A first

This morning I broke all expectations and went to the gym - then went for a run.
It makes perfect sense of course - while I'm off work for a while, I need to keep up with the fitness - and actually spend more time on getting fitter. So I cycles up to the top of blackboy hill and my lovely gym, then ran round the downs and cycled home. And it wasn't as awful as I thought it might have been...  It was hard work and I had to walk up the cross-country section, but apart from that - this is how it panned out:

4.63 miles in 44m29s
which is a less than impressive 9min 35secs a mile.

Good enough for an overweight middle-aged trout?

Get me!

I have just run at lunchtime at work. Blooming amazing.

It took 70 mins from desk to desk which is ok - there is no excuse not to make it a regular thing, frankly.

Stats: well, the first one which came up in the headphones was for a 9'07" mile which reflects the fact it's pretty flat at the start. But I did the cross country bit and the hill just defeated me: I actually had to walk for a while.
So overall I did 3.02 miles at 9'28" a mile - so not too shabby really.
And I'm just really pleased that I made the effort - OK it's alovely day and I'm sure if it was raining I would not have gone. And it is such a kerfuffle getting changed, cycling up there, running, shower remembering keys - headphones - phone etc etc - but I expect it's done me a power of good.

What have I done?

It's kind of the opposite of unleashing a monster - I've tamed a placid lamb...

Running yesterday in the beautiful clear crisp morning sunshine was the nearest it gets to being a pleasure. (Note to self - I need a different route: even though the daffs are coming out I feel I have done that run so many times...)

Stats, though, don't make for happy reading
4.3 miles
9min 47 a mile

9 mins 47 seconds to run a mile - quite the slowest I've been for a while.
Excuses: the day before we'd spent in London walking. Walking for miles and miles. In shoes with paper-thin soles (shoes are now in recyling - much as I like them they've had their chips) So my feet were none too great and my feet are my achiles heel (you see what I did there...)

I am definitely going slower and slower. At this rate the 10k will take me... (pause to calculate...) over an hour. That's poor. Last time I did it was under 56 mins. surely I can aim to go that fast this time?
Or is it the taking part, the fact I'm a fatty old bird doing it, enough?

I don't know.

I do know I hate this ageing thing cos everything you thought of as being anything like permanent turns out to be anything but...

A new approach

I have decided I can't pretend to be a runner. I am a jogger. My natural pace is about 9'30" a mile and I should be happy with that. When I try and push myself is when I get blisters and worse. So I am going to be happy with my natural pace and take the benefit from going at that speed. If I get faster along the way then that's fine. What I want to avoid is the feeling that I'm failing if I can't run as fast as my v fit boyf or 18 year old stepdaughter. Not going to happen.

stats then...
4.27 miles
41m 18s
9m 40s a mile. Slow. But I did it (and I still have aching calves so I'm glad I didn't push it any more)

Whether this new approach will continue I have no idea, but I think I will be happier if I run this sort of thing 3 times a week. And by doing that I guess I will be faster.

It's a start...

4.32 miles
9.25mins/mile
40.42 mins

It's been really terrible weather recently but I managed to avoid a massive deluge by about 5 mins :D

Is it cos I am so unfit that I struggle with energy for these runs? There comes a point about 30 mins in when I just run out of puff. I even had a bit of breakfast this morning so it's not that. And one of the main reasons for running is to lose weight so I wouldn't be happy to up the calories when I only used 444 this morning.
How annoying is it that running uses about 100 calories a mile... You would have thought it would have been a lot more than that.
But no.

But hey ho - I have been for a run and it didn't kill me. Perhaps it truly is a start and this is where I train up to a regular 5 mile circuit and then for the 10k in May. I would really like to do that in under an hour and ideally under 55 mins which was how long I took to run the last one. It will help if I've lost a bit of weight by then of course but I guess the best training is just to get keep going out there and running.

pushing it now...

Well, at least it was a run. It's been a long time since the last one so I went for it a bit. It was a nice morning - cold but really sunny. Perfect.

stats - 4.45 miles in 40mins 37 secs
9mins 07secs a mile - pretty good for me

So the big question in my mind anyway is - can I get to do 5 miles in 45 mins? On paper perhaps I could. Perhaps I am kidding myself.

I thought this was supposed to get easier...

3.8 miles at 9mins 11 a mile.

Not a bad pace but bloody hell it was tough. I know I've put on weight and it's really taking its toll.
I need to get out 2 or 3 times a week for any improvement to be made (but it's soooo cold out there I find it hard to get motivated)
I also have to believe that it's doing me good. I have a feeling that it's not helping me at all - not to lose weight cos I don't run enough plus there is the issue of injuries which I'm getting quite paranoid about...
I guess I just need to get over myself and get on with it. It's hard work, of course it is, but once I get up to a comfortable 5 miles at that pace I can begin to bed it into my regime. (why I can't do that NOW I have no idea)

Wheelspin

I finally made it out onto the tough streets of St Andrews - only to find them covered in a thin layer of frost. It was a lovely morning and the chilliness was quite nice - but it was really hard going. I was tiptoeing around and kept losing my footing.
But I made it! With possibly the least impressive stats for a very long time.
It's quite remarkable the difference it makes going slowly - it feels much easier...

Stats:
3.6 miles
36 mins
I reckon that's 10 mins a mile...

So at least I have ended the year with a run. And I have kind of promised I will run on New Year's Day. It's the start of a year dedicated to running and getting fit.
Possibly.

ow ow ow ow ow

3.92 miles
35min 17
8.59 mins/mile

so, yay, I have cracked the 9 mins a mile thing - but at what cost? there is the usual feeling of achiness - but also I have lost the top layer of my right little toe to a huge blister. Not happy. Perhaps I should think about socks. Except I need larger shoes...
First world problem.

