Janathon day 31: Hitting the 100 Milestone with a thump and and ouch!

Well, I did manage to get to the end of the month without any falls so that's a general improvement on my usual performance! Also serves me right for running in the woods when its getting dark. Some uneven ground led to me going over my ankle 3 miles in but managed to hobble on. There was a critical point where I could have gone thru the estate but I chose to run thru the woods leading me to trip and fall on my face . Thankfully there was noone around to witness this...then who in their right mind would be wondering in the freezing cold woods after dark ?! But with just under a mile still to go I carried on not noticing all the leaves and dirt still stuck to my face and body.
Am now sitting nuraong my sprained ankle with a bag of frozen carrots and sipping a nice glass of wine which will be my last for the next 28 days.... I do love puniahing myself!
Anyhoo i managed to hit my January target and getting a lovely sunset view to boot so it's not all bad!

 Stats!
Distance: 5 miles (101 in total for January )
Ankles sprained: 1
Cheeks bruised: 1 (on my face if you were wondering!)

Janathon Day 24:Running running off the PMT

So if discussion of 'lady issues' makes you uncomfortable for you, firstly, go have a word with yourself and stop reading now.

Right... Anyone else who suffers the evils of PMT but still manages to drag themselves on their winter workout routines should get some sort of medal. Fighting against not just the usual winter excuses not to venture outside but also the bloaty/heavy feeling and just a general 'screw you life' feeling you get at that time of the month that usually sees me wanting to hide under my blankets in bed. However, I will say  getting out running actually helps me with the dreaded PMT.  Not only do I find it helps with working off the related feeling of rage i tend to get at this time (who am i kidding, I get those most times!) but it seems to help with cramps and staves off some of the tendencies to crave unhealthy food.

Today I ran to the hills. I'm lucky to have some nice trails right beside my work. Cant get bored of the views :

Stats!
Distance:4.4 miles
Time:47 mins
Hills ran up :2

Day 22: Danger running in the dark

With the weather being in the sub zero area  there is always the danger of freezing your appendages off but winter running has a whole bunch of other hazzards  as my run today demonstrated 

There I was thinking that the days are getting that bit longer. Like it wasn't pitch black at 3pm. So having got to work ridiculously early, instead of going for my usual lunchtime run which always feels like such a faff, I thought i would have time for a post work run before it got too dark.

It started off not too bad, but having decided to go thru the Hermatige, which is a nice wee wooded kind of 'nature reserve', I discovered that the ice hadn't made it into this part of the world but was still pretty muddy and having my road trainers on gave me an extra edge of slippy danger.

The Hermatige 

Having come out the other side I was back on pavement but by this time the darkness had properly decended  Having forgotten that there are no street lights along the braid hills i had to rely on car lights to ensure i didn't trip on the many potholes along the way. You'll be pleased to know i got back to the car in one, albeit rather frozen piece. There was also a nice sunset 

On the subject of running in the freezing cold , what's with people who can run in mid winter in shorts and t-shirt?! They either have no nerve endings that feel the cold or they are showing off how hardcore they are while tempting frostbite.

Several hours after my run, my arse is still like a over sized icecube!

Stats! 

Distance 4.3 miles 

Time: 44 mins

Times I narrowly avoides falling on my face : 3

Day 17: The Smugness of a lunchtime runner

There's always 2 overall feelings when I go running at lunchtime at work.  The first is always feelings of 'ooooh do I have to?!?! Why?? It's cold, I'm hungry already, and I really can't be bothered'.
And then there's the self-consciousness passing colleagues in my running gear and feeling jealous of those wandering into the warm canteen for food.

Then, eventually the smugness will set in...If it is nice day it can come on during the run when I can feel the sun on my face and I take comfort in the knowledge that while I'm out burning the calories and getting fit, those colleagues I was regarding jealously and now feel sorry for as they will not be as fit and healthy as me, are sitting looking out of the canteen window in awe of my heroic lunchtime running. (Or are perhaps just thinking 'what a nutter, why on earth would you want to spend your lunch break doing that!) .

