go to the gym and sometimes do yoga and I walk and have to go up and down stairs all day - but it's not the same as being aerobically fit so I can run for an hour without the worry of being stuff as a board in the morning...
So the plan must be to run more - at lunchtimes on quiet days at work, after I get home of an evening... dream on... I know what I'm like. I like the idea of running, of taking on a 1/2 marathon for instance, more than actually going out into the great outdoors and getting on with it.
But as it's 75% in your head anyway, perhaps I can turn it round.
We shall see...

BTW I went for a run this morning, round the outside of the downs - not the camera obscura bit -  and it was very muddy. Listening to broadcasting house and some of the Archers.

Meh

Can't get myself going anymore... It's too cold, I'm too tired, there's too many hills, the cat looked at me funny...
And there is a million more excuses waiting and ready to be aired next time the foolish urge to go running attacks me.
I can fight it.

wonderful windy whitstable

I have run - yay!!!
I went for just under an hour, with lots of hangover to contend with and it was cold and grey - but I went for a run!
The route was along the shore by the beach huts between Whitstable and Seasalter, the usual trip. And I did kind of enjoy it - it was bloody hard work (see reasons above) but I kept going, stopping only once to tie up a shoelace.
And today (the day after) I don't feel too achy or sore which is another bonus.
So I will have to keep it up won't I.
I also had a weekend off the low-carb diet and have indulged enormously in toast, wine, chips, cake, chocolate (am feeling peckish just thinking about it)
So today I:m back on the low-carb wagon (but have stuffed myself mightily with nuts and grapes and soup so in terms of losing flabbiness it's a bit of a dead end...)
But I'm very glad to have got out there again and am looking forward to another run this Sunday (If I blog these things they may happen...)

Would love to say...

..that I have been running like the wind and am signed up for the nearest half marathon - but I can't... 

Have flu - or a flu-like lurgy at least - and it's not conducive to getting out there and pounding the pavements. In fact I can barely get off the sofa, so I'm staying put until the virus is dead...
There is an upside to all this feeling poorly, which is knowing that when it's over, you feel like a new person and can take on the world
Bring it on

In the meantime pass the tissues and can I please not watch Jeremy Kyle, it makes my brain die a little...

the day after

MY LEGS ACHE SO MUCH

First run of 2011

How to describe this run - cold, mainly. Hands were frozen until about 30 mins in and then it started snowing. Must be winter...

But yay - I have run and it wasn't too bad - apart from the left hip thing. I think it will get better as I run a bit more but it was really quite painful. it needed a proper stretch, but instead it got another mile of my less than natural running.

So those all important stats
54' 01" - 9'47" per mile (I know really slow but there was a pb mile in there and a pb 5k so ner) - 5.52 miles - 538 calories

Will this mean the beginning of a purple period in my running career? V unlikely as I don't like the cold. Perhaps when it's a bit warmer...
 

excuses

not enough time, snow and ice, rain, didn't feel like it, busy doing other things...

I've used most of the above excuses not to run and they've been 100% successful.

And now I'm regretting not having gone running for, what, about 6 weeks now? Regretting it cos it will hurt when I get myself going again and also cos I have so much christmassy carbohydrate to run off...

True, I have lost a bit of flab since September which I'm very pleased about - but having let myself off the hook carb-wise for the past week, I realise just how easy it will be for me to put every single ounce back on.
Don't want to do that - so I will run - perhaps not this year, but certainly next year.

And I am almost certain I will have another bash at the 1/2 marathon and aim to get under 2 hours - I can run at about that pace - but I need to up it slightly to get through the slow crowded bits.

I can do this...

Can't I???

Am I ever going to run again

Sounds fairly tragic put like that, but I had no excuse not to run this morning, but I didn't. Felt a bit tired and like I deserved to not run. How pathetic is that? Certainly not a keen runner's attitude.
Hmm
*kicks self up bum*

Have I given up?

