Runstreak Day #452 - things that seem like a good idea...

... deciding that I'm going to do a race each month in 2015 and then not finding anything to enter in February.  But having the bright idea to do a virtual race that month instead.

And then completely forgetting about it.

And all of a sudden, it's February 25th, you haven't done your 10k and you know that finding the time is going to be tricky in the last three days.

Which is exactly what happened to me!  Whoopsie!!  Just goes to show how fragmented my running is at the moment.  A little bit here, a little bit there.  But no long runs to speak of.  My marathon training is *not* going well at all!!

In the end, I found a friend to run the 10k with and without her, I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it.  I'd already run the 2.5 miles there and back to get my littlest to school in the morning, and I really wasn't feeling it in the slightest.  Knowing that I had to meet someone else put enough pressure on me to get out of the door.  Plus, I could say out loud 'I don't want to run particularly fast' and rather than then trying to kill myself anyway, I had someone with me to go 'I thought you didn't want to go very fast' and slow me down.

So, although it was a bit of a struggle and I really was too tired to do it.  I earned my virtual race medal.  I did my bit of the Miscarriage Association.  And the 'I didn't quite remember to run' guilts have gone.

Oh, and I also over-heated a bit which means... don't tell anyone... but the weather is starting to warm up!  YES!!!

Woooo hooooo!!

Runstreak Day #400 - Burton Joyce 10k and a chest infection

Would anyone mind doing the 'Day 400 happy dance' for me?  I appear to have broken myself a little bit today, so even though my tea drinking arm and mouth seem to be functioning just fine, I'm not convinced I have a happy dance left in me!!!

Today I did my first race of the year - a local 10k on a flat route, which sounded ideal.  Plus, I got to meet up with some ace running friends.  And the weather was beautifully misty and still this morning.
Until you factor in the 'I've still got a chest infection' issue... and then that complicates everything... because it was crazy cold this morning and that makes breathing / running a teensy bit more tricky.  The start of the race was delayed by about 20 minutes as they tried to grit sections of the course, but it was still super dooper slippy in places and you definitely had to watch your feet to make sure you didn't do some kind of mid-air acrobatics!

All I actually wanted from today's race was to complete it.  I've had such a pants few months with running that I doubted whether or not I could manage 10k at all.  Which seems ridiculous when at the beginning of October, I could manage it in less than 50 minutes... and now I don't know if I can do it at all.  I did do it today though - which I'm chuffed about.  It was slow.  I was having to breathe in a weirdly shallow way so as not to bring on a coughing fit with the cold air.  Plus, the urge to stop and walk nearly overwhelmed me just before I finished!  And when I did finish, my hands were so painfully cold that I couldn't actually stop my watch for a while... and when I went to the loo afterwards took ages attempting to remove and put back on clothing as I couldn't feel my fingers!  Then I spent ten minutes coughing.

And yet, I'm still glad I ran!  The crazy gets you like that sometimes.  400 days in a row and there hasn't yet been an excuse not to run which has felt like a genuine reason.  Plus... there was bling!!  Bling, people!  Bling!!!

And tea afterwards.  Result!  :D

Runstreak Day #231 - Nottingham Women's Running 10k

I survived another race!

Another 10k race.  Which, after the last 10k I did, I had a BIG mental block about.  In fact, although I've run further than 10k, I haven't actually run that distance 'properly' since my dreadful Derby 10k effort.

So, rocking up today, complete with dodgy left knee, I really just wanted to finish.  But... y'know what?  I definitely wasn't as nervous as I have been in the past.  It really helps to know other runners - and through Facebook, I've managed to do just that - and they're brilliant.  We arrange to meet at parkruns.  We've met up at races.  We chat about running in the comfort of a Facebook group where no-one rolls their eyes and goes 'are you talking about bloody running... again?!' at us!  Yes, a race is still a fantastic laxative... but it doesn't terrify me as it did back in April.

And how was the race itself?  Well, it was raining.  And humid.  And it was laps.  Three of them.  Not the two they'd said... but they snuck in a cheeky first little lap before the slightly larger laps.  Which meant that by the time I was on lap three, the geese I was running past practically had me on their Christmas card list we were so well acquainted... and I was sick of the bloomin' sight of them!  I'd set off behind the 50 minute pacer.  Not because I wanted to get a sub-50 time, but because I figured I'd be quicker than 55 minutes, even taking it slowly, and I didn't want to get caught up in a panic-inducing scrum of women.  My twingy left knee did its thing... and even the slightest downward slope (and I mean REALLY slightly sloped) set off some pretty excruciating pain, causing me to run-hop for a few steps until it settled down into a tolerable twang of ouch again.

