In St. Paul's Cemetery: A tail-less squirrel, lovingly and regularly kept an eye on by an elderly woman.
Cycling up towards Highbury Barn: "You're going fast!"
Out running this morning: Rain and sun and clouds and people in their own worlds meeting on the Heath.
Trialing a gym club: A crazily energetic yoga teacher pushing my flexibility to new limits. My own yoga teacher wouldn't do that, she lets people follow their own speed.
Culture: A pop-up cinema in Hackney Wick, watched Requiem for Detroit. Awesome movie.
t-10weeks: Have run 91km already this month as part of my prep for the Berlin Marathon.
Work picking up: Just booked tickets to visit Edinburgh, Cumbernauld and Newcastle over 5 days in September.
Bike: Realising how bloody heavy an iron-frame bike is and how much I'd like to replace it with a lovely new (light!) model.
Italian goodness: Off to a wedding this week, and looking forward to chilling on the beach.
"Freelancing": Copy writing a book for someone I hardly know whilst working, trying to maintain a social life, training for a marathon.
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, April 01, 2011
25 September 2011
I've decided to run Berlin. A good friend asked me a few months ago, and in my winter-induced laziness I said, "Mhm, yeah, well, maybe not". Now, after running more or less consistently for a month or so I'm thinking that it just might be possible. Watch this space :)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Action
I've started running again. It's been so long and it feels so good. It's like spring has finally decided to peek out and has brought with it a bit of energy and clarity.
Things are moving so rapidly these days. Work is immensely busy, I'm moving house within 6 weeks, days fly by with activity.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Jack of all trades
I'm reading a book by Haruki Murakami called What I talk about when I talk about running. Although he's a prolific author and a well-known one, I have never managed to read any of his books before.
I used to read with the thirst for letters on a page like a lonely soul in the desert drinks after reaching a long desired oasis, but that slowly wound down to a drawn-out trickle. In my high school years, and indeed university years, my reading was almost entirely focused on curriculum and research texts. I was going to write 'factual literature', but perhaps due to the nature of my studies a lot the texts I read were manifestoes and creative interpretations of buildings, spaces, cities, and the lives of people. I did read for pleasure, and often much more than necessary, but only extremely rarely a literary piece of fiction.
These days my reading echoes my intake of fluids: I drink only when I need to, or am reminded to by a dull-feeling brain that needs input to clear it up and get it flowing again. I am much focused on doing these days, a capacity that I haven't really felt that I have had a grasp of (ever?), and which I have spent much energy in pursuing. I am succeeding in some ways.
His book is about running, and writing, and his life as a running novelist. He draws parallels between the physical training he needs to run and to run well and the mental training he puts in daily in his concentrated efforts at writing.
A very good friend gave me this book recently, I think as a sort of celebratory gift after I ran and completed my first marathon last month. I had seen the book researching literature whilst in the preparation phase for my race, but never got around to buying it. Symptomatic of me, really. And this brings me to title of this post. I have throughout my life been fairly good at a variety of things. Some have come fairly easily to me (like reading, maths, climbing trees), and others I have had to work very hard and intently at to reach a level that was acceptable to me (like basketball, designing). If I get involved in something I want to be at least decent at it.
I have recently been understanding a bit more of which tasks I am good at and those which I am merely adequate. I think I may have had some sort of subconscious awareness of it (because I am not utterly surprised, rather I am experiencing more and more calm clarity). It is more and more, although there is still a pretty intense ink cloud shrouding my skills from my consciousness, but floaty obstacles are disappearing and I get glimpses of strengths and, perhaps more importantly, areas which are not my forte. Who knew reading about running could help you think about life?
When I run I have time, calm clear time, to contemplate the challenges and contradictions I'm facing. I spend my running time with a certain freshness and clarity that tends to evaporate when I stop running. My runs give me space, a sense of achievement, and connect my otherwise un-noticed body to my over-thinking brain. I had no idea how important running would become for me when I started. I needed to do some exercise, I needed to create space for me, and that's just about it. Now it forms an important side of my mental health and of my self image and understanding in addition to those initial goals.
I wonder if I will continue to run always. Right now I think it'd be a good idea.
I used to read with the thirst for letters on a page like a lonely soul in the desert drinks after reaching a long desired oasis, but that slowly wound down to a drawn-out trickle. In my high school years, and indeed university years, my reading was almost entirely focused on curriculum and research texts. I was going to write 'factual literature', but perhaps due to the nature of my studies a lot the texts I read were manifestoes and creative interpretations of buildings, spaces, cities, and the lives of people. I did read for pleasure, and often much more than necessary, but only extremely rarely a literary piece of fiction.
These days my reading echoes my intake of fluids: I drink only when I need to, or am reminded to by a dull-feeling brain that needs input to clear it up and get it flowing again. I am much focused on doing these days, a capacity that I haven't really felt that I have had a grasp of (ever?), and which I have spent much energy in pursuing. I am succeeding in some ways.
His book is about running, and writing, and his life as a running novelist. He draws parallels between the physical training he needs to run and to run well and the mental training he puts in daily in his concentrated efforts at writing.
A very good friend gave me this book recently, I think as a sort of celebratory gift after I ran and completed my first marathon last month. I had seen the book researching literature whilst in the preparation phase for my race, but never got around to buying it. Symptomatic of me, really. And this brings me to title of this post. I have throughout my life been fairly good at a variety of things. Some have come fairly easily to me (like reading, maths, climbing trees), and others I have had to work very hard and intently at to reach a level that was acceptable to me (like basketball, designing). If I get involved in something I want to be at least decent at it.