I'm at the stage where it's so cold I really can't make myself go outside and run (am currently sat in lounge with central heating on, plus an electric fire cos the heating's not up to the job  and a lovely silk throw thing over my knees.) I am warm and toasty and the family's out running with the westbury harriers. They are troupers. I am a wimp.
A warm wimp.
The thought did cross my mind as I was cycling home that I would be OK to go out for a run when I got in - but a nice cup of tea won. And here I am now, ready to go to bed at a very early time. And tomorrow again I won't run - COS IT'S MY BIRTHDAY

*hangs head in shame*

OK I haven't been for a run for quite a while now. This week's excuse is that it is perishing cold outside and I was concerned about hitting an icy patch, plus - this is far more serious - my house is also perishing cold and the thought of getting into running kit with my breath hanging on the air just wasn't floating my boat.

Bring on the insulation

or the summer, whichever's soonest

oops

Didn't run this Sunday - I was working all day (rather hard I may say) and I couldn't fit a run in - especially as I'd overslept a bit... And it was terribly cold. But it would have done me good I know that.

So - do I go for the mid-week after-work style run?
Not tonight as I have to prepare for visitors tomorrow
Not tomorrow cos of visitors
Not weds cos of working til late
Not thursday cos of... Um. Cos of...
Not friday cos it's the end of the week

looks like thursday then
We shall see.

sunday running

OK so I was in medium condition this morning, medium weather, medium everything really. And the result - another fastest ever mile (according to Tiger Woods no less) which is quite nice, but I also probably did my slowest as well.
stats:
55mins 28secs
5.84 miles
9mins 29secs per mile
570 cals
And ipod on shuffle which threw up some weird stuff - not least of which is the spanish cd which has been on there for years waiting for me to start learning spanish. It will never happen, I know that.
I will at some point work out how fast a pace I have to run at to get under 2 hours for the 1/2 marathon - how about now...
distance: 13.1 miles, 120 minutes = 9.16 mins per mile. That is a tough call for me I think. Basically I haven't got a jot faster since I did the half in 2006... but I am 5 years older of course. And I am only running once a week. But I have been going to the gym for 14 months now so surely something should be paying off...
Hey ho.

morning after the night before

OK I've done it before, gone running after a late night which involved a fair bit of wine - but usually I feel I'm suffering terribly - and yet this morning I didn't feel that way too much...
The first couple of miles were pretty tragic but after that I felt good. Actually good. Like I had a bit of strength in my legs (must be the gym work) and a source of energy. Didn't last very long though - but enough to get me back to where we'd left the car at 130 last night...

Stats, then
48mins 35 secs
5.21 miles
9mins 18 secs per mile
509 calories

Not unhappy with all that. Wonder if I will keep improving. At this rate I may even consider another 1/2 marathon...

Officially a bad-ass

Apparently once you've run 100 miles with your nike+ you get a well-known skater (?) telling you you're a bad-ass. Phew


56'45"   6.1miles   9'17" per mile   596 cals

I think there is a lot to be said for not drowning in wine the night before and carbo-loading for 24 hours to make a run a lot more effective. There was a curry night at home on Friday which kind of means there was a lot of carbos to finish off (lots of poppadoms...) and frankly I wasn't going to turn down some lush home-made chocolate cake either. So the whole low carb thing was resting for the last couple of days. I miss them now...

So, on Mondays, should I cycle to work via the gym, and do an hour's yoga in the late afternoon - and then go running with the westbury harriers? It might just be a huge amount too much frankly. And I don't want to lose the yoga. Perhaps on the nights when yoga is cancelled I go running.

Or not. I don't fancy the idea of running with other people - I feel under too much pressure to go too fast and end up being knackered and useless. I would have to be in the bottom group as it is, and where's the motivation in that? Not selling it well am I?

aftermath

36 hours after the event is well-known to be the killer time for aches and pain. I am living proof of the truth of this observation.
Luckily my yoga class was cancelled yesterday otherwise I think I would have showed myself up to be totally rigid.

