This Sunday I will be part of Team B for South Wales Running Community taking part in Builth and District RC 15 Hour Relay - I'm only doing 30 minutes....lets not get too carried away.
This morning, following my instructions I decided to test my Tech, to see how to record the time etc on Sunday. I set a timer on my watch - 30 minutes - so that when it went off I knew I would be near the end of my allotted time and ready to stop my Apple Workout )I have this linked to Strava to keep it simple) I had no idea how far I could go in 30 minutes, so set off on my plod around the area, heading to the flattest areas as there was rules about running down hill. As I plodded along I realised I would get much further than I thought, in fact over 4K, which surprised me. I managed to stop my Workout at 30:03 (although Strava says 29:54) I'll make sure I go a bit over for Sunday. Realising I was still a little way from home I reset my watch and completed another 1K so I would have a 5K time for today - 36:11 - which I know had a very short rest whilst I stopped and started my watch but it is still 2 minutes faster than my previous PB.....yeah Now, if I can just do that again on Sunday there will be some genuine Green Shoots of recovery.
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Today I tried out a new route, anything to stay away from the hill at the end of my route in the hope of saving my knees.
Linking up part 1 I remembered my friend telling me about a route he used and as he lives quite close I thought I'd reach out and ask him about it. It was nice to have a quick catch up and touch base, turns out he hasn't been running for a while so maybe my efforts will encourage him as well. New route stored off I went, with Cap on, and today with a training buddy, my wife, who is also trying Couch to 5K. The new route is definitely less hilly and whilst we only walked at pace, I still managed 45.21 plus we talked as we walked and it was nice to have some company. Linking up part 2 I have been making a note of my training using Apple products, and I remembered that back last year it was a case of choosing either the Apple workout or Strava to record things. However, in the time of my injury it looks like Strava and Apple are now friends so when you record your workout via Apple, it automatically lets Strava know.... There is a few settings to do but a very helpful YouTube man sorted that for me. So I am back in the world of Strava as well. Physical Health and Mental health are important at the best of times but even more so as we all deal with whatever level of isolation/lockdown we are living with. Being able to get out of the house and walk/jog/run even for 45 minutes helps me to feel better. Also taking time to talk to other or be together, even if it is virtually, can help people to feel connected It really is more important than ever to check in with friends and family. You can make a real difference to peoples lives. There is still time to be part of Movembers Miles for Mates - here is the link https://thefixevents.com/movembers-miles-for-mates Another 5K (without walking) done. Tonight I was joined by my speed coach, our Number 1 Daughter, as she prefers to be called, on my 5K run. She is definitely faster than me, but unlike the last time we ran together I didn't try to keep up. Turns out it was a good plan. Whilst she was 'Jeffing' with speedy runs and then walking, I was able to maintain a steady pace, catching her up and then being overtaken as she went back to a fast bit again. It did feel a bit like the Hare and the Tortoise. I was really pleased to be able to keep to my own pace and completed another 5K without the need to stop and walk. My time remained constant, it is much more about the distance. I am back on the look out for a running watch, I borrowed a Garmin from a friend but it didn't work that well for me. I think a more basic watch might be the way forward, but for now the research continues. I am however, very happy with my choice of Bone conduction headphones. As someone who organises races I am not a fan of headphones at events but when you are training seem like a great idea - remember to pick a suitable speed tune though. I have a few days off running as I have a busy weekend with events. I am looking forward to meeting some fellow runners at Swansea Half Marathon on Sunday. This year I can empathise with the runners, and soon I can aim for 13.1 miles. I left the house this evening for my next 5K distance with one intention, to Run (well jog) as far as I could without stopping. No coaching staff tonight, so just me and my trusty headphones for the evening. I started off well, and chose a suitable playlist, nothing too fast and quite soon found I had competed 1K. Feeling good, and realising I was on the slightly down hill section I continued. I mentioned before I have certain bits of this course I have tried to complete, even setting myself my own little finish line. This soon was upon me and 2K had passed - still no walking. Sam2.0 had helped be deal mentally with the next part of the course, which in my head seems very long, but actually isn't that far. Plodding on, I was soon at 3K and still no walking. Now my head started to ask the question - Can you do 5K without needing to walk? I already knew that the 4th km had 'The Hill', well it's more of an incline but in my head its a hill. I have worked hard over the past few runs to make it up the 'hill' without stopping, and tonight in no time I was at the top, and 4K done. Still feeling good and not too tired the thought of the final km started to move me forward. My head telling me, that with every step forward we were closing in on the 5K. OK I may have been overtaken by other runner but I was on my own little journey. 