Sunday 20 January 2013

Snow Get 'Em!

Snow and ice get the blame this week for my low mileage!  (Well....it's a different excuse to last week's!)  I will run in rain, and wind, and even in a bit of snow if the roads are clear, but I draw the line at ice.  What's the point?  You can't go fast...you might as well have a nice brisk walk with your dog instead (which is exactly what I did).  And I didn't feel too bad about it, because if I don't run for a few days, it doesn't matter.  


After a few days of not running, my body tells me it needs exercise.  I feel bloated and sluggish....and my hips hurt (figure that one out!).  Today, my mind was telling me another day off would't hurt.....there's still a lot of snow about, after all.  I dithered for a few hours, then went for it at 10 o'clock.  And I really enjoyed it.  When your body is in working order, it really is 'mind over matter.'  When my mind was saying 'oh, it's starting to hurt,' my inner Personal Trainer said 'Shut up and Run.'  I have asked my husband to kick my ass out the door the next time I'm procrastinating! There are very few runs I have regretted.

Sunday 13 January 2013

Better late than never!

My run last weekend was awful; the sort that made me think that running and I weren't meant to be.  Then I developed a chest cold, so I surrendered to my cough and took a full week off from running. I know that experts use the 'neck up' rule (http://www.runnersworld.com/health/should-you-run-when-youre-sick?page=single), but I didn't need to consult them as I knew that if I couldn't walk up the stairs without panting, I wan't in a fit state to run.With hindsight, I now think that the cold was in my system but I was unaware of it until the day following my run.


 This morning, I pulled on my running gear and set off into the chilly morning mist.  I made a conscious decision not to get caught up in numbers.  Today was about easing myself back into it with a sensible 3 mile run.  After about 2 minutes, I realised that I was actually feeling good.  My body was moving rhythmically without any great effort on my part.  Tentatively, I pulled back the sleeve of my running top  and looked at my Garmin.....my pace was 9.12!  Hurrah.  I am back on form.


Now, I'm filled with the New Year enthusiasm everyone else felt about 2 weeks ago.  I've been leafing through my latest Runner's World and can't decide which Half-Marathon should I do?  I am very tempted by Reading, North Lincolnshire and of course.....The Great North.  Decisions, decisions!

Friday 4 January 2013

Loosing my Groove!

Like many, I have spent a large amount of my Christmas being a little too-well aquatinted with the sofa.  For a few days of that,  I was struck down by the vomiting bug and rendered lifeless and lacking in energy.  Before that, I suffered a cluster of migraines that lasted 10 days, so on the whole, I've lost my running groove!

Over the past two weeks, I have clocked up 22 miles, which is not bad going for me.  However, today was my first run after the bug.  And it hurt.   I ran for 5 miles, every one was as painful as the last.  My knee hurt.  The wind met me head on at every corner I turned.  I thought I was going to be sick.  I glanced down at my super-duper Garmin (my Christmas present) and felt further dejected when I saw my pace was bobbing between a 9:43 and a 10:03 minute mile. I can't remember the last time I ran at that pace. I called on all the mantras and motivational tools I knew of.  And I managed to keep going.   But I hated my run.  "I want to give up running" I thought briefly.

But I won't.  I am really only at the beginning of my running journey, and I know that running veterans have times like this.  I plan to rest tomorrow and go out again the day after.  The one good thing was that the sun finally came out!  (Albeit, after I got home!) But I'm taking it as an omen.
Here's a little something you may have read before, but I love it:
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.  We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an action but a habit."  Aristotle