Just a short one today: up at 5am to be on a train at 6.25.
Won't be home until 7.00/7.30pm by which time it will be dark and cold and I'll be tired. If I don't do the planned run tonight I won't be able to catch it up so I hope I have enough resolve to get out of the door, postponing the lure of warmth, rest and food.
We shall see.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Monday, 10 January 2011
Positivity
I suppose I'd best start off with an update to yesterday's urine based adventures (see post below).
By late evening I'd been to the loo again and the colour was heading more towards normal. Similar story on waking today. Cold still hasn't completely gone but certainly hasn't got worse and no signs of a fever.
If there were any doubts as to the cause of yesterday's tough run I think they are dispelled.
Muscle recovery is good. Well, I say its good based on a 10m round trip to the loo, but there doesn't seem to be any pain or even great stiffness. Very much seems that the fatigue/stiffness/soreness of yesterday were all hydration related and the slower pace and 2xu tights actually worked very well.
That leaves me feeling very positive as compared to feeling quite negative for much of yesterday. Overall, the last few day's have very much been 'half full' as opposed to 'half empty' though.
As expected, there was no opportunity to exercise on Friday despite the cold gradually getting better. Building on Friday morning's positivity I didn't let that get me down and stuck to the calorie allowance. Also exchanged a couple of messages with Alison on the subject of 'panic eating' and how this may be related to the 'banning' of certain foods/food types. I think that could prove very useful in the future, and over the last 3 days I've made an effort to eat a little of what might normally be considered dietary contraband.
Saturday also remained positive. I probably went 3-400 kcals over my allowance but that was planned and in respect of the following day's endurance run. Managed to get to the gym too for the first exercise since Tuesday - a walk there and back, 20 minutes on the x-trainer and a pretty good core exercise session.
I was particularly pleased with the latter.
Over the last 3-4 weeks I haven't been doing a whole lot in relation to core exercises. When I started the 24 week marathon training programme 12 weeks ago it prescribed core exercises twice a week, which I duly completed. This represented a cut back on the ideal volume of exercise but seemed to have no adverse effects in terms of groin pain.
As the programme has progressed the actual exercises have evolved and are drawn from around 24 different ones targeting everything from deep abs, to the various glutes, to hamstrings, to quads and lower back. That got confusing as the precise mix changed with every session. That would be OK if I did them at home (though I'd still need to flick between 3 chapters of the book in order to remind myself of how many/how long for each exercise), but it proved impossible to remember at the gym - even when I'd looked them up before leaving.
Net result was that core exercises became sporadic over the last month, completed maybe weekly, and I frequently missed prescribed exercises or had too many/too few reps. In the last week or so I began to feel a few twinges from the groin.
So, on Saturday I typed out most of the exercises and stretches into a small table, along with the prescribed durations/reps. I copied this, printed it off and laminated the copies so that they are about twice the size of a credit card. This gave me a routine of exercises and stretches comprising:
After exercising my core and, perhaps, reminding myself of what they felt like, on yesterday's run I made a conscious effort to keep them engaged throughout. I've had no twinges or soreness since.
Yesterday I finished up with a calorie deficit equivalent to the day before's excess and, now I'm fully hydrated, feel pretty good.
Ironically, after last week's skipped sessions its a recovery week this week so I'm feeling positive about my ability to have a good solid week: hitting my calorie targets without drama and completing all exercise sessions without any increase/return of soreness.
Let's see.
By late evening I'd been to the loo again and the colour was heading more towards normal. Similar story on waking today. Cold still hasn't completely gone but certainly hasn't got worse and no signs of a fever.
If there were any doubts as to the cause of yesterday's tough run I think they are dispelled.
Muscle recovery is good. Well, I say its good based on a 10m round trip to the loo, but there doesn't seem to be any pain or even great stiffness. Very much seems that the fatigue/stiffness/soreness of yesterday were all hydration related and the slower pace and 2xu tights actually worked very well.
That leaves me feeling very positive as compared to feeling quite negative for much of yesterday. Overall, the last few day's have very much been 'half full' as opposed to 'half empty' though.