You can imagine it really wasn't the prettiest of races.  Twang, ouch, rain, sweat, ouch, geese, rain, lap, rain, sweat... nice.  And measuring in kilometres somehow makes it seem that bit further.  Mainly because my brain can't cope with km and I have no idea of how far that really is.  I swear the gap between 7 and 8 km was at least 5 miles.  ;o)

Snapped by the Nottingham Post before the race
with some of my lovely running buddies!

But, it was nice to be running a women-only race.  There's something brilliant about a sea of women being awesome together.  And although I really didn't like the laps, I did like the fact that I got to yell encouragement at my various running buddies as I went round, them heading one way, me the other.  Plus, at the end, I got to clap my hands off and yell really loudly for all the people I knew.  Which was also ace.

Would I do that race again?  I don't know!  The laps were dull and there weren't many people supporting on the way round (though that might have been down to the fact that it was so wet!).  Would I run another race?  Yup!

Oh, and I ended up finishing in 40th place.  Which made me squeal with excitement when I saw my name on the very first page of results!  In a mixed race that would NEVER happen!  No, it wasn't the best time ever... but I managed to haul myself around, got over my 10k fear and didn't walk.  Even when the urge to walk almost overcame me.

I definitely earned my cuppa cha!

Geeky stats stuff

Distance:	6.23 mi
Time:	51:53
Avg Pace:	8:20 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	61 ft

Runstreak Day 105... 10k baby!

Do be doooooo... got under 55 minutes for 10k for the first time ever!!! 54:28 in fact!!!!!! 

*faints*

Three months ago I'd never even run 10k. Didn't even know if I *could* run that distance. And even today setting out I could feel the butterflies about whether or not I could do it. Now, I know that compared to many, it's a trifling distance... but to me, it's still crazy that I can run it at all - a year ago I was still plodding my way through Couch to 5k. Isn't running amazing for the way it changes what you thought you were capable of?

I *wish* I didn't get so nervous about the thought of running with other people though.  I didn't do Parkrun this morning after my daughter had a big wobble over going swimming without me a few minutes before I was due to leave... and then I felt ick for ages after the 'threat' of Parkrun had passed because it takes such a lot for me to psych myself up to do it.  I don't know what the problem is.  I know I can run the distance.  I'm not the fastest, not the slowest - so don't stand out in anyway and can anonymously trot round... but... I just get this overwhelming urge to run away from it as I'm going round the route!  It's horrible.  Complete fight or flight mode - and flight is the one which dominates my brain as I'm running.  Afterwards, I'm okay and chat to other runners, but once I leave the park, coming down from the adrenaline rush knocks me for six again.  Gah! 

But... I ran 10k again. And my legs are intact! And my sore hip and shin are feeling LOADS better. A few days of slow, short plods has helped keep me moving without killing myself. YAY! 

*sups celebratory cuppa*

Happy dance, anyone? 

Geeky stats stuff

Distance:	6.24 mi
Time:	54:51
Avg Pace:	8:47 min/mi

Time:	54:51
Moving Time:	54:51
Elapsed Time:	54:51

Avg Pace:	8:47 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	8:47 min/mi

Runstreak Day #99 - the little lessons...

Do be dooooo... Day 99 is done!!

10k in 55:40 according to my Garmin... yay!  PB for me!  Maybe just maybe I can crack that 55 minute mark sometime soon?

But the very best thing about running today was my littlest who did a Parkrun today... after having had a Parkrun disaster a couple of weeks ago when a big kid accidentally kicked him and he ended up dropping out after 1 lap in tears.  Anyway, despite being nervous about it today he managed it!  Afterwards he said 'I felt like crying but then I remembered what you said when you're running and finding it hard... you just find a way to keep on going... so I did too.'  And he was dead proud of himself.  And I was proud of him too!  He has a tendency not to want to give things a second go if they don't work out the way he wants to - so the fact that he managed it was fab.

I run because it makes me happy.  I run because I know that there's always something to learn.  And because my children get to learn stuff that's important too.

Happy dancing and tea?

Don't mind if I do.  :o))