Even though I have not been running I thought I would blog about something that is a big part of running. It has been said that runners are either recovering from injury, are injured or about to be injured...for me this could not be truer. I have ran 2 half marathons and while training for each of those I have ended up having to take at least 2 weeks off training which in turn affected my race time.
When I started my training for this year's Edinburgh marathon I thought I had learnt enough through previous experience to avoid anything serious...i.e. stretching off properly, not increasing mileage too fast....It however, didn't stop me from being at week 7 in training and finding myself once again injured and unable to walk let alone run (this time it is my ankle). Last sunday rather than doing my scheduled 15mile run I was sat in front of the TV with a consoling glass of red wine.
I don't know what it's like for other runners but I find being taken out even by a minor injury very demoralising and upsetting. I am probably an overly emotional person-I put it down to my, ahem, 'artistic temperament', but I get depressed and pessimistic when I can't train and I find myself visualising my hard won fitness ebbing quickly away (drama queen, I know).
Anyway, for the moment I am trying to stay off my feet and occupy myself - you take away a job and then training, you find yourself with a LOT of free time on your hands - and hope that I am back into the 'about to be injured' and at least make it intact until after the marathon.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
schizophrenic weather run
Its March and its bloody well snowing!!! Snowdrops and daffodils are out, fashion shop window are looking annoyingly pastel-y and I have had a couple of emails telling me 'its the start of spring...get training for (delete as appropriate) 5k/10k/half marathon' - you would think I could look forward to some nice sunny running opportunities... but no....went out today and though I ended up being rather lucky and spending most of my 5 mile run in the sun - albeit running against almost gale force winds - I did get a short hail/sleet 'shower'. It was, however, also INSANLY windy...at one point I almost got blown into a lampost. Though I have to say I was quite pleased that I managed to maintain around a 9min mile pace even running into the wind.
I also expect by this time of year to be able to plan my long runs without fear of too much extreme weather. I can handle running in the cold and the rain but snow blizzards I draw the line at. However, the forecast for the weekend is exactly that and I had planned a 15 mile run which I really should do as the Edinburgh marathon is only just over 2 months away and I'm losing 2 weeks to a holiday in Peru (ok, so its a nice way to lose it but still!)
My options would seem to be to do the long run tomorrow which having done 3 days in a row, one of which was a heavy intervals session, I had hoped to have a wee rest. However, Saturday is the afore-mentioned snow blizzards and Sunday I would assume would be blighted by Saturday's snow which I would have to run through and past experience says that my legs don't like running in snow or slush. Mmmm, ok my options have turned into 'option'. a 15 mile Friday it is...not doing anything the rest of today then..
stats:
5.48miles in 51mins 58secs (and that was with the wind/hills and other obstacles trying their best to slow me down)
I also expect by this time of year to be able to plan my long runs without fear of too much extreme weather. I can handle running in the cold and the rain but snow blizzards I draw the line at. However, the forecast for the weekend is exactly that and I had planned a 15 mile run which I really should do as the Edinburgh marathon is only just over 2 months away and I'm losing 2 weeks to a holiday in Peru (ok, so its a nice way to lose it but still!)
My options would seem to be to do the long run tomorrow which having done 3 days in a row, one of which was a heavy intervals session, I had hoped to have a wee rest. However, Saturday is the afore-mentioned snow blizzards and Sunday I would assume would be blighted by Saturday's snow which I would have to run through and past experience says that my legs don't like running in snow or slush. Mmmm, ok my options have turned into 'option'. a 15 mile Friday it is...not doing anything the rest of today then..
stats:
5.48miles in 51mins 58secs (and that was with the wind/hills and other obstacles trying their best to slow me down)
Friday, 4 March 2011
Conquering Hills
While I'm not enjoying the uncertaintly and helplessness of not having a job to go to every day and the stress of waiting to hear results of job applications/interviews...I am liking going out for a run at the time of my choosing which for me is apparently late morning (or in today's case just in time for the sun coming out and for me to ignore some long overdue housework!).
As my marathon training schedule includes hill work (after intervals my most hated session) I thought I had better do some.