So the question is - was all that a result of my not stretching enough after running? Before running? Overdoing the running? I don't know. And it's just the sort of outcome which puts you off going running in the future.
Perhaps I need to buy myself some nice new running trousers to get me back in the mood.

Shallow? Uh huh.

achy breaky legs

Well, not breaky legs, happily.

Went for a run yesterday (after another 2 weeks off) and did the 6 and a bit miles around the downs from home. And man did my legs ache. My right foot feels wrong, like I'm curling my toes in or something and no matter how much I try and relax my foot, it's not right. More new shoes?? I hope not. And my left hip seized up a bit as well - quite painful but I will work on the assumption that it's just a bit rusty, and I ought to do more than an hour of yoga each week.

But at least I went running and apart from the achy bits I didn't mind it at all - it was a nice morning - cold and crisp and I listened to Broadcasting House with my finger on the trigger in case they revealed the result of the Korean Grand Prix. They didn't. But it didn't matter as it was so delayed it hadn't finished by the time I got back home.

So now I know I need to run more than twice a month and I know damn well that the more you do it the more you get out of it. Family are running with the Westbury Harriers now - I could join them but on Mondays I already go to the gym and do yoga. I guess an hour's hard run of an evening would round the day off nicely...

Question

Having read lots about it in the paper recently - should I come to the conclusion that there's nothing to be gained by doing exercise?
Apparantly it does nothing for you if you want to lose weight, which, frankly, is why most people take up running in the first place.
I have evidence, if not proof, that this is right: a friend trained for and completed the London marathon and compained that she didn't become the sleek gazelle-like athlete she'd imagined was her due after all that effort. She certainly isn't - and wasn't - overweight but there was no danger of stick-insectyness either.
So, am I right to settle back safe in the knowledge that I haven't wasted a moment of my life by doing just 30 mins of running in the past 3 weeks - or should I seek out inspirational stories to get me back pounding the streets again?
WHY DOES ANYONE RUN?? PLEASE TELL ME.

First run of the month

And it was in London - and very short.
There was a curry night at a mate's last night which was great - quite late, quite red winey, quite marvellous.
And then this morning I went for a run to the bunny park, seeing parakeets along the way. Quite surreal. And quite hard work cos of the curry night...

But I did manage about 1/2 an hour which is far far far better than nothing - especially as itr was touch and go whether I was going to go at all so I do feel I deserve, if not a pat on the back, then a light graze.

back on the downs

A very pleasant Sunday run.
Apart from feeling sick (too much dry white last night)...
I ran up to the observatory - which was hard work - but afterwards I felt great... perhaps generally I need to try a bit harder rather than keep something in reserve. Although it's a few hours later now and I'm feeling quite knackered.

OK so guilty pleasure of the day - I downloaded a song from way back in my slightly goth influenced teenage years - and possibly the least motivational song ever to have on your ipod... It was 'last exit for the lost' by the fields of the nephilim. Can't believe it, but a few weeks ago we had a cull of cds and that was one which went out - and then I go and put them on spotify and want to get them all back. Hey ho. There is a reason for this - more than just a trip down a black-clad memory lane - I want to write a play in which a middle-aged woman meets up with an old flame who happens to be a goth-rocker who's kept his dream alive and is now rich and famous - but not in the uk. Write about what your heart knows.

So, yeah, the run - haven't been for a bit and was putting it off frankly. But it was really fine.
Stats: 53' 30"  5.29 miles   10' 06" per mile (shockingly slow, I blame the wine) 517 cals
So there is no excuse to slacken off - I need to go at least once a week - and before work if I can bear it.
There was some drunken talk about the Bath Half marathon last night - hmmm. Training over the winter??? Not sure about that

Taking no chances

I've put my doubts about early morning runs to one side by not doing them - or any running at all - for the time being. No particular reason other than laziness and disillusionment.