I do find the smugness will wear off as I spend the rest of the afternoon with smudged eye-makeup, bright red cheeks wishing I had brought more than just soup to eat for lunch.

Bring on the spring where I can go back to running after work!

Stats!
distance: 3.3miles
time: 33mins
time spent feeling smug: 10 mins

Day 12: Trailing around

I hate running in the city. I never used to mind it until I ran my first trail race. It was a game changer. Even tho I live in the middle of a city  thankfully Edinburgh is small and I dont have to go far to get an opportunity to get off road. I have hills and beaches. I also live right next to a hill - Arthur Seat :)

Today, as it was the weekend and I needed to do a long run, I jumped in the car to go to Aberladywwhich is just outside Edinburgh on the coast. Started off going thru a nature reserve. You go over a wee (rather rickety) bridge. On this bridge it tells you about 4 times that no dogs are allowed yet i saw a group of people walking with 4 dogs... I assume they are either blind or more likely stupid and don't care. I felt like saying something but wimped out  They looked pretty grumpy anyway .

As this was my first time doing this route I expected to get lost at least a couple of times but amazingly I managed 4 miles before my first wrong turn. But overall i didn't go too far off course. One of my detours saw my running along gullane beach (which brought back memories of annual school summer trips here even when it was chucking it down with rain) in a brutal head wind. But the lovely view distracted me from this..
My other miss turn meant I didn't get to see Saltcoats castle which is a nice wee ruin along from the path i went along.
Will def be doing this route again!
Stats : 7.8 miles
Time: 1 hour 33mins
Wrong turns: about 4?
Trailshoe sefies: a few but only posted the best one (see below )

Day 7: Windy as Fuck!

At least the grey went away....to be replaced by gale force winds, Yay!

7 days into Janathon, it feels longer, and I'm thinking i should be feeling like some kind of elite athlete by now. But no, it really isn't that long and I still feel like a sack of potatoes with legs - slow moving legs at that. But on the up side, I am still managing to get out there without too much interior discussion on whether I can be bothered or not so I'm taking that as a win. 

Stats! 

Distance: 5km 

Time 30mins 

Speed of wind:40mph (at least thats what it felt like!) 

Day 6: and the greyness continues

Right  I'm now bored of this grey, dreich January weather. It is utterly soul sucking.

Nothing looks nice in this climate and I live in one of the prettiest places there is (well, alot of it anyway).

Not sure if it was this, the pain in my neck, recovering from yesterday's 10km or all the gin, win and mulled cider i had last night (maybe a combination of all this) but dragging myself out of the flat and round the park for 2.4 miles was not in the least but fun. But I did it and that is what this is all about :)
Stats!
Distance: 2.4 miles
Time:22ish mins
Greyness: a depressing amount

Day 5: cant be bothered writing so I blogged memes

I have places to be and people to meet, this no real time for writing a Janathon blog ... I did however have time to run 10km and download a bunch of running memes. I may keep a few for future blogs cause, who doesn't love a meme!
Stats! Distance :10km. Time: 1hour 2mins

Day 3: Back to grim reality (sort of)

Ah well, the honeymoon period is over. Had a nice couple of days where the sun was shining and I had no work to do so had the luxury of running when and where I liked (I realise many folk were back at work yesterday but here in Scotland we need an extra day to recover from Hogmanay!

However, today it is a return to normal service..grey skies and fitting in Janathon around work. Though in the spirit of easing myself back into the new year, I was working from home so that still meant that I have been sitting at my laptop in my PJs eating leftover cheese and trifle for meals, in total denial of the end of the holiday season! Forget dry January, I'm having a wet January and doing Dry February instead as it has 3 whole days less to torture ourselves!

Anyway. I tore myself away from the couch and 'new website hell', and did a circuit of Holyrood Park. No photos today, for as previously mentioned it is dull and grey out there, plus I didn't have my phone.  On the bright side, it's Friday tomorrow!

Stats:
distance: 3.4 miles
Time: 34 mins
cheese and trifle eaten: lots!

