I’ve been away for the weekend with all my extended family and I haven’t managed a run (despite taking my kit with me). It was just really difficult to find the time (even 30 minutes) as there were 7 kids and a mad rush to try to squeeze lots of fun stuff in for everyone.
The only time I could possibly have done it would have been on Sunday morning. I left all my gear by the door and staying away from the booze on Saturday night but I still couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t like running in the morning - full stop. I wish I did. I do get up early to work but I always feel like I would really hurt myself if I tried to run.
Anyway - this means that I am really pissed off with myself as all my good work is starting to tail off. People have started to comment that I have lost weight and it feels great. I’ve started wearing T-shirts that I got for a present last year but couldn’t wear as they were too tight. I just need to focus on that goal and keep going.
I’m doing OK with my food - staying away from junk and not snacking. But I do feel like this is a bit of a hurdle at the moment. It has been neraly two months since I started this and no the complecency can set in. Time to kick myself up the butt again and go for the next level. I am currently exactly 94KG - I wan’t to be below 90KG in a couple of months.
Here we go…..
Went to the dentist last night with the whole family and then went for good old fashioned Scottish fish supper - apparently this is traditional but I don’t remember ever doing it before. This was seriously greasy but tasted great. I felt really guilty after it though and went out to 5-a-side football a couple of hours later to burn it off. Footie went well although I though I was going to see my fish for a second time 
I have definitely slipped a bit in my diet, nibbling bits of chocolate here and there. I’m also not doing long distances for running at the moment - 5K rather than 10K. My times are getting much better though - a new PB with each one. I need to get a really good 10k in again to make sure I can still do it OK.
Cheers, Mark
I haven’t blogged for a few days but I am still here. It is funny - once you miss a couple of days it is really hard to get back on your blogging horse again.
I went for a great run on Sunday night and played an hour of 5-a-side football on Monday. I am feeling generally fitter - I recover faster and don’t find it as hard to get my second wind.
I now feel as if the stomach bug I had last week is finally out of my system - the last two or three runs I’ve done I have felt like being sick the whole time during it. The only way to stop yourself being sick while running is to concentrate on your breathing pattern - even if you have to do this for 30 or 40 minutes. The technique I use is to take one breath in and two breaths out. By blowing all the air out of your lungs you are able to train the whole of your chest rather than just the top bit. This forces you to take a deep breath and really load up on oxygen. You may sound a bit like a bloody steam train as you are running past people - but hey you can’t have everything.
I have been doing 5K runs in the last week rather than 10K runs because I’ve been feeling sick the whole time. Because of this I’ve tried to increase my speed - which has been pretty effective - I had a new personal best for 5K after each run. The Nike+ with my iPod rewards you with a special message from Paula Radcliffe or Lance Armstrong. Cheesy as fuck but it makes you feel like a hero in your own little world
Cheers, Mark
I can honestly say there is no such thing as a bad run. Here’s why:
1. Some days are always going to be better than others (more motivated, better weather, etc). Just accept this and you will be OK. Some days you may not run as fast or as far as you did last time but that’s OK - don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is to keep getting the miles in the bag or you will start to lose the benefit.
2. If you do feel like a run wasn’t great - learn from it. If you manage to learn something then it can still count as a good run. For example, did you eat too much beforehand? Have you been over training?
3. The main thing is to keep going and keep increasing your mileage or your speed over the long term.
M
This is a difficult question…I’ve not been feeling well since yesterday and I initially put it down to a bit of a delayed hangover but it is obviously not that. I am feeling really queasy and feel like I could throw up at any point.
I was supposed to go running and play 5 a side football last night but there was no way I could face it. Th problem is that for each day you miss, it gets harder to get back on track again. I need to keep telling myself that as soon as I feel OK I need to go out for a short run (5K) just to get going again.
This has put a real question mark over whether I will manage a half marathon next month as it has knocked my confidence a bit. I’ll let you know how I get on in the next couple of days.
Cheers, M
As running is going so well at the moment I’m wondering whether to do a half marathon sooner rather than later. There is one in Edinburgh at the start of March (5 weeks away). If I can comfortably run over 10K now, can I make it through a half marathon? I ran for 1 hour and 8 minutes last night so making it through to 2 hours should be possible shouldn’t it? I’m going to give it until teh end of this week and then make a decision.
My knees are better today by the way Still a bit tender but definitely better.
Cheers, Mark
Did a great run tonight - set myself a goal of 9K on my Nike+ and managed 11K without too much effort. Really feeling the benefit of regular sessions now - it seems to get easier each time.
The only problem I am facing at the moment is my knees have been a bit tender for the last few days. I originally put it down to football on the astro turf but now I think it may be the running. I quickly googled it and found various suggestions. I tried lying on my front before the run and kicking my butt with each leg individually. Doing this 60 times for each butt cheek seemed to loosen my knees off. I could occasionally feel them twinge during the run but nothing too bad. I’ll wait and see over the next 24 hours.
I am also going to start taking cod liver oil tablets just in case - they are very good for your joints apparently. I don’t want to turn into a crotchety old bastard by the age of 40 so I am taking this seriously.
Cheers, M
Last night was one of the grimmest nights on record (80 mph winds, pouring rain). I knew I had to get a run in as I have plans for tonight. I thought if I could make 5K I would be really happy as the weather was so terrible, just getting out there was an achievement.
I managed to do more than 8K (around 50 minutes) which was just brilliant. When I was running into the wind I was gritting my teeth and screaming at myself - “Come on!!! I can take anything!” It felt great - nothing was going to beat me.
I am reading an autobiography by Sir Ranulph Fiennes at the moment (Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know) which really helps. His whole life has been spent pushing himself and it makes you feel pretty inadequate when you read about the battles he has had. I was imagingin myself running across the Antarctic last night and that nothing was going to stop me (it was so cold and miserable it felt like the bloody Antarctic).
I am on top of the world!
from a v. happy Mark
This is the first time I have measured this for years. It is 4pm and I’ve been drinking coffee so not sure if this is sensible as a benchmark (as coffee can make your heart rate go bloody bonkers).
Anyway I measured it twice and both times it was 56 BPM. I would say that is pretty good and indicates that I am starting to get fit. I’m sure it used to be high 60s. From now on I will measure this when lying in bed in the morning once a week and take a note of it.
Once I have monitored that for a while I may start on the next thing which is a more accurate sign of fitness - the recovery time. How long it takes to recover after exercise. I will blog more about this soon.
Cheers, Mark (suitably relaxed)
An important part of learning to run is knowing how to increase what you are getting out of it. If you don’t improve you will get stuck in a rut and will lose the faith.
The only two factors are: improve your speed or improve your mileage.
A simple tip for improving your mileage once you are capable of running for 20 minutes is to use the “just one more block” mentality. You can even say it in a “Just more thing…” Columbo style if it helps.
I live in an area that has blocks of around 300 yards all round. I have a few routes that take me well away from the house for around 5K. As I’m coming back to the house I tell myself “I could stop now and that would be OK but if I do one more block it’ll be easier next time - surely I can manage one more block”. At the end of that block I’ve added another 300-400 yards to my total and I think “that wasn’t too bad - maybe just one more….” and it honestly becomes addictive. Before you know it you have added a couple of K to your run and it now becomes standard.
This is my plan to get me from being able to run a 10K race to being able to run a half marathon comfortably in 6 months.
Let’s see how it goes.
Cheers, Mark.