As expected, there was no opportunity to exercise on Friday despite the cold gradually getting better. Building on Friday morning's positivity I didn't let that get me down and stuck to the calorie allowance. Also exchanged a couple of messages with Alison on the subject of 'panic eating' and how this may be related to the 'banning' of certain foods/food types. I think that could prove very useful in the future, and over the last 3 days I've made an effort to eat a little of what might normally be considered dietary contraband.
Saturday also remained positive. I probably went 3-400 kcals over my allowance but that was planned and in respect of the following day's endurance run. Managed to get to the gym too for the first exercise since Tuesday - a walk there and back, 20 minutes on the x-trainer and a pretty good core exercise session.
I was particularly pleased with the latter.
Over the last 3-4 weeks I haven't been doing a whole lot in relation to core exercises. When I started the 24 week marathon training programme 12 weeks ago it prescribed core exercises twice a week, which I duly completed. This represented a cut back on the ideal volume of exercise but seemed to have no adverse effects in terms of groin pain.
As the programme has progressed the actual exercises have evolved and are drawn from around 24 different ones targeting everything from deep abs, to the various glutes, to hamstrings, to quads and lower back. That got confusing as the precise mix changed with every session. That would be OK if I did them at home (though I'd still need to flick between 3 chapters of the book in order to remind myself of how many/how long for each exercise), but it proved impossible to remember at the gym - even when I'd looked them up before leaving.
Net result was that core exercises became sporadic over the last month, completed maybe weekly, and I frequently missed prescribed exercises or had too many/too few reps. In the last week or so I began to feel a few twinges from the groin.
So, on Saturday I typed out most of the exercises and stretches into a small table, along with the prescribed durations/reps. I copied this, printed it off and laminated the copies so that they are about twice the size of a credit card. This gave me a routine of exercises and stretches comprising:
- Clams
- Knees fall out
- Single leg squat
- Oblique bridge
- Lying draw in
- Box lunge
- Stability ball leg curl
- Forearm to palm bridge
- Dead bug
- VMO dip
- Supine hip extension
- Lunge stretch
- Spider stretch
- Calf stretch
- Soleus stretch
- Quads stretch
- Hamstring stretch
- Glutes stretch
- Groin stretch
After exercising my core and, perhaps, reminding myself of what they felt like, on yesterday's run I made a conscious effort to keep them engaged throughout. I've had no twinges or soreness since.
Yesterday I finished up with a calorie deficit equivalent to the day before's excess and, now I'm fully hydrated, feel pretty good.
Ironically, after last week's skipped sessions its a recovery week this week so I'm feeling positive about my ability to have a good solid week: hitting my calorie targets without drama and completing all exercise sessions without any increase/return of soreness.
Let's see.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Positively arid - warning: contains graphic scenes of a urinary nature...
Today's endurance run should have been a good one.
Everything was in my favour:
Everything was in my favour:
- I hadn't run for 5 days so legs were well rested
- The distance was less than a mile further than last week's
- The pace would be 45s a mile slower than last week's
- I was wearing the new 2xu compression tights
- I was a pound or more lighter than the previous week
- I took a bottle of water and 2 gels
In the event it was a tough one both during and after.
The initial problem was the conditions - sheets of ice for longish stretches of towpath; mud and slush where there wasn't ice, thorny debris from where the bushes had been cut back for a 4 mile stretch and strong gusting wind.
I ran out and back and for the most part conditions were worse on the way out. On the way back there were periods with the wind behind me and some of the ice had begun to melt back to slush.
It was tough though. From mile 5 onwards my legs didn't feel remotely peppy and overall I felt fatigued - so I could tell it wasn't anything to do with the distance. At halfway I stopped for a couple of minutes for a gel and some water but within 10 minutes was finding it hard going again. I stopped again 4 miles later for the second gel and water and then once more at 12.75 for another drink. It felt a little like a taste of the wall as the desire to stop was strong.
Within 10 minutes of finishing I was home but felt weak as a kitten; everything south of my waist ached, as did my triceps for some reason and I began to wonder if I was coming down with a virus. I couldn't face the prospect of a cold bath and instead had a decaff coffee, half a bagel with peanut butter and a couple of amaretti biscuits. Shortly afterwards I had another decaff and a packet of crisps, ibuprofen, a shower and took to my bed.