Day 2: Hot hands, freezing bum

Was a double whammy today. Did a 4 mile walk in the Pentland hills and a 4 mile run over the Braid hills. 

Was a beautifully clear and sunny day but this meant that it was also -1 degrees. Luckily I had my sealskin winter gloves with me so my hands were toasty warm. I wish I could say the same about some other parts of my anatomy...namely my bum. No matter what, if it is anything under 10 degrees I always end up losing much of the feeling in my derriere whilst out for a run.

Already feeling very positive about my good start to my running year :) 

And just for Cathy: Pics of my favourite local highland cows!

Stats!

miles ran: 4

miles walked: 4

Hot body parts: hands

cold body parts: bum

pictures of cows: 1

Day1: Well, this is a first!

For the first time in a long while, it is the 1st of January and I have come back from a proper run! Not a half hearted, hungover, shuffle round the block but a decent run.
I won't lie - I partied and saw the new year in with a drink in my hand and didn't get to my bed until 5:30 this morning but I had sleep and re-hydrated and actually felt OK as I hit the park. 
My feelings of total smugess were slightly dampened by the sight of hordes of people doing the New Years Day Triathalon, which I have found out consists of a 400m swim (8 lengths of the Commonwealth pool, 11 mile cycle and a 3.5 mile run round Holyrood Park.

But I may have only done my 3.6 mile plod but still it's more than I have done most years.

It is also a good start to this years challenge: run 1000 miles in 2019. This is a challenge set by Trail Running magazine - https://www.trailrunningmag.co.uk/run1000miles/   I came to the hallenge late last year and due to injury and other obstacles I ended up just stopping counting the miles (turned out I only did under 400 miles in total last year) but this year I'm in right at the beginning with a sense of determination only the start of a new year can give you so here's to a good year of running, and what better way to start it than Janathon!

Stats:
distance: 3.6 miles
time: 37mins
feeling of smuggness: some

Running Therapy

Recently I have failed in my running. Despite having 4 events lined up for the year, the first being in April, a combination of bad weather keeping me in and an unfortunate predisposition to be in hibernation mode over winter has led to me being a bit lackadaisical in my approach to my exercise regime. I did join the gym but I’m only managing a couple of classes a week.

But this week I re-discovered my motivation. I’d been having a pretty shitty week and was feeling stressed and emotional, so much so I couldn’t seem to stop crying. I was over-thinking and was getting overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness. Then I had an unexpected day where I was working from home. It was a beautiful sunny day, so come lunchtime; I put on my running shoes, with an easy 3 mile jog planned. I ended up doing 5 miles. I feel lucky living in such a beautiful city at times like this.

I came back feeling better, not just physically, but emotionally. I had forgotten how therapeutic running can be for me. The right conditions, some good music can help me work through my feelings and come out of it feeling more positive and able to deal with things better. Taking advantage of this feeling I went and signed up for #Run1000miles in 2018. I am late coming to this, already into our last week of February, but am hoping that I can get my running mojo back properly and get my training more on track, while also being inspired and motivated by others taking part. I only have 7 weeks before my first trail race of the year – 17km in Hawkshead in the Lake District. I haven’t run further than 5 miles so far this year. It’s a challenge but one I feel I’m now in the right mind set to tackle, just hope the weather continues to get better J

On a side-note, it is the end of an era. My oldest running tights have bitten the dust. I think I’ve had them over 10 years, they have seen me through a marathon and many other half marathons/10kms. 

Day 31: Another Janathon comes to an end...reflections on Janathons past

Even though I will not be able to have claimed to have done any exercise today (the forecast for snow and high winds prompted me to leave my running gear at home) I thought I would still blog. I do have Pump planned in for tomorrow and did double whammy yesterday so hoping that will make up for it ;).