I am fed up of feeling mediocre after doing all this exercise - I don't seem to have any more vavavoom than the rest of the couch potaotes I mix with and as for the gym bunnies I know - I just feel like a sack of spuds.

I guess it's a form of depression and one of the best ways of combating depression is to exercise...

I know I feel better for my gym sessions but I know deep down I'm not putting in the effort requred - I need the guys at the gym to force me onwards. But then the point of the gym sessions is to work until muscle failure which I read as 'failure' - not very motviationals.

So - please - I need to get my mojo back and get back on the road - perhaps all it will take is some new kit - or is that just kidding myself... (the 2nd one)

Sorry.
I hate feeling like this.
Sometimes it's good to look back on the bad times, sometimes it's better to put on a brave face.  (Like adam ant)

x

Tuesday morning

I am beginning to seriously doubt the value of these early morning 10k runs.
For a start I have to get up at 6am which is really very early in anyone's book and then I'm running on empty for over an hour. I feel exhausted after a couple of miles and there are still 4 to go.
I do feel quite good once I've stopped though.
But for the rest of the day I feel weary.
I know it's good exercise - but would it be better to run after work when I've had something to eat during the day? Or is running on empty a good thing in terms of getting round to burning fat for energy which is what I'm aiming for? The low-carb thing obviously won't help even an evening run - slow-release carbs might but I don't know the rules about them. And should I really be bothered about rules? It's not like I'm following the plan strictly, just cutting out bread, pasta, spuds, rice and sugar. I think it's working - put it this way: I'm going to 2 parties this weekend and am wearing clothes I wouldn't have dreamed of wearing just a few weeks ago - so I guess I feel more confident if nothing else.
Keep on runninggggg......

Half marathon 2010

Not that I did it, of course, but I did wave over the seawall viewing point as the runners went up the portway (before the leaders came back down) - and - apart from the rain - I kind of wished I was doing it too. All my chums did it and were really happy with themselves - boyf did it in about 1hr 36 which isn't bad for not doing much training...
I dropped them off in town for the start and I did envy them their excitement - it's what makes it an event rather than a really, really long run.
I did go for a run round the downs and managed the usual 4 and half miles - and I had to walk again for a few seconds after a mile or so - whether that's cos of the low carb thing or cos I never warm up properly and this was a way of allowing my blood to redistribute properly I don't know, but it did help...
And the low-carb is working quite well as I've lost about 4lbs (but this is weighing myself 1st thing in the morning and after a few lagers last night... but hey 4lbs is 4lbs - another 3 weeks and I might have hit my target. But will it make me happy? And will I skeep it off??)

A good run following a bad day

You know how some days are just rubbish, that you just want to fast forward through them and move on? Yesterday was like that so I had some wine before I went to bed. Daft really. Really daft, as I'd promised I wouldn't. But it was a treat to get over the bad day.

So when the alarm went off at 6am I wasn't best pleased and actually spent a few minutes arguing why I should run, that I could run after work instead. (I haven't done that for a long time, years perhaps) But as usual there wasn't a particularly good reason why I should turn over and go back to sleep and so I went for a run.

Incidentally, so did the boyf who is running the Bristol 1/2 marathon this weekend (he has done v little training as usual but will get round in 1 hour 43 mins, my prediction)

But back to me - my run was ok - it was hard to begin with, as I was going the opposite way round my normal route which means the steeper hills are first, but I got round ok.

There is a huge amount of mind over matter in these things - there are the aching buns, the boredom (even Evan Davies and Jim Naughtie aren't totally engrossing) but if you just keep going (as long as there isn't anything terminal going on with your knees etc) then you get round. It's very simple. And there is the added incentive of wanting to get back as soon as possible for a nice cup of tea. Very motivational.