I came round enough to go down to watch a DVD with Beth and propped my legs up, but still felt pretty ropey.
Since then I think I've worked out what the problem was.
At 3 miles, as is my habit, I headed into the bushes for a short pee but I felt no urge to go again during the run despite having 400ml of water en route. When I got in I had the 2 mugs of decaff coffee and produced a very brief trickle of extremely dark water. In the 5 hours since then I've had 660ml of diet sprite, 3 large mugs of roibos tea, 400ml of squash and 2 bowls of soup (well over 2 litres in total) yet I've only 'been' once more and then for another short and dark one.
I suspect that means I might have got rather dehydrated!
I'll need to drink a bit more as routine and especially check all is well in the 24hrs before long ones. Lesson learned.
Since late afternoon I feel a good deal better and, interestingly, the muscle fatigue and stiffness has largely gone since I've had a decent fluid intake. It may well return tomorrow as a slight touch of doms but I'm hopeful there's no lasting damage.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Everyone else is doing it so why can't I?
I feel inspired, at least on the nutrition front.
Before I go into that let me give a bit of context:
Yesterday was a carbon copy of Wednesday: full of cold on waking but planning to exercise later...feeling tired and groggy as the day wore on...taking the decision not to exercise...copious over consumption following in the evening (prompted by a mix of sullen guilt and uncalled for panic over training).
On waking today I felt far better. The cold hasn't gone but there's very little coughing and absolutely no spluttering or 'rattling' from the lungs. Trouble is Charlotte has had a similar cold and that has led to her being sick several times over night so she'll be at home with me today limiting the opportunity to run. As it will be dark and icy by the time I could run this evening its unlikely I'll get out today. This sort of situation almost invariably leads to my turning to food and I was already beginning to accept and even embrace this as my fate.
Then I read three blog entries that have pleasingly altered my mood.
Firstly there was Alison's blog:
http://runningfromrunningto.blogspot.com/2011/01/managing-weight-during-injury.html
Where she summarised her success in stabilising weight through both a sustained period of injury and a propensity to use peanut butter in the manner of crack cocaine addict. Whether that meant she injected it or sniffed it was neither clear nor important.
Next I found a new blog:
http://almostovernow.blogspot.com/
Where Jessica details her experiences - physical and emotional - with regard to eating, weight and running. Many of these struck a chord, and, of course, I'm deeply jealous of her running times.
Finally I looked at Lara's latest entry:
http://babywilt-eatlessmovemore.blogspot.com/2011/01/h.html
Where she mentions the seemingly small victory of attending for an exercise class and finding it cancelled but adapting to this, doing a replacement session and not turning to food. That's precisely the sort of event that has so often been the precursor of a mini binge for me.
Well done to all three. Not only are you all doing well yourselves but you've inspired me to ensure this is a nutritionally sound day whatever the day brings.
Building on this spirit of optimism, I've managed to get a massage booked for next Wednesday and my calves are slowly returning to normal thanks to the enforced break and light massaging and stretching. There's still a couple of tender spots along the upper inside of the tibia but no feeling of overall tension or fatigue. I'm fairly certain these are where there were knots initially but where I damaged the tissue through trying to 'break' them. Too much oaf. Far too much oaf.
On a similar theme I realised yesterday that at some point over the last 2-3 weeks the stiffness in my left ankle had gone. I'm not sure I ever blogged about it but since turning my ankle on a loose rock, during a recklessly fast descent during the Turbo X race in October, the mobility in the joint has been reduced and its sometimes been painful doing things like forcing a laced (but untied) shoe on. Not any more. Hopefully.
As a final thought, I'm a technical Luddite, so if anyone can explain (in small words, drawings or possibly through the medium of dance) how I can embed links in a neater fashion than I have above, I would be grateful.
Before I go into that let me give a bit of context:
Yesterday was a carbon copy of Wednesday: full of cold on waking but planning to exercise later...feeling tired and groggy as the day wore on...taking the decision not to exercise...copious over consumption following in the evening (prompted by a mix of sullen guilt and uncalled for panic over training).