I was looking over my Facebook memories today and always through January I get my old blog posts coming up and we are now looking back on 5 years of them! Though think I've been doing Janathon longer.. In recent years I have been slacking terribly and have found myself look back fondly and in slight awe of my past self's will power to always get out and do something. I have evidently got lazy in my old age! Though I have just signed up for 2 more +20km trail races so with other already signed for events makes 4 major running events in one year. That is a record. I should probably be a bit more diligent in my training really... I have gotten really bad for not following a training plan and letting other thing get in the way. I still blame a certain someone for being a bad influence!

But will this blog I vow to be more focused in my training. I may even try to keep blogging to motivate myself to keep an eye on the prize. They prize being not ending up badly injured through bad training or crawing pas the finish line with all the veteran +60 runners. Noone likes it when a grey-haired granny flys past your tortoise like person!

So farewell January I will not miss you, you have sucked. Janathon, I will miss as usual, hearing everyone elses efforts which are usually better than mine!

And as promised the Highland cow from last week! Better late than never! It really didn't want to pose for me

Day 24: People exercise at this time?!

Due to the on-going, seemingly endless horrible weather (I know its winter but ffs, this is getting boring), I decided to get up super early and get to the gym when it is nice and quiet. You'd think it would be at 6:30am...but I was pretty surprised that there were more than a handful of insane people already there! I'm guessing it is still part of the January influx of temporary nubies (of which, I guess I am one, though I definitely plan to be here long term). I recently joined pure gym which is 24 hours. It is probably very doubtful but I really want to try and go at like 3am just to see who actually goes at that time.

Anyway, did a bit on the treadmill and then moved onto the weight machines. Really want to get used to using the free weights but still getting used to the new environment and was still too populated for me to explore. Think I will have to go at some insane time to get some space to myself!

Another downside to my new gym is that it's about a mile away (whereas my last one was just round the corner). I got outside to see that the rain which I had managed to avoid getting here had returned with a vengeance. So I got an extra mile running in there :)

And because I didn't get my photo of my lovely Janathon pyjamas yesterday, here's one now (they are lovely an comfy!)

Day 16: Going Hardcore! With snow!

It may be already day 16 for Janathon but I am only really a few days into getting back into my fitness routine. But instead of carrying on with easing myself back into things, today, despite the expected post weights muscle soreness, I lauched myself into the hardcore stuff. DOMS what DOMS.

My rational for chosing to do a P90X DVD (if you don't know what this is, think ripped American shouting at you to "BRING IT" with some workouts that have in the past brought me to the cusp of throwing up) is this: I am stiff from yesterdays effort so the Cardio X workout will loosen me up. Well it certainly did that. I had forgotten how tough the yoga bit is at the start. Yes, there was hardcore yoga.
I feel better for doing it, though I expect my muscles will not agree tomorrow.

On a side note - even if I had my running gear, it would have meant going out in a blizzard, however i did work to and from work in it. I looked like a snowman by the time I got there! I even put on my snowman slippers in tribute.

Day 15: "What are you doing!!!" said my legs

So, due to it being fecking freezing outside and because I forgot to take my running trainers to my folks (where I am cat sitting), I set myself to 'ease' myself into some strength training. I thought it would be my upper body that would be the hardest but after some squats and lunges various muscles in my legs seems to rebel at the activity, almost cramping painfully.

I did incorporate some P90X moves which may have been a bit ambitious for my first session but I really wasn't expecting for my body to react in such an extreme way. So I eased off and kept the session faily short. Even so I'm guessing I will suffer DOMS tomorrow. I just hope I can still walk.

Another disappointment in my exercise realm happened today too. I recently had to buy a new sports bra, my old one being now a few years old and starting to wear out. Now, I bought a Shock Absorber run bra. The last one I bought was a 34DD, I am a bit bigger just now so I thought a 36E would suffice.(I do have another one in this size which fits fine). So I go to put it on only to find I can't even do the first hooks up. I mean, seriously, how can the same make/type of bra have gotten soooo much smaller in a couple of years?! We aren't shrinking you know!!

Fingers crossed I can still walk tomorrow!

Day 12: Where did the last 11 days go!?