PS - I'm still unsure as to the success of the (not very) low-carb diet. I've lost about 2lbs I think but surely it's only a matter of time before I am a size zero. (Although that's fairly unlikely as I'm protecting myself against that by drinking wine and eating carby fruits)

Early one morning just as the sun was riiiiiising

Yup - there I was, pounding the streets, even as the sun poked its nose over the horizon. It was nice - quite chilly but clear and fresh. Lovely.
Well, once I got over the initial thing of having no energy it was ok - I wonder if this is a sign of the low-carb diet working - I certainly don't get the highs and lows from having too much sugar, but whether or not this is the path to racing snakiness I have no idea.
Unlikely, frankly, as I still pack in loads of sugar in the form of fruit and alcohol.

But at least I've been for a run.

Next time (Thursday) (probably) I will do the same route (about 10k) but in reverse. As in going round the loop in the opposite direction, not running backwards. Just to shake things up, make them a little bit more exciting and unpredictable. That is how sad and dull my life has become.

44' 40", 4.67miles, 9'33" per mile, 530 cals

Something's not right - surely it's fewer calories than that?
aha - my weight was in settings as 100kg. Not quite that fat.

It's good news though - the settings were wrong cos I have a new ipod (hurrah). Hopefully I won't have to recalibrate the thing...

And, note to self - am far too old to run off a hangover. I had to curtail the run (missing out to loop by the observatory) and I had to walk for a few mins to catch up with myself. Glad I went though, it's never a waste of time. (convince yourself)

Niggles - left heel is aching, I think it's an achilles problem and I don't know what to do about it. New shoes? New tendon? Don't know. I don't think it's rest as I hadn't run for a week thanks to the dead ipod situation, so I think that would qualify as a rest, wouldn't it?
I felt quite strong today which was nice - well, strong but sick (cos of the hangover no doubt) but I'm still not all that fit - I would not finish the 1/2 marathon next weekend if I had gone in for it. Quite glad I didn't although I would like to think there is another 1/2 marathon in me before I croak. Perhaps next year? The plan is to go on holiday earlier next year which would mean a better run up to it in terms of training. (As if that's a consideration...)

So, done, dusted, showered, fed and ready to enjoy the bank holiday weekend. My cup overfloweth.

The dead ipod story continues

It was the lesser outcome - a replacement for the dead one. I know I should be grateful they're exchanging it and all that but I would have at least liked to get a different colour. Plus there was the added annoyance of not being able to get it exchanged on my first visit - apparantly you have to book a genius to get anything done there (Don't they trust their non-geniuses to make decisions?) AND they didn't have the right one in stock so I have to wait for it to come in and then go back again (third visit) and collect it. Meh.

And, no, I can't get going for a run when there is no ipod to listen to. Although, if they don't let me have a new one today/tomorrow, I will have to force myself out and run with only the sound of my own internal voices to amuse me.
Scary.

RIP ipod #2

I've killed another ipod.

The screen had the white horizontal lines at the weekend (see previous post) - but at least the thing was working.
But by yesterday the screen was covered in white lines. So I did the reset thing when you hold the menu and centre buttons down together - and the screen went totally blank white.
So I plugged it into the laptop - AND THE THING SQUEAKED - I kid you not. Ipods shouldn't make a noise.
I tried the restore option but it wouldn't have it.
Result - one utterly dead ipod.

So I'm taking it back to the Apple store this evening and the result I want is an upgrade replacement - one with the built-in radio and video camera - as a goodwill thing. We'll see how much Steve Jobs loves his customers...
What I will probably get is this one repaired or replaced with another identical one. I will have to steel myself for the confrontation.
Wish me well...

(ahh - what if they say it's my fault and won't do anything????)

BTW the upshot of the ipod tragedy is that I didn't go for a run this morning as I didn't have anything to listen to: can I force myself out on the pavements with no aural stimulation in future?
Watch this space.

Not literally.