Ow

Calf pain in 3 - 2 - 1...
Tomorow is going to be painful. But it's good to believe I can do the 30-odd minute run without excuses.

3.87 miles
35.25 mins
9.09 min/mile - i guess that's 9mins 9secs...

wow -  I can do almost 9 mins a mile - which leads me to believe I may one day do the 5 in 45..

Is this the dawning of a new era?

I went for a run yesterday. There was no fanfare, no bunting, just me, the road and a chill wind.

I ran a reasonable distance in a reasonable time and today I feel my calfs are aching but nothing too bad - no achilles pain, no broken metatarsals, no blisters.

Obviously this means I'm not trying hard enough, but in my book it means I have no excuse not to start running regularly and trying for my arbitrary target of 5 miles in 45 minutes.

stats
3.81 miles
34' 40"
9m 06" a mile

I do hope this GPS is accurate as I seem to be getting faster according to it, but I don't feel like I'm running any faster.

I also must get something other than podcasted radio plays to listen to... although I have a fear of running out of things to listen to and suddenly I have to concentrate on the running...

Whitstable

Yay
I like running next to the sea. It was cold, windy and wonderful. I'm sure if I was there all the time it would pall eventually but for the few times I get to run there I love it.
I was inspired by G saying if I didn't take my kit I had to accept it and not regret - but if I did take it I had to run no matter what. Luckily it was a fantastic morning and off I went.

stats (cos I was running with the app)
3.49 miles
32m 6 secs
9min 12 a mile. (seems very fast but who am I to argue with technology.) (It was also so cold perhaps I went faster to stop from freezing)

treadmill twenty

Nifty title, huh.

I did a 20-minute on the treadmill and went, I think, 2.45km. Not exciting but the longest run I've done in a while.
This weekend I'm off to see chums in Whitstable so there is the prospect of a run along the seafront. I am a bit nervous about it considering the lack of practice I've been having recently - but I should never pass up the opportunity to run alongside the sea. 30 mins, that's all...  

Progress??

1.50 miles
14.05 mins
9m24s per mile

I ran after a gym workout seeing as I was up those parts anyway - and it was awful.
I have never felt so unfit. It was a huge struggle and I walked part of the way (but paused the mapmyrun app which is why I'm still under 30min miles...
so:
1. I am unfit and have to decide to train more
2. mapmyrun app is very good - it's GPS so no more stupid measuring of maps
3. I need to put some running music on my phone or download some 15-minute dramas...

I guess it's all a step in the right direction.
And I'm glad I made the effort to go.

another treadmill mile

Well, same again really. I got as fast as 11.1km/h whatever that means* and ran a mile.
At first my achilles was very sore, but once it was warmed up it was far better. But still a bit sore.

I have a theory now that when I bust my calf muscle I stopped using it properly and this has led to over-use of my achilles on that side. So, I reckon I can stretch my calfs, build them up a bit, stretch my achilles a lot and hope for the best.

A mile isn't going to get me anywhere is it...

*6.89722mph**
**8min 41" per mile. :)

It's about time...

I decided I have to get going on this running thing again - and the thing that's stopping me (other than feeling overweight and unfit) has been my achilles. So I went to my lovely gym and did a mile on the treadmill.
Really don't like treadmills.
But once I got warmed up (as if cycling up there and doing a weights session wasn't enough to warm up...) my achilles felt ok

Since the last time...

No more runs. My left achilles really hurts.

I was going to run this morning but even as I tried to jog over to the car (I was going to go round the downs with a thought to doing it from work) - and my achilles hurt so much I knew it was stupid to go for a run.
And I feel so fat - despite the 16:8 which I've been doing for a few months now - I still weigh about the same as I ever did. I know I overeat and drink too much wine - but ffs this is me standing still, not shifting an ounce.
What with that and the arthritis in my toe I feel ancient. Fat and middle-aged. And I have the world's troubles on my shoulders to deal with as well.

Fuck it - I'm going to Boston for a coffee and a bacon sarnie.

Long run

5.42 miles
bother - didn't stop the clock properly.
how incredibly annoying
I think I did 5 in 45. I believe I did 5 in 45. I really think I was back in about 43 mins... Oh how I wish I had stopped the clock.
grrrr.

Route - I was dropped off on the downs so I did a circuit and came back.

Niggles
left achilles - I have to make sure I get my heels down as I run. I concentrate on using my knees rather than just my feet. I hope it's working.
Left lower back - it's really quite painful. I might even go back to the osteopath. I guess getting into yoga more regularly will help as well.

But I've gone further than for a long long time.
And it's very hard work

PB

ok it's hardly earth-shattering but it's remarkably satisfying to see the clock tell you you've hit the target you set yourself...
Which was - drum roll - to do the kellaway run in under 32 mins

31'55" tadah!

niggles - left hip very stiff. left heel/achilles a bit sore.
I think I'm generally surviving though.
I thought as I huffed back home that I kind of haven't run much since I started going to the gym - I reckon I've put on weight - as in muscle! - plus flab which makes running so very much harder work. So if I'm going to pick up the running I have to shed the weight. Which I'm doing by upping the running miles...

grunt

I guess this is the real world.

A 33-min run, nothing special, out of breath at the end, feet a bit achy, left hip a bit hurty, 2nd left toe a bit blistery.
Nothing. Special.
Except that it has been done. And it was done in the evening. So, good for me.

If I am ever going to hit my 5 in 45 target I'm going to have to up my game somewhat.
I think the first thing to do is get a 5 mile circuit or 2 worked out and drag myself round those, before trying to up the speed. I think I will get there - unless I feel as pooped as I did along sefton park rd this evening earlier in the run.
It just feels like I have a mountain to climb at the mo. How I ever ran a 1/2 marathon I have no idea. It's what age does to you...