Oh well, better late than never I suppose :)

I  know the point of Janathon is to do exercise every day for a month . We are now practically half way through the month and I only managed to do ‘proper’ exercise today. By proper I mean something that entails putting on work out gear and possibly breaking a sweat. Sadly for the first couple weeks I have been ill. Not slacking but sporting a bone fide excuse. You may have heard that the flu is practically disseminating the populace.  I kind of had a flu-lite (not man-flu, not the life threatening kind but bad enough to stay in bed for 3 days and a few more mobile but feeling shite).

But now I am mostly well I have no excuse, I even re-joined the gym after a 2 year break. But today, I actually ventured out on a run for the first time in a month. Wow, does that time make a difference. 

Only managed just over 2 miles and they hurt. Was mainly my lungs which I think may have a significantly reduced capacity. I still have the lingerings of a cough which doesn’t help but with a 17km trail race signed up for in April I have to suck it up and get on with it.

It’s not going to be easy the next few week, nay months to get to my goal of being fully action ready for Tough Mudder in June. I once again question my decisions to put myself through these things!

Stats!

days of Janathon missed 11

distance: 2.3 miles

time: 23 mins

Day 30: Posh houses and Rasberries

Its the last day so I had to blog even though I have been slacking a bit the last few days. As I am up at my folks cat sitting once again and working I tried to spread my steps over the day. It was yet another miserable day and couldn't be bothered running but still need to get my steps up after a pathetic day yesterday where I didn't even manage to get to 10,000!

So due to the wet conditions today's Junathon effort consisted of walking around the housing estates in Fairmilehead. There has been quite a lot of developments in the last 10 year or so. I haven't really looked at them properly but today as I needed to go do a long walk I decided to have a nose round them. My word! - so many big and posh houses! I'm not sure what people do with so much space. 5+ bedrooms just seems excessive (unless you intend to run a B&B or you have a particularly large family). Anyway, think of all the housework and cleaning!

I've also never liked how they all look very much the same and what is with the fashion for monoblock! And then there's all the cars - so many that some of these places had tarmaced over the grass for more parking space! And people wonder why we have issues with surface water flooding.
Here was one interesting place that had astroturf instead of actual grass...looked rather weird and more suited for a miniature golf place!

Anyway, as well as posh-house spotting I also spotted the first raspberries of the year. Isn't it a bit early for them? I know brambles come out towards the end of summer but not sure about raspberries. To be fair there weren't many of them ripe but I manage to grab a couple :)

So after all this posh house spotting and raspberry picking, I managed to get home before the rain came on yet again and have managed to get to 20,000!

Day 27: meh

You know those days where you just wish you could stay in bed... Yeah it was one of those. We are back to the energy sucking, grey wet weather and the news is  making me want to hide under the covers. I've been trying to keep my average step target up but today my friends I just have to say fuck it and get me a beer.

I did manage to do my usual walk from the car to the office and back but no lunchtime walk as the rain was literally bouncing off the pavement. I also walked to the shops but that was solely to get the aforementioned beer.

I do hope to be in a better frame of mind tomorrow but I can't promise anything, though I do have a wine tasting planned so that's nice tho maybe not so good for my exercise prospects...
H
Stats!
Steps so far :13,893
Level of meh feeling :100%

Day 26: still in recovery

Most Mondays that aren't raining I should really be cycling to work yet I don't often manage it, mainly due to the fact I'm still recovering from the weekend. Today was no different. After all the activity over the last couple of days I got up feeling pretty stiff and entirely unprepared for the close to 5 mile, mainly uphill cycle to work so feeling the usual guilt I took the car. But I'm still parking it about half a mile away from work to get some walking in.

I also had my usual lunchtime saunter and being aware of my 19,500 average target for this section of my challenge I also walked to the supermarket for dinner stuff. I can smell the yummy smells of home made Thai red curry as I type!
Sadly I won't be cycling to work again tomorrow as the forecast is 'peeing rain' boo.
Step stats: 18,534 (somehow need to squeeze in 1000 more before bed!)
Had just came across some photos of Saturday night. This was from the last song. It was very hot and sweaty but wonderful