5K without stopping was in my sights. Then, as if by magic it was done! Without any running buddies or coaches to help me...so I gave myself a little high five to celebrate. Technology however did let me down so I don't have a map or splits to show what I did, however 5K in 36.15 without stopping is what I know I did. Yeah Go Me! In a week where parts of the country appear to have had more than a months rain in 24 hours, and some people seem to be collecting wood to build a boat and animals (2 of each) to go on board with them, it seems strange that most of this week I have been speaking to people about Hydration. The question has been - How much water do you drink in a day? It seems there is a lot of information in general health about what to eat, how much to exercise, but very little about hydration. Now I appreciate that it can be different for an individual, and will also depend on how much exercise you do, and if you have any medical conditions....but then the amount you eat can also change due to personal factors. Guidelines of 6 to 8 glasses a day is talked about, most of the people I spoke to said around 2 litres a day, I know for me I am supposed to drink 3. This then got me thinking about what hydration do people have when running, and how do you get your hydration? I am finding that I am feeling thirsty whilst running, but I know the distance I am currently doing I should be able to do without the need to carry fluids. But as the distance increases what do people advise? In passing today, I was offered a place in Windsor half, in September. Now this is a very achievable goal, but also remember I am yet to run 5K without stopping. With this in mind I set off in the drizzle to see how far I could do with minimal 'Jeffing'. Attached my headphones, choosing a suitable playlist, actually 'Don't Stop me now' was probably a bit fast for a first track, but it got me started and I was soon off and running. I like to set myself small 'distance' goals and today extended one of my sections to the longest distance yet. Note to self - make sure you have water, either with you or in the car for when you finish. Despite the drizzle there was a number of runners making their way around the park, some faster than other but all having a go. I saw some great #MondayMotivation today - "Run when you can, Walk if you have to, Crawl if you must; Just never give up." this kept me going as I went around the park. Now seeing as I need to do 13.1 miles by the end of September, this week the distance goes up to 5K. I am still seeking a 5K event for the end of June, I'd like something special as my first race, my colleague and coach Sam2.0 has said if there isn't an official event then she will get me a medal from the office. Due to work commitments, so far all my runs have been in the evening. Today however, I was able to experience what it is like to be a morning runner. To begin with I wasn't really sure it was for me. Perhaps it is that running later in the day my legs have had chance to warm up, or at least move a bit. For the first run/jog bit I really wasn't feeling it. I had done some stretching, but clearly not enough, my knees were tight, by legs felt heavy, every step seemed like a struggle - and we were only on the first mile! Mrs C was encouraging and we had our first goal to get to before the walking bit, it seemed to take forever. After a short walk the next run/jog was already a bit easier, clearly more warming up will help. Whilst we have been out doing this route, there is one area I have tried to push myself on, it is at the half way point and involved, initially running between 2 bridges. Gradually I have extended the distance, and today managed to run form the entrance to the park (prom) all the way to the entrance past the second bridge. Now this is still a long way of 26.2 miles but is still the longest I have run without stopping. Little goals and tick them off as you get them. Battling with technology this morning, phone recorded my achievement but watch and phone have clearly fallen out and are not talking to each other at present. What tech do you use when running? |
AuthorAfter 24 years of helping others to achieve their running goals - it is now my time. Archives
February 2022
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