On waking today I felt far better. The cold hasn't gone but there's very little coughing and absolutely no spluttering or 'rattling' from the lungs. Trouble is Charlotte has had a similar cold and that has led to her being sick several times over night so she'll be at home with me today limiting the opportunity to run. As it will be dark and icy by the time I could run this evening its unlikely I'll get out today. This sort of situation almost invariably leads to my turning to food and I was already beginning to accept and even embrace this as my fate.
Then I read three blog entries that have pleasingly altered my mood.
Firstly there was Alison's blog:
http://runningfromrunningto.blogspot.com/2011/01/managing-weight-during-injury.html
Where she summarised her success in stabilising weight through both a sustained period of injury and a propensity to use peanut butter in the manner of crack cocaine addict. Whether that meant she injected it or sniffed it was neither clear nor important.
Next I found a new blog:
http://almostovernow.blogspot.com/
Where Jessica details her experiences - physical and emotional - with regard to eating, weight and running. Many of these struck a chord, and, of course, I'm deeply jealous of her running times.
Finally I looked at Lara's latest entry:
http://babywilt-eatlessmovemore.blogspot.com/2011/01/h.html
Where she mentions the seemingly small victory of attending for an exercise class and finding it cancelled but adapting to this, doing a replacement session and not turning to food. That's precisely the sort of event that has so often been the precursor of a mini binge for me.
Well done to all three. Not only are you all doing well yourselves but you've inspired me to ensure this is a nutritionally sound day whatever the day brings.
Building on this spirit of optimism, I've managed to get a massage booked for next Wednesday and my calves are slowly returning to normal thanks to the enforced break and light massaging and stretching. There's still a couple of tender spots along the upper inside of the tibia but no feeling of overall tension or fatigue. I'm fairly certain these are where there were knots initially but where I damaged the tissue through trying to 'break' them. Too much oaf. Far too much oaf.
On a similar theme I realised yesterday that at some point over the last 2-3 weeks the stiffness in my left ankle had gone. I'm not sure I ever blogged about it but since turning my ankle on a loose rock, during a recklessly fast descent during the Turbo X race in October, the mobility in the joint has been reduced and its sometimes been painful doing things like forcing a laced (but untied) shoe on. Not any more. Hopefully.
As a final thought, I'm a technical Luddite, so if anyone can explain (in small words, drawings or possibly through the medium of dance) how I can embed links in a neater fashion than I have above, I would be grateful.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Feed a cold...?
I didn't do my planned run yesterday. Sorry.
I had a meeting in the midlands during the day but put my kit out in readiness to run in the evening, so was mentally all set to go out even though the calves were still a bit sore (though far better than they had been).
In the afternoon the resolve faded.
I've had a bit of a cold for a few days. Nothing major, I just cough quite a bit especially in the first hour after waking, but yesterday I was coughing more through the day and could feel that I was slightly wheezy - something I'd noticed while running the previous day. I also felt really tired on the journey back and just wanted to get in, make a cup of tea and get into bed.
I admit the idea of 8.25 miles of interval training on a cold, damp, dark and windy evening wasn't an enticing prospect in itself but I decided that an extra rest day might be good for my legs and that feeling under the weather would probably make for a poor session anyway.
I still felt a bit guilty though, and that translated itself into conspicuous over eating of toast, honey, Turkish delight and Bombay mix after an eclectic tea of chana chaat followed by a poached egg on toast.
I was pleased with the chana chaat though. We had a partially eaten large bag of Bombay mix left over so I mixed half a tin of chickpeas, a small chopped red onion, yoghurt and tamarind sauce and topped it with a handful of Bombay mix. Creamy, yet tangy; soft yet crunchy. Not bad for a made up recipe.
Still coughing and rattling a bit this morning but will go to the gym as per the schedule and go on the x-trainer. I toyed with the idea of doing yesterday's run instead but that would mean running hard speed sessions on consecutive days then a long run 2 days later - which wouldn't be good for my legs now and was probably another contributor to the recent soreness when I did it a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for the comments yesterday.
