Unexpected tales » Running

Snow

anne — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:43:30 +0000

Ran in the snow – just enough came down overnight to make it reasonably safe underfoot, covering the ice that’s formed from a million feet churning in the freeze.

The first 10 minutes were hideous – but then it all eased up and sorted itself out (possibly because I finished the mostly uphill part, although the later uphill bit was fine). May be the point in the cycle.

Also 5BX level D+.

Back again

anne — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:20:36 +0000

Ran on New Year’s Day in the snow – and then again – and again – and again, this time on snow. Ran today, in the gym with a million resolutions on the treadmills next to me (after a twenty minute wait for a free treadmill). I’ll take my chances with the snow next time, I think. The air conditioning couldn’t cope, and it was hellishly hot. I may be the only person to have cancelled a gym membership in January, but I’ve given up on them – hot, annoying to get to, and expensive. I’ll use the money to get a decent set of weights and a bench to keep at home, and run for cardio – plus there’s always the local council gym and pool not too far away if I decide I want to use a gym occasionally.

Following the “Get Running” app on the iPhone – so far, so useful. Easier than looking at a watch, I don’t keep looking to see that only a second has passed since the last time I checked.

2/25

anne — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:44:43 +0000

Away for a week, back to walk/run the dog; tried an experiment, with shorter running intervals and shorter walking intervals: run for 10 seconds, walk for 50 seconds. Rinse & repeat for 20 minutes, and repeat three times during the week. Then increase the running intervals by 5 seconds and reduce the walking intervals by the same amount. The trick … run the 10 seconds fast, not at the jog that I usually run intervals at. Theoretically, this should ease my slightly unhappy ankle back into running properly, and also bring me up to actually running for 30 minutes, not just jogging.

The dog was a bit bemused by the speed, though. Wet feet again, as well.

2/23

anne — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:14:07 +0000

Short brisk walk with the dog; discovered the virtue of the phone being down two flights of stairs – if it had been closer, I would have txt’d an apology and gone back to sleep. Tired, but woke up on the walk: blue chilly summer morning, glad I wore the waterproof walking shoes (one reason why I walked rather than ran, they aren’t made for running). Dog was bouncy, perhaps because this is the first time I’ve let him off the lead that he hasn’t had a ball in his mouth.

3.5/21

anne — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:35:42 +0000

Walking the dog yesterday, running with the dog this morning – reverting to brisk walking for the second half, which didn’t affect my average pace. Contemplating cutting back to brisk walking for now, keeping up a steady average pace, then trying to add running to that: so that I don’t run then walk slowly, run then walk slowly. Intervals are all well and good, but still …

Dew on the grass this morning and my feet were soaking wet. The dog responds well to being off the lead, though, which definitely makes the running/walking easier.

Yesterday’s variation on fetch: throw the stick, dog runs to the stick and stands and waits. No way he’s going to drop the ball in his mouth just for a lousy stick. But he will chase it.

2/17.5

anne — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:06:06 +0000

Crusing reasonably comfortably; wet but unbowed.

5.5/15.5

anne — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:39:57 +0000

Not all at once. Three trips out with the dog, over the past week. Right knee has been swollen and sore; possibly sitting too much at the computer. Trying now to remember to get up and walk about a bit more.

Wet feet, wet everything this morning as the rain came down. The blackberries are ripening on the paths, though – maybe another week or so and they’ll be ready for breakfast.

2/10

anne — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:42:39 +0000

Cool summer morning, blue skies and a chill in the air that didn’t withstand a brisk walk, let alone the running sessions.

And I forgot the heart rate monitor again.

2/8

anne — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:26:32 +0000

Thirty minutes, with dog. Must remember the heart rate monitor next time. Aches and niggles went away as I ran, although I may pay for it on the back of my heel later (rubbed raw by some shoes on Sunday and still a bit sore, nothing dramatic). Drizzling and cool – cool enough to opt for long sleeves. Did not want to get up, so the dog-running commitment is paying off as it forced me out of the house at a time when I would much rather have just shut off the alarm and gone back to sleep.

Reminding myself that the plan for now is just to run three times a week. Changing diet, adding in cross-training, adding in weights etc must all wait – experience, multiple experience, has taught me that I can’t change it all at once. Until the end of July, all I’ll do is run three times a week. Then, in August, I’ll look at what I’m eating and planning to eat. September, add in the cross-training (although I’ll probably swim in Portugal too), and finally add in some weight training in October. Might look at the number of times a week I’m running in November, as that’s when the training for the London marathon will kick in: but by then, I should have good habits slowly but firmly established.

4/6

anne — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:42:11 +0000

Long run looping around the park with the dog; Garmin beeps to tell me I’m going too fast … should I go backwards? Then it seems to sort itself out. It’s a little cooler, and a little less humid, but the cloud cover means that the sunscreen I finally remembered to buy may not have been as urgently needed as all that. I still put it on.

The dog decides that an orange roadworks cone is the stuff of the devil, or at least an alien intent on abducting us, and either way must be subdued or repelled by much barking. A tug of war over a dead bird – I win, and he doesn’t get close enough to try and pick it up. Or roll on it. The uphill parts of the park suddenly seem so very much more uphill …

Not quick, but done – and that’s what I keep reminding myself counts and is the point. I’m never going to win prizes for speed, but what I need is exercise, not prizes.