Sunday Morning

It was a good run. Didn't have a lot of energy - obviously the low-carb thing is kicking in... - but I did the downs including the observatory without passing out or vomiting so I guess that's a good sign...
My ipod has broken again. Not sure if it's cos I carry in in my hand when I'm running and it might get sweaty. I put it in a bag if rice overnight but it hasn't helped: if anything after the run this morning it was worse. I will take the bloody thing back and see if they can mend it, but I am so out of love with ipods. I don't like the thumbwheel thing as I don't think it works very well. Perhaps I'm just too familiar with them. Either way if I didn't have the macbook I would think about getting a mp3 player which works.

Just Not Fair

I run - at the moment I run 3 times a week (well, in a good week) more than 15 miles a week in fact.
I go to the gym 3 times a week
I do yoga on Mondays
I cycle to work usually 5 days a week, about 6 miles a day
Why then am I so fat and getting fatter????

OK I do accept I drink too much wine and I don't consider my calorie intake particularly carefully (loving buttery toast), and I know that's got to change, but I did believe when I joined the gym almost a year ago, that I would at least get thinner if not lighter. Well I've put on a few pounds since joining and I think I might have lost an ounce or 2 of actual fat, but I am still carrying 10lbs too much disgusting fat.

I actually thought when I went on holiday that I looked ok in a bikini - well I didn't. Self-delusion is a terrible thing.
For example - running up the slope from the holiday house (an unmade-up track, steep) I was putting a lot of effort into the run, and I was OK with taking 5mins 40" over it. But when niece did it in under 3 and a half mins I completely lost heart and started hating myself for being so utterly crap. I embarrass myself.

So this is the time to end the self-delusion.

I'm not a good runner - I'm an adequate jogger and would never break the 2 hours for the 1/2 marathon even if I dragged myself off the couch to train for it.
I can't just eat crap and think it doesn't count - everything counts. A hangover fried breakfast DOES count even though it feels like medicine. The answer - don't have hangovers.
I am getting older and this makes a difference - hormonally fat gets laid down a lot more easily and is harder to shift therefore I have to consume fewer calories and keep up with the same (or more) level of exercise

Life is not fair - some people don't have an issue with putting on fat, they just don't get hung up on eating, or their metabolism is different. Other people don't seem to care one way or another what they look like and they seem quite happy to live with that. I don't have that kind of confidence. It's the same kind of fairness which means that no matter how much effort I put into running, someone with longer legs will run right past me with no effort at all. I can't get hung up on that - I am a shortarse and that will never change. So I have to live with it.

So, Atkins or f-plan or what? Am cutting down on bread and especially sugar, will cut down on the wine. And generally eat less that I have been. It can't be that bad can it, considering I think I comfort-eat a lot, so all I have to do is think happy thoughts and the flab will melt away.

Or I could get a tape-worm...

omg a nice run - apart from the toe issue

So it was a 6am start, weather fairly perfect really. And it was fine. Really, pretty much fine. In terms of leg aching and lungs bursting, it was one of my better runs.
But I have this toe thing. My little right hand toe (right foor toe?) kind of curls under the rest of them and gets squashed. This results in a massive 1/2-toe blister. Which has been ok - the last one's been and gone but left an edge where it rubs even more. So ater 1/2 an hour or so into the run I can feel the squashedness coming back and my toe starting to hurt.
It's not nice and I don't know what to do about it.
I have thought of surgery - possibly a bit extreme.
A splint to straighten the toe out but that would probably make it worse.
Amputation - again a little on the extreme side of things.
So what can I do??
Vaseline to make it slip around rather than squish? (messy)
Plaster to corset the thing a bit - have tried that  - am worried it's going to make the next toe in get blisters.
Different shoes - another £100 on trainers - would be worth it is there was some kind of guarantee with the things.
It may go away.

blighty

Well, I'm straight back into the old routine of Sunday morning runs - and it was ok. Nothing like as hot as I've been used to, but that's probably not a bad thing.
Just did a trip around the downs, without the loop by the observatory, so it was pretty easy - but I still had to walk for a few minutes as I felt faint. No idea where that came from, but there you go. Useless!