I still need to ring and get the massage sorted but the lass who does it is a trainee physio so hoping I'll get a few ideas from her as well as giving me a rub down. So to speak.
I had a meeting in the midlands during the day but put my kit out in readiness to run in the evening, so was mentally all set to go out even though the calves were still a bit sore (though far better than they had been).
In the afternoon the resolve faded.
I've had a bit of a cold for a few days. Nothing major, I just cough quite a bit especially in the first hour after waking, but yesterday I was coughing more through the day and could feel that I was slightly wheezy - something I'd noticed while running the previous day. I also felt really tired on the journey back and just wanted to get in, make a cup of tea and get into bed.
I admit the idea of 8.25 miles of interval training on a cold, damp, dark and windy evening wasn't an enticing prospect in itself but I decided that an extra rest day might be good for my legs and that feeling under the weather would probably make for a poor session anyway.
I still felt a bit guilty though, and that translated itself into conspicuous over eating of toast, honey, Turkish delight and Bombay mix after an eclectic tea of chana chaat followed by a poached egg on toast.
I was pleased with the chana chaat though. We had a partially eaten large bag of Bombay mix left over so I mixed half a tin of chickpeas, a small chopped red onion, yoghurt and tamarind sauce and topped it with a handful of Bombay mix. Creamy, yet tangy; soft yet crunchy. Not bad for a made up recipe.
Still coughing and rattling a bit this morning but will go to the gym as per the schedule and go on the x-trainer. I toyed with the idea of doing yesterday's run instead but that would mean running hard speed sessions on consecutive days then a long run 2 days later - which wouldn't be good for my legs now and was probably another contributor to the recent soreness when I did it a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for the comments yesterday.
I still need to ring and get the massage sorted but the lass who does it is a trainee physio so hoping I'll get a few ideas from her as well as giving me a rub down. So to speak.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Managing pain
I've been a bit worried the last week or so about the state of my calves. They've felt pretty much shot - stiff, sore and tight - but aside from one missed run last week I've ran through the discomfort.
By Monday (which was my rest day) I was hobbling around and just beginning to consider taking a week off to give them time to recover but as that would have a big impact on the training plan it wasn't something I really wanted to do.
I was pretty sure that there was no chronic injury - it was simple sustained overuse - but I recognised that it needed to be addressed in order to prevent a chronic injury developing and to allow me to get the most out of my training.
So, I gave a little thought as to what might have happened and what I might do about it to avoid breaking training if at all possible.
Here's my list:
By Monday (which was my rest day) I was hobbling around and just beginning to consider taking a week off to give them time to recover but as that would have a big impact on the training plan it wasn't something I really wanted to do.
I was pretty sure that there was no chronic injury - it was simple sustained overuse - but I recognised that it needed to be addressed in order to prevent a chronic injury developing and to allow me to get the most out of my training.
So, I gave a little thought as to what might have happened and what I might do about it to avoid breaking training if at all possible.
Here's my list:
- The pain coincided with a stepped increase in training - longer mileage, longer speed sessions, longer endurance run. Not much I can do about that but next week will be a cut back week so will give a bit of respite.
- I have compounded that a bit by allowing myself to run 2-3 miles over each week recently. Doing that for long runs has been deliberate - adding on a mile - but the rest has been a result of over confidence. I'll stick to the plan more in future though will continue with the extra long run mile for the most part.
- In the last 3 weeks or so I've let self competition make me forget about some of my pacing. The programme calls for 5 runs a week including 3 hard sessions, plus a day of cardio cross training, and the facilitator of that workload is that some of the mileage is done at a very slow pace. Lately I've been running 'recovery' runs at 60-90s a mile faster than I should have and 'base pace' and endurance runs at about 20-30s a mile faster. I think that may be the main culprit. So, I'm going to stick rigidly to the slower pace guides.
- Like many lazy runners I don't stretch unless something hurts. Generally that's not a problem but with the increased training volume and intensity I need to start doing a basic programme daily and post run.
- I've put on weight over Christmas yet been running at faster paces. That must put a little extra strain on my body. That should take care of itself as the festive gain falls away.