I have said this more than once - Edinburgh I covered in hills - I live at the bottom of one and I grew up at the top of one. So when my training says - run to a hill I don't have to go very far so not much of a chance of a warm-up. And the best hill for me is the one I live beside which just so happens to be fucking STEEP. I suppose I should be glad that it makes me work harder and I am certainly glad to be running on grass for a change, giving my knee some respite. There are plenty of other hills but these are either even steeper or too far away, and I don't fancy running up and down a restidential street dodging small children and other obsticles.
Tomorrow will look forward to a nice simple 'easy' 4 miles jog before Sunday's 10 miles (supposed to be 13 but did 10 on Tuesday and really not sure I can do 2 long runs in one week)
Stats:
4.5 miles in 46 mins
including warm up/down and 10 x 30 secs (extreme) uphills and then down hill recoveries
As my marathon training schedule includes hill work (after intervals my most hated session) I thought I had better do some.
I have said this more than once - Edinburgh I covered in hills - I live at the bottom of one and I grew up at the top of one. So when my training says - run to a hill I don't have to go very far so not much of a chance of a warm-up. And the best hill for me is the one I live beside which just so happens to be fucking STEEP. I suppose I should be glad that it makes me work harder and I am certainly glad to be running on grass for a change, giving my knee some respite. There are plenty of other hills but these are either even steeper or too far away, and I don't fancy running up and down a restidential street dodging small children and other obsticles.
Tomorrow will look forward to a nice simple 'easy' 4 miles jog before Sunday's 10 miles (supposed to be 13 but did 10 on Tuesday and really not sure I can do 2 long runs in one week)
Stats:
4.5 miles in 46 mins
including warm up/down and 10 x 30 secs (extreme) uphills and then down hill recoveries
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
After saying I would continue this blog...I went all quiet. The stresses of coming to an end of my former job and being ill didn't help. But now being unemployed with marathon training interspersered with frantic job hunting I thought I would spend some work-free time to do some blogging.
I decided to start my unemployed runner role in style by spending a spring-like Tuesday going to a job interview then doing a 10 mile run. Doing this I have discovered that the combination of the adrenaline of attending an interivew and too little to eat makes running 10miles pretty tough...I pretty much stubbled to a crawl for the last stretch home. It did however make me feel like I had done something with my day and that as long as I am pretty vigilant in my job hunting and keep up the running I won't turn into the daytime TV watching, staying in my PJs unemployed person that I always fear is lurking...
I was thinking of changing my title to the Job-seeking runner but am hoping this status will not be with me for long so I will stick to the 'Running Goth'.
Being a running Goth I would like to put out a plea to the running shoe makers out there....Why must all trainers be white of some kind (although there are some black trail running shoes out there - not sure why this is) but some nice gothic running trainer of the road running variety would be good - goths do do exercise I promise you and it would be nice to carry on my sartorial style whilst out running :)
Stats:
10 miles - longest yet!
1 hour 44 mins
1250 calories....which I replaced by crisps, pasta and ice-cream not long after ....doh!
I decided to start my unemployed runner role in style by spending a spring-like Tuesday going to a job interview then doing a 10 mile run. Doing this I have discovered that the combination of the adrenaline of attending an interivew and too little to eat makes running 10miles pretty tough...I pretty much stubbled to a crawl for the last stretch home. It did however make me feel like I had done something with my day and that as long as I am pretty vigilant in my job hunting and keep up the running I won't turn into the daytime TV watching, staying in my PJs unemployed person that I always fear is lurking...
I was thinking of changing my title to the Job-seeking runner but am hoping this status will not be with me for long so I will stick to the 'Running Goth'.
Being a running Goth I would like to put out a plea to the running shoe makers out there....Why must all trainers be white of some kind (although there are some black trail running shoes out there - not sure why this is) but some nice gothic running trainer of the road running variety would be good - goths do do exercise I promise you and it would be nice to carry on my sartorial style whilst out running :)
Stats:
10 miles - longest yet!
1 hour 44 mins
1250 calories....which I replaced by crisps, pasta and ice-cream not long after ....doh!
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