Run 1 (09/09/2018)

Another nonsense run I’m afraid. The target was 3km I managed 1km because I was determined to attack it and secure a new 3km record, literally no pacing at all. I got round the first km in 6:49 and was dead. More specifically I couldn’t be arsed to suck up what would have been a painful and slow last 2km.

I broke the cardinal rule yet again do the distance first. If I want to do a quick lap make it the bloody last one not the first! I’ll be back out again tomorrow to do 3km, forget the pace. I was aiming this week to just get out and run 4 straight forward runs, not a great start.

Run Rating :

Run 2 (10/09/2018)

One of the biggest challenges I have running is fitting it in, which is a bit crazy considering I have very little else I actually have to do. But one way or another I find myself struggling to carve out a specific regimented time of the day, part through apathy and part through well just “stuff”.

Today was a perfect example. In the end I ended up running back from the local pet store where we’d been to try new collar’s/harnesses on the pup. Wen picked us up after work, drove us up there and I resolved to run back, a quick check on Google Earth indicated that a slightly indirect route would be over the required 3 km.

It occurs to me that this, let’s call it abandonment running might just be what I need, as:

it’s a non-circular route, I’m really starting to struggle with running around in circles (see last week).

getting back home is a fixed primal goal I can get behind

less reason to quit – i.e. I have to cover the distance anyway so I might as well do it running it’ll be quicker

So with that in mind and the pup fully kitted out with a new set of bondage gear which all turned out to be slightly too big (will have to wait a week or two before he grows into it), I started running back on a cool and slightly windy evening. No doubt about it summer is over.

The first kilometre was easy, I’m a bit concerned when the app chimes in indicating the split time as 7 min 5 secs. That’s a little too quick (see the last run). Luckily the 2nd km is all downhill. I loved this part of the run, just plodding away with the sun going down behind me and the fact it was all new terrain.

I hit the 2km mark just as I ran out of down hill, time to get to work. I’m trying to plot a route back, I believe there’s a short cut through a pedestrian area, I’ve never been here before and I’m mentally juggling the geography. I decide to risk it, it’s the start of a long climb back up, all the earlier downhill didn’t come for free.

As I’m going up the road I realise I’ve made a terrible mistake, not in terms of the route, it’s on target, but in terms of the ambience. Let’s put this delicately, I’ve turned into chav street and I’ve got no option but to keep on running. Not surprisingly I’m attracting some attention as I go chugging past, luckily thanks to my earphones I can’t quite hear what the slag in her bathrobe (fag hanging out of her mouth) shouts to her mates. I dance around the teenagers conspiring to place their bikes in my path and just keep on going., holding my breath past the cloud of vapour and weed and finally make it to the end of the road. Needless to say I won’t be taking that shortcut again.

The last km has been uphill and between having to dance around, hold my breath and generally trying to look like someone not to be messed with, I’ve wasted a lot of energy. I can feel it as I finally hit a bit of a flat. I’m out here for 3 km so I’m not going to stop before that and I’m negotiating with myself to make it all the way home. But I’m having to dig deep, nausea as always at these times is threatening. I start the process of trying to calm everything down as I start back up another incline, the app chimes in with 7 min 40 secs. Not bad considering most of it was uphill.

I’m still a distance from home and I’m struggling to get everything back under control. I start playing the “just” mental game. Just get to the end of this road, just get to the top of that hill, just get to that corner, just hold on one more minute. Yet again I remind myself this is the bit that counts, hanging on when you don’t want to. I finally make it home, that was a tough 3.7km, especially the last 700 metres.

I’ve set a new 3 km PB of 21:53 shaving 22 seconds off my previous record, that’ll do for today.

This was my first run through an urban environment, I’d generally kept to the parks. I can’t say it really appealed to me even ignoring the unfortunate detour. If you have to be out here running I’d much prefer to do it around some greenery without the risk of being run over every few yards. On the other hand being dropped off far (let’s be honest not really that far) from home and having to run back was fun, it kept the mind occupied pondering routes and the new and varied terrain.

My next run is 5 km and I have a plan to go and run back at the field where I originally started C25K, I’m thinking it’ll be fun to contrast the improvement. The Great North Run was last weekend, it’s a half marathon and as usual there were some incredible inspirational stories. For me though it was a reminder that 5k is not a stopping point, it’s meant to be a milestone on towards 10k and maybe even 21k, I need to push on!

Run Rating :

Run 3 (12/09/2018)

Change of plan I thought I’d just pop out and do a quick 5k after lunch when the pup would be snoozing. I’d plotted a circular route that was 5km door to door and took in half the route I did in the last run, mostly the downhill bit. It had been raining all morning, so I took my chances between showers to get out there.

The first km was going to be the toughest it’s all up hill, km 2 is flat, km 3 is downhill, km 4 is flat and the last km finished up hill for a few hundred metres. On paper it looked like a solid route. I got to the first km, not surprisingly a bit fatigued, spent half the 2nd km trying to get everything back under control and then noped out of the second half of the 2nd kilometre. I walked the last half of the 2nd km, and then proceeded to run and walk alternately 500m until I managed to drag my sorry ass back home.