- I have a neanderthal approach to self massage that goes something like this: calves feel tight...massage with massage stick very aggressively trying to destroy all knots...very painful during and causing inflammation and further tightening afterwards. This is another big culprit. Approach now is gentle daily massage with arnica oil - softly, softly catchee monkey.
- Over the past 12 days I gave my body lots of fuel in the form of refined carbs and fats but maybe not all the nutrients it needed to repair itself. Timing has been poor too. Take last Wednesday's tough intervals session as an example. I finished it by 10am but didn't have anything to eat until 1pm. A renewed focus on macros and timing will help my body to recover from the increased demands.
- Whilst I did have a cold bath after Sunday's run I generally haven't been in recent weeks. Policy now is to ice after every run (bag of peas now bought for that purpose) and to have cold baths after all long runs.
I suppose that all boils down to me getting carried away, not respecting the plan, and then not having a safety net of effective maintenance and fuelling measures in place to help manage the fall out. The changes I'm making are designed to allow me to slowly repair the damage whilst removing the cause. If it doesn't work then I'll drop/shorten/change runs to help further. I'll also get a massage booked for later this week.
Yesterday's run was the first test. Seven miles at base pace was scheduled and I was worried about whether I could do it or what I might be like afterwards. I deliberately ran slowly - slower than base pace, more like recovery pace, and afterwards I felt no ill effects. I iced with the bag of peas on the main hot spot on the right calf (where I'd found a big but generally pain free knot the week before then massaged it into a huge and tender lump...). By the evening my calves were still feeling fatigued and sore but far less stiff than they had pre-run.
This morning there's still some stiffness, fatigue and soreness, but no worse than yesterday so I take that as a qualified success at this stage.
Today's intervals session will be an interesting test though
Monday, 3 January 2011
The West Riding Confuscius
Another week has flown by without a blog entry. I'm getting tardy aren't I?
I had a host of good blogging intentions a week ago: exercise and diet updates, review of 2010, plans for 2011, taking stock of progress through marathon training and so on. All to be posted before New Year's Eve.
Oh well.
Having got to 3rd January I'll now limit myself to a quick resume of the last week, the scores on the doors for Christmas weight gain and a very brief, and slightly philosophical (for Yorkshire), view of the last year.
Sound tolerable enough to bear with me? I hope so.
Here's my last seven days:
Tuesday 28th
Up early to do 7 miles but the thaw leaves a thin film of water on the thick ice and I can hardly stand let alone run on back roads. I only manage 3.5 miles, so after driving down to Northamptonshire and the outlaws I do another 4.3 miles.
Wednesday 29th
Up early again, and off to the frozen Grand Union Canal to do intervals (1.5m WU, 10 x 0.25m @ 6.40 mm pace with 2 mins jogging between each, 1.5m CD). Right calf is sore but I enjoy the intervals.
Thursday 30th
Due to do some light cross training after driving home but drop it due to calf soreness. I realise I probably attacked a knot a little too strongly.
Friday 31st
Off to the gym early doors but only do 3 miles at 8.30 pace on the treadmill along with core exercises. Then spend the day making a selection of Gujerati curries to have in the evening. As is my New Year tradition, I'm in bed and asleep by 10pm.
New Year's Day
Another unplanned rest day as calves are still slightly sore and I know there's an endurance run to come tomorrow.
January 2nd
14.15 miles done along the canal. Drop into a nice rhythm after a sluggish first few miles and finish up with 8.09 pace overall.
January 3rd
Rest day but toy with the idea of heading to the gym. Decide discretion is the better part of valour and make do with walking there and back and taking Charlotte for a swim.
So, what about the weight?
Well, I weighed myself yesterday and apparently have gained 10lb in 11 days. Anyone beat that? I'm hoping half of it is water/food in transit and will be opening up a can of healthy eating whupass on myself from tomorrow.
Now for the homespun philosophy.
While plodding through the opening miles yesterday I began to recap to myself the events of the previous 12 months. It would have made for fairly dull reading and consisted of a series of peaks and troughs or, to view it slightly differently, a series of snapshots during which times the glass had looked either half full or half empty.