no more bestest miles

I did run as hard as I could for a while this morning but didn't get another fastest mile thing from some american sportsperson. hey ho

Also, I got lost on the way back - there I was coming down the evil track towards the house, thinking about angels' wings (don't ask, but I've been reading 'angelology' this week) and when I came to my sense I realised I didn't recognise the bit of road I was going down. In fact I was about to get to the neighbours' house. So I had to about-turn and go back up the 100m or so of hill I'd just come down and take the right fork in the road which took me back to the safety of the holiday home... What a nit.

encore une fois

Yeah yeah yeah another run in the baking heat, aren't I just a marvel? Surely a medal is all but in the post right now.
Funny how once you get over yourself things like going for a run become very mundane events.

Fastest. Mile. Ever

Have now done 3 runs here in the s of f. None of them has been particularly pleasant, what with the heat and the danger etc etc, but this morning's went quite well.
I got to the top of the track from the house and pootled around the local hamlet and failed to find the door with all the feet tacked onto it.
Then I headed off down the road towards La Guard-Freinet and turned back at the junction. When I got back home, I turned off the nike+ thing and whaddyaknow, but here comes Tiger Woods no less to tell me 'congratulations, you've recorded your fastest ever time for a mile.' Whayhay, really.

foreign running

Shortest. Run. Ever.
Well, it was very uphill, unmade roads, traffic dangers etc etc and I actually felt proud of the fact I ran for 3 miles. It was also hot as we're in the south of France at the mo on holiday. So I think I'm allowed to lay off the running a little. But I will go again another morning I think as it will help counteract the copious amounts of wine and beer and cheese I seem to be consuming...

Last British Run

Before going to France tomorrow that is.
I wasn't going to run this morning but frankly there was no reason not to. And I'm glad I did, now that it's over.  I didn't feel particularly energetic so it was a struggle but I"m pleased to say I did the full run round the water tower, about 6 and a bit miles. More than enough in anyone's book.

one of the last runs...

..before going on holiday.
I think I will take my trainers even though it's likely to be so hot I'll have to run at 5 am... Seeing that written down makes it feel less and less likely it's going to happen...
This morning's was OK - was disappointed that I didn't get that brief feeling that I was enjoying it. And then afterwards I got the distinct impression that my old knee problem was beginning to recur. Age, it's not for the faint-hearted.

Early one morning just as the sun was rising...

There was a moment this morning when I realised I was actually enjoying my run. I was about 1/2 way through, 3 miles or so in, the sun was shining, I was on a very (very) slight downhill bit and there was nothing wrong with my knees, my feet, my head, my ipod... Will this moment ever come again? It didn't last all that long, but it was truly very nice.

2 run update

I did do a run on Sunday but for some reason I just didn't blog about it. Possibly cos it really wasn't all that interesting - no aliens, no freak hailstorms, no eureka genius moments. Nothing. Nada. Just 5.9 miles in 56'05" which is 9'29" a mile and naturally 590 calories.

And of course there is this morning's run as well - another 6am ish start which is OK but now the days are getting shorter I just know my huge enthusiasm for early morning runs will undoubtedly fade... But for now I'm getting out there, soaking up the business news on Today and hating the first mile or so.

But my new passion is the Tour de France - I am loving the lads in lycra and their weird sense of fair play (that's aimed at you, Bertie Contador) - I mean, isn't it supposed to be a race, fcs? Can't wait for today's stage - another pyreneean palaver. Bring it on.

why?

It was raining again this morning - not great, but it didn't rain the whole time.

I had to walk for a short while which was annoying but perhaps just got me enough energy to keep going. I missed out some of the route to get back home - but I guess it was still about 5 miles.
It just all felt a bit rubbish, frankly.

And then when I got home I weighed myself for the first time in a while and I found out I've put ON weight. This is despite the new regime of 3 runs a week, 3 gyms a week, cycling to work every day and yoga on mondays. I know I haven't cut back on calories but if 'they' are to be believed then upping your exercise is enough to make you lose weight. What's going wrong here?

