run-walk

Taking on board the support and suggestions here, I took a look at Galloway and decided that I would aim to do Run 2 walk 1 at Robin Hood.

And if I am going to try to do that I'd better try it out first!

So Saturday morning I was up before the visitors were stirring and went out for four miles - starting with a warm up walk and then setting the garmin to beep at 2 minutes, 1 minute, ran walked it.

As Pixie has said elsewhere it is a bit strange walking when you don't need to but I stuck with it and it was much happier when i came home after 4 miles. [I did have to do run 1 walk2 on a particularly steep bit coming home.]

This morning, Monday, was to be my long run, as the visitors had gone. Initially I had planned to do 12 miles, but it is now too close to RH - less than 2 weeks - for that to actually have any effect on my fitness for the race, so I decided to go out for just 2 hours and do the RW again.

Warm up 10 minutes and then into the R2W1 again. I kept it going well, calling at the gym for a drink after an hour and then coming back.

It was more of a struggle to keep it going on the uphill bit coming home and became a bit unstructured for a couple of reps and while I switched to R1 walk 2, and then I was home. I felt a much happier bunny than a week ago and 8 miles done (under 2 hours as it turned out).

I did this without my usual get up 2 hours earlier and eat. Juts some juice before I set off. Rather hungry after 1.5 hours -maybe that affected my struggle up the hill too.

more structure

under the guidance of SuperCoach I have done a structured session on the treadmill - hills and walking very rapidly!

4.6 km done

now to wait for the teenbeanzes to come back from school with their results

eeek

Edit later

GCSE results ok :>)

BUT
my blood was rejected for donation - low iron count again - the've raised the bar apparently under an EEU directive!

12.4 whatevers per whatsit needed to be 12.5

around the field again

very depleted numbers at the club, so I did 'speed work' round the field - structured stuff folks!

run a minute walk a minute - it felt ok

and I have looked at Jeff Galloway he recommends run 2 minutes (or 1): walk 1 minute for my pace - I reckon that is very doable.

Not sure I want my Garmin bleeping throughout a race - and would want it to log miles as laps anyway. But at least 2:1 would be easy to track as it is only the three times table!!

I am now committed to giving two people lifts to RH so I guess I may as well run it.

away from running

I am having a couple of days with grandma beanz (my Mum) - we've ben to London - on the Eye and round the Houses of Parliament.
And lots of time on feet - London pavements are SO hard.

Now back at Mum's and sneaking a go on her computer (which she acquired at teh grand age of 82!).

Thanks for all the suportive comments - I Do appreciate them.

The trouble is I haven't RUN 9 miles or 13 miles or 26 miles ever.

I stumble round with an unstructured run-walk session where the walks have happenend because I can't push myself to run anymore. It is usually not very long before that happens - as those who have kindly plodded with me know.

Ho hum - home tomorrow. We'll see what happens next.

13 miles? No Chance!

I've been out for my 'long run' this morning and it was awful. I am incapable of sustaining a run without having to drop down to a walk. I think this is as much in my head as my legs – I find myself running along for a while thinking about something else so I can do it – but as soon as I think about it, it becomes too hard.

I have NEVER been able to run continuously on my own –the only time I have ever done it is at the club when I plod along with my V69 running partner – but now he has broken his shoulder I don’t even have that to look forward to.

The most depressing part of this run was that after 8 miles I just could not even run-walk any longer – and walked the mile and a half home, feeling thoroughly miserable.

How could I possibly ‘run’ 13 miles in three weeks time?

I just cannot do with another heroic failure at this stage.

I think Robin Hood might be another DNS.

running round in circles

How does anyone do track work?

None of my running partners were at the club last night so I stayed close to base with the walking wounded and plodded round the cricket field - exactly a quarter of a mile round, but after 8 loops I'd had enough!

I guess it would have been better if I had know I was doing it and given some thought to some structure to the session but I was too easily distracted by the injured peeps who wanted to chat.

And I feel a bit of a fraud doing 'speed work' when everyone knows I can barely run.

Back home

So back home and intent on keeping the running going while I have time - fortunately the first week of term will be a taper for Robin Hood!

So up this morning and out for a plod in the drizzle - almost thought I needed gloves when I set off, but it was not really that cold once I was moving.

Usual slow first mile, but the second mile seemed to be going ok - I looked at my HRM and it was well above the required 135 - but still I was running and it didn't feel too bad - so I kept going and realised I could actually run a mile without pausing to walk!! Have not done that for a while - so was well pleased.

4.6 miles done.

I have clocked up some miles while away, because although I didn't do all that many runs, I did lots of 'power walking' around the village. I think it must have done some good because I lost a bit of weight too :>))


On a totally different note, owing to the serendipitous nature of the web I came across this this morning. I think I'll get the girls to deconstruct it to check out the physics.

Sunday run

Well it poured with rain most of Saturday so we mostly played games and read.
It was still pouring down at 7 this morning so I turned over and went back to sleep for an hour. At 8 it had nearly stopped so I went out.
I need to get a few longer runs in before Robin Hood so thought I'd try to do 2 laps of my earlier runs. I took a drink and hid it at the end of the first lap so that I wouldn't have to go back in the house.
As before I started with a walking mile then a low HR mile before getting into my stride. So the first couple of miles are not enjoyable, but at least I feel in control. By about 2.5 miles I am beginning to enjoy it and the idea of a second lap is good rather than to be avoided (which it was at 2 miles).
So a drink and then round again - 7 miles done.
4 deer, numerous rabbits and squirrels and a cluster of jays (I think there's a collective noun for jays but can't think of it - a laughter?).
A great off- road run.

Followed later by 3 course Sunday lunch!

Relaxing

Thanks for all the supportive comments - which I've just picked up.
Centre Parcs certainly intend you to relax - the only place I can get a phone signal is the upstairs outdoor coffee bar!
So I picked up messages today and will just have to go back tomorrow for another coffee and to send this.
It is really peaceful apart from the sound of the planes at the Lakenheath airbase.
I've cycled and conclude that I can never learn to love the bike until the weight comes off.
Another incentive to lose the weight is an article in the Guardian about holidays in Denmark - for which cycling seems to be essential.

Anyway this morning I ran - just explored the off road paths in the woods and was out for 3.5 miles of pleasure - will try and do it again.

Holidays at last!

So here I am sitting in the garden in Cambridge knowing that I am not going to think about work for more than a week :>))

Saturday was the first day of the holiday and I slept until 11 so no morning run. A slow brunch and then off to Ely - the Cathedral is as fantastic as I remember it from years ago. I'm emailing this so the pics will have to wait.

I woke earlier this morning so teenbeanz and I went out for a plod. Bud (Buldaro) says TB should aim to do about 15-20 minutes every morning just to turn the legs over. So went round the block 1.5 miles and then I went on for another 4 miles.

This week I have run 10 miles and power - walked 10 miles - so a better week than I thought l'd have :>)

Off to Center Parc tomorrow so it should be a week of plodding and swimming. And we'll see if I can learn to love the bike.

going backwards

I just don't seem to be making much progress at the moment.

OK so I hadn't been out for a week what with insect bites and blister.

I went out for my normal 4 miler today - adding a bit on the front walking to try and get a better run my warming up effectively.

But it was still a struggle - I think I am just lazy basically - even when it is pretty flat I don't seem to be able to keep running for even a mile without slowing down to walk - and the run isn't exactly fast anyway.


Still, 4.5 miles done, maybe it will be better next time.