I failed pure and simply because I mentally talked my way out of it at the 1.5km mark, having done the hardest km on the route. There wasn’t any huge physical drama, I was a bit of out of breath still recovering from going uphill for a km, but nothing I haven’t seen before. I definitely need to do something about this, it’s getting frustrating. I can do the distance but I routinely still struggle to commit to the run, i.e. grow a pair.

The pointless stats:

The only useful bit of data that came from this run was my feet were killing me in the walks, just like they used to when doing C25K intervals. I’ve run a number of 5k’s now and not suffered anywhere near as much as going back to effectively internal running. Maybe it’ll give me another incentive to not stop running in the future!

I’m not going to rerun this FAIL. I’ve got 2 runs left this week one of them WILL be a 5k let’s hope I can man up between now and then.

Run Rating :

Run 4 (14/09/2018)

I was out walking the pup around the woods most of the morning, by the time we got back he was shattered so I threw some food at him and shoved him in his crate and headed to the local park on what was an overcast slightly cool midday.

I was pondering if I should eat or just get out there. Having eaten nothing all day and walking most of the morning. The texts book says eat something light (i.e. a banana) 30 mins before running. Unfortunately we are all out of banana’s and I don’t have the luxury of 30m’s. So we’ll be burning what’s left of last nights lasagne or maybe some of my ample body fat would be a real bonus!

On the walk up I’m trying to mentally get my act together, I need a 5k bad. I’ve done a few at this park so there isn’t a question of can I do it, it’s just a question of will I turn up and suck it up when it starts to get tough. I’ve taken an extra lap round the park to build up my resolve and stretch a little more.

I set off on the first km deliberately slowing it all down, “get the distance” going around my head like a an inane mantra. I know I need to get around these early km’s efficiently, failure to manage energy levels will make the last 2 km’s a living hell and increase the likelihood of failure.

Once round the park and the first km is done, no problems. The 2nd km goes past fairly easily as well. I’m just avoiding trying to think how much time or distance I have left, just run each km. Standard running playlist, I need to get around to changing it, it’s starting to get a bit stale.

I hit 3km, 3rd time up the incline the toughest bit of the route. Mentally I’m fighting a voice telling me that’s enough for today, no shame walking away with 3k. Not today, I’m going the distance, I tell myself I’ve only got to go twice more round (or more specifically up). I’m over halfway and each step is now towards home! Don’t ask me, I know I’m running a circuit which is generally equidistant from home, but it helps to visualise getting over a hump and mentally ticking those last 2km’s off.

Hitting the 4km milestone I know I’ve got it done, it’s just a question of hanging on. My left knee is starting to hurt, that’s a bit worrying usually aches go away on these runs. I push on the pain is not that bad, more of a warning than a stop signal. I’m definitely feeling it and I decide to do the last 500m heading down the road towards home.

Not a spectacular run but an important one for me in terms of mental conditioning. The first 3km are not a problem at this 8:14 pace, but the last two km are far from fun. It’s here in this moment of duress I need to spend more time just soaking up the fatigue and mental barrage until I can ignore it.

As with most things in life the dread of something is usually far worse than the reality and for me it’s the same with running. That first 3km is inevitably interspersed with visions (if I fail to adequately distract myself) of what the last 2km are going to be like – i.e. it will hurt and it will be long.

In reality that last 2km is at best uncomfortable and the time passes surprisingly quickly. Far worse is the mental berating I give myself having failed, not because I gave everything and failed, there’s some glory in that, but because I gave up well before I had. I need to do a better job of remembering this while in that first 3km and stop tricking myself.

I have one more run this week. It’ll be Sunday as I’m going to need to go easy on my knee tomorrow, I don’t want any silly injuries, and I was given a clear warning today. I think I’ll aim for another 5k, no idea where yet.

Run Rating :

Run 5 (16/09/2018)

Didn’t happen, as I ended up doing stuff the whole day. It was 8pm by the time we got back home and I was starving and knackered, so the thought of popping out for a quick 5k in the dark was always going to be a hard sell.

I’m also out of time for this week. as I realised I need to stick to a conventional Monday-Sunday schedule otherwise my Endomondo accumulative stats don’t work properly.

Last week I achieved a total of just over 12km according to Endomondo, although it was probably closer to 10km given I walked a good part of run 3. That is way short of my goal of running 16km a week (2x3km + 2x5km) and a reminder that I need to step up my commitment.

Stat Value Date 12-minute test 1.76km 1/9/2018 Farthest distance 5.04km 21/8/2018 1 km 06 min 38 sec 1/9/2018 1 mile 10 min 56 sec 1/9/2018 3 km 21 min 53 sec 10/9/2018 3 mile 37 min 15 sec 7/9/2018 5 km 38 min 30 sec 7/9/2018 Most calories burned 771 kcal 7/9/2018

I also need to start tracking how much walking I’m doing, I spend about an hour and half every day walking the pup and we are starting to get through some km’s. It obviously doesn’t directly count to running but it does count towards my broader weight loss goals and ultimately a skinnier me will translate into a faster me.