Now I feel there is no point to any of this - I might as well eat and drink what I like and give up the exercise cos it seems to make no difference. I know this isn't true but some days you just have to wonder - 'is it all worth it?'

early morning in the rain

It seems Summer is on a break and we're back to winter weather. Except it's not cold, just rainy and dark. But in truth, once you're out there a bit of drizzle doesn't hurt - it's the darkness that gets you. Waking up with the sun streaming in through the curtains is great - when you can't tell if you've opened your eyes or not - not so super.

But the run was fine, usual things, usual radio stuff - except I mistakenly tuned to 1xtra just before 7am and got very confused. Quickly found R1 once more and relaxed. Sad, I know, but I do find R1 quite amusing and takes my mind off the pavement-pounding in a way R4 just doesn't.

And then I cycle 5 miles or so to work. And go to the gym 3 times a week. If there was any justice in the world I would be super-model skinny by now. I mean, just cos I eat too much and like wine by the bottle rather than the glass (oh, and the small matter of being middle-aged) I am still the shape of a weeble. But with legs. And I do wobble quite a bit, but also fall down.

greugh 47'20" 9'35"/mile 4.93miles 493 cals

Of course I already knew that a bottle of wine the night before won't make for a good run in the morning, but I did it anyway. And had a rotten run.
I could learn from this experience
Even leaving it til 1030 didn't make it any better.
greugh, indeed 

btw do you think they work on 1mile = 100 cals??? I have my suspicions

routine

Well, it's almost becoming a routine this early morning running thing. I see the sainsbury's delivery van as I cross Gloucester Rd, I see the prison staff arriving for work with their carrier bags (presumably with their lunches inside) and I listen to the business news on Radio 4 then change to the nonsense of Radio 1 and lighten up for the journey back home.

It takes about an hour, and I think it's over 6 miles which I find quite amazing. Not sure if this link will work...
http://gb.mapometer.com/en/running/route_689625.html

And then I walked to work which seemed far harder work than cycling the 6 miles... I can only hope that it's doing me some good and I'm not just piddling in the wind.

And by doing good I mean making me lose the flab as well as being fitter and healthier. I don't feel healthy right now I feel knackered. And in need of a veggie sausage sandwich...

another morning another run

It all feels a bit routine now - is that a good thing? Or should I still be in the mega-congratulatory stage and think I'm being wonderful???

So, yeah, another pre-breakfast run. And it was ok really. Feel good for having done it and not dreading the next one.

Of course boyf decided he was going to do one as well and probably ran as far as I did but managed to do it 20minutes faster... Such is life

5.92 miles, 56' 09", 9' 28"/mile, 592 cals

Hurrah - a feel-good run.
Apart from being exceptionally out of breath heading up to the observatory.
On the last mile or so I really went for it and got my speed up to 8 1/2 mins a mile which is quite impressive for me. (There is an element of endorphin still knocking around me I reckon)
So I feel quite pleased with myself - but there is a downside - by putting in this extra effort and getting some sort of result from it - will I have to continue doing this and try harder and harder each time? Most of me wants this to get easier and easier, not harder. There might even be a danger that if I did do the 1/2 marathon again I might really try and beat 2 1/2 hours. And that would mean dedication and commitment. Hmmm.

Sometimes I amaze myself, you know

Yes, it's true - I went for another pre-work run this morning, about 5 miles I reckon.
If life was fair I would now have the physique of a racing snake but the truth is somewhat different, more blistery and sweaty than supermodelish. Hey ho.
So I just have to keep this going a lot and I will reap the benefits one day. Or I will simply stave off the effects of old age a little longer. Or, in the case of my knees, accelerate them.
Have to work out why I'm doing it really. I do feel fitter and stronger than I have for a while which is nice, but I'm still the size and shape of a middle-aged woman and I have no idea how that happened...