Monday 4 May 2015

Run, run, run as fast as you can

Even if as fast as you can is slow...

I'm 8 weeks in to my 12 week half marathon training. Which, scarily, means 4 weeks from now it'll be all over. Hopefully it won't have ended in the sweepy bus. If I out-run the sweepy bus I'll be happy, I'd like to go quicker, but arriving unsweeped will do me for a first attempt.

Training is going not too bad, I've had a couple of low motivation weeks this past 2 weeks, but I think I've caught up and am back on the wagon after a 10 miler on Saturday. This was my first ever double digit run, but unfortunately did involve quite a lot of run-walk-run-walk after the 7 mile mark. Due, I think to a mixture of unfitness and stupidity. I didn't have anything to drink with me. That was pretty stupid...lesson learned for my next long run. It did give me something to think about though, and the opportunity for some internal amateur dramatics. An internal monologue about your own slow death from thirst under a baking(ha!) Shetland sun, experiencing discomfort only before felt by people doing the Marathon Des Sables, a 6 day ultra-marathon, fairly keeps you entertained for a few miles. And I tell you I can really ham it up. On the inside.

After reading "Born to Run" (courtesy of the sister) I have been humming and hawing about buying new trainers. I had thought to get ones with extra arch support when I started, but then I concluded I was in fact just too heavy for my own feet, and rather than structural support I should shift some timber and run until my feet manned up a bit. Which has worked. My trainers are still pretty ancient and worn though, so I've ordered some new ones. I fully expect to spring about like Mo Farah when they arrive.

So far training has included a one-off fight with some horrid tirricks, who swooped and bullied me along a road, resulting in a half forward, half sideways shuffle, with panted negotiation, that I really was leaving, I meant them no harm, what are they doing nesting on a public road, and leave me alone type whimpering. I emerged unscathed, but after seeing them pecking a polar bear on the snout on Frozen Planet I think a good degree of alarm is reasonable. There has also been an assortment of weather. Hailstones, snow, rain, wind. Though it has been largely fine, I've been quite lucky. I hope the wind training means my real time equivalent pace is a minute or two a mile faster than my Shetland wind pace... but I'm not sure that is any more than wishful thinking.

I seem to have mastered the slow plod, so this few weeks is going to be dedicated to running a little faster (I'm sure the new shoes will see to that...) and maybe a bit of strength training. I think when all this is by with I'll keep running, but maybe only up to an hour, anything more seems a bit overly, and maybe dull, though I like the idea of being able to run to places...running home again, not so much. I might start doing my own "Rave Runs" like in Runners World, that are really just photos of cool places to run, of which there are many up here. Once I'm done training I'll start running interesting places and taking pictures of where I've been (great excuse for a rest...).

Over and out - I'll be back with more soon, maybe something other so as not to be a run bore...

I've had lots of very kind and generous donations already, all of which make me try a little bit harder in training...if you have a spare pound and haven't visited yet, this is where to go...

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