By the last mile I realised it all boiled down to this:
After only 6hrs sleep, with nothing to eat, sore calf muscles, only a mug of tea to drink before I left home, no drink or gels with me, a 10lb weight gain and no thought to correct pre LSR nutrition or hydration I was able to rattle off in excess of 14 miles at a nice enough pace along a part frozen, part mud canal tow path without giving it a second thought.
i.e. not only could I easily do it but I didn't view it as anything other than ordinary.
When I paused (figuratively) to consider this I realised its actually pretty impressive isn't it?
So forget the highs and lows of the past 12 months I'm actually in a pretty good place right now!
Whatever our exercise I suspect that we're all so often like the mountaineer who focuses so much on the next incline that he doesn't stop to look back and realise just how high he's already climbed.
Whatever your recent trials and tribulations,or your aims and desires, take a look back down your own personal mountain side. The view is pretty good isn't it?
I had a host of good blogging intentions a week ago: exercise and diet updates, review of 2010, plans for 2011, taking stock of progress through marathon training and so on. All to be posted before New Year's Eve.
Oh well.
Having got to 3rd January I'll now limit myself to a quick resume of the last week, the scores on the doors for Christmas weight gain and a very brief, and slightly philosophical (for Yorkshire), view of the last year.
Sound tolerable enough to bear with me? I hope so.
Here's my last seven days:
Tuesday 28th
Up early to do 7 miles but the thaw leaves a thin film of water on the thick ice and I can hardly stand let alone run on back roads. I only manage 3.5 miles, so after driving down to Northamptonshire and the outlaws I do another 4.3 miles.
Wednesday 29th
Up early again, and off to the frozen Grand Union Canal to do intervals (1.5m WU, 10 x 0.25m @ 6.40 mm pace with 2 mins jogging between each, 1.5m CD). Right calf is sore but I enjoy the intervals.
Thursday 30th
Due to do some light cross training after driving home but drop it due to calf soreness. I realise I probably attacked a knot a little too strongly.
Friday 31st
Off to the gym early doors but only do 3 miles at 8.30 pace on the treadmill along with core exercises. Then spend the day making a selection of Gujerati curries to have in the evening. As is my New Year tradition, I'm in bed and asleep by 10pm.
New Year's Day
Another unplanned rest day as calves are still slightly sore and I know there's an endurance run to come tomorrow.
January 2nd
14.15 miles done along the canal. Drop into a nice rhythm after a sluggish first few miles and finish up with 8.09 pace overall.
January 3rd
Rest day but toy with the idea of heading to the gym. Decide discretion is the better part of valour and make do with walking there and back and taking Charlotte for a swim.
So, what about the weight?
Well, I weighed myself yesterday and apparently have gained 10lb in 11 days. Anyone beat that? I'm hoping half of it is water/food in transit and will be opening up a can of healthy eating whupass on myself from tomorrow.
Now for the homespun philosophy.
While plodding through the opening miles yesterday I began to recap to myself the events of the previous 12 months. It would have made for fairly dull reading and consisted of a series of peaks and troughs or, to view it slightly differently, a series of snapshots during which times the glass had looked either half full or half empty.
By the last mile I realised it all boiled down to this:
After only 6hrs sleep, with nothing to eat, sore calf muscles, only a mug of tea to drink before I left home, no drink or gels with me, a 10lb weight gain and no thought to correct pre LSR nutrition or hydration I was able to rattle off in excess of 14 miles at a nice enough pace along a part frozen, part mud canal tow path without giving it a second thought.
i.e. not only could I easily do it but I didn't view it as anything other than ordinary.
When I paused (figuratively) to consider this I realised its actually pretty impressive isn't it?
So forget the highs and lows of the past 12 months I'm actually in a pretty good place right now!
Whatever our exercise I suspect that we're all so often like the mountaineer who focuses so much on the next incline that he doesn't stop to look back and realise just how high he's already climbed.
Whatever your recent trials and tribulations,or your aims and desires, take a look back down your own personal mountain side. The view is pretty good isn't it?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)