I have recently been understanding a bit more of which tasks I am good at and those which I am merely adequate. I think I may have had some sort of subconscious awareness of it (because I am not utterly surprised, rather I am experiencing more and more calm clarity). It is more and more, although there is still a pretty intense ink cloud shrouding my skills from my consciousness, but floaty obstacles are disappearing and I get glimpses of strengths and, perhaps more importantly, areas which are not my forte. Who knew reading about running could help you think about life?
When I run I have time, calm clear time, to contemplate the challenges and contradictions I'm facing. I spend my running time with a certain freshness and clarity that tends to evaporate when I stop running. My runs give me space, a sense of achievement, and connect my otherwise un-noticed body to my over-thinking brain. I had no idea how important running would become for me when I started. I needed to do some exercise, I needed to create space for me, and that's just about it. Now it forms an important side of my mental health and of my self image and understanding in addition to those initial goals.
I wonder if I will continue to run always. Right now I think it'd be a good idea.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Race report: Barcelona Marathon 7 March 2010
Better late than never, I hope.
I never set out to run a marathon when I began running, but the idea grew on me, and I signed up for Barcelona because my running buddy moved home to his beloved Girona.
My prep for this marathon was imperfect, to say the least. New responsibilities at work combined with tight deadlines meant that I did not get all my running in - missing my longest planned run of 30km (achieved 25km as a maximum), plus several others in the last 3-4 weeks. I was stressed, didn't sleep well, and worried that my training wasn't good enough. I didn't eat well either while travelling for work. Due to all this, I lowered my initial goal of 3:45 to 4h, as I didn't think it was realistic to achieve 3:45 with this kind of preparation.
After 3 days on the road delivering training, I got home late. I hadn't packed, of course, so when I woke up I threw some things in my bag (I had laid out my running shoes, and a bit of kit), and hit the road. A little pep-talk with a friend, and off to Girona! D picked me up, and we ate and had a lovely couple of days staying in a house in the mountains outside Girona (there's a point in this seeming excess information, wait for it :.) ) D kept pushing me to run together with him - to a 3:30h pace, and to be honest it stressed me out a fair bit, although I decided to stay with my 4h goal. I did walk a bit too much the days before the marathon.. We flew through the expo (D ran last year and was slightly impatient with me, the first-timer). Another good friend moved to Barcelona recently, so we needed to catch up, and my parents flew down to cheer me on, so a bit of chatting and walking was due. Train back to Girona, car up to the house in the hills, and a last pasta meal before the race. We were both getting jittery now. I packed and checked and double-checked my bag before climbing to bed and falling asleep when my head hit the pillow.
The alarm went off at 5, and it took a bit of cajoling by my friend to even get me up. "This is not a good idea, is it? I don't really want to do it.. Ok, I guess I signed up for this - UP!" Off we go, rushing out and walking to meet his cousin, who is driving. The rushing stayed the rest of the morning until we started racing - D and his cousin knew what they wanted to do, and when, and I didn't really feel I had any choice but to follow. I won't do that next time. Didn't really settle in at the expo-building, and didn't manage to warm up properly. Darn it. Rush to the corrals, only to wait for 15 minutes in a t-shirt in the cold. Darn it. I have to pee. Darn it. We wish each other luck and as people throw their long sleeved clothing and bottles we start moving. We pass the start line after 45-55s and D warns me to be careful of the dropped stuff. I start my ipod - now what's this - why is it measuring in miles? - and as I look at the *stupid* ipod I step on a bottle, twisting my right ankle! DARN IT! It hurts and as I mention it to D he nods and slowly moves ahead. I'm on my own for this one.
The first 5km are slightly upwards, towards Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's stadium. I'm running slower than I normally do, confused, disappointed - will I have to stop because of my ankle?! I grab a gel and start the fuelling. I feel my left hip and glute as expected - sciatica, sciatica.. After about 7km my feet go numb as they do fairly often (apparently because of my sciatica probs) and after I nearly twist my ankle again because of the numbness I stop and stretch to lessen the tingling. It helps a bit, but I know that it will pass if I just keep going. Another gel. I have had to pee since the start, and get annoyed at seeing all the guys stopping to water the cars. I look around for portapotties at 10km, but there are none. In the end I run into a bar and relieve myself, sprinting out again to join the race. Ahh, I feel better!
My parents are meant to be at Passeig de Gracia, just before 15km, so after a couple of Gaudi buildings I look around for the blue and gold (nice sign, mom!) and spot them before they see me. Yay, a little boost! I'm feeling better after the toilet and the cheering, and the next 5kms are better - past Sagrada Familia, loving the sightseeing! - I catch up with the 3:45 balloon - wow, that's really good! I even see D on the stretch where we run opposite each other, and as I pass the half marathon mark I'm in good form, albeit a bit slower than expected, 1:51 I think. I need the toilet again - ah, there's the Calatrava bridge! I continue to calculate my pace in miles and kilometres, fractions of completed race, and spotting others that are at about my pace to keep my mind busy. My left hip is starting to bother me more, and at about 25km I begin to feel the right one too. They have fruit at the 25km station and a quarter of an orange proves extremely successful (unlike the not-quite-ripe banana). My running style is shifting to a weird canter to accommodate the pain in the hips, and I'm moving very, very slowly. I need a toilet and decide to crash a bar again. This time I apparently take longer than 2 minutes (I'll spare you the details!) because my ipod stops, which I only dicover after a while back on the road. Damn, now I don't even have the a total time to go by.
I run to the Torre Agbar, where my mom has positioned herself unannounced - she sees me, but I miss her. People along the course cheer us on with our names, they're printed on the race bib, so I think she's just some random person. At 30km I pick up another orange, water and some powerade - I'm feeling well fuelled, but aware that I need to keep eating, so I grab a gel too. I pass Forum at 30-31km and remember D's cousin saying at about 6.30 that morning that when you reach Forum you'll be very tired. And I am. But I can also see the end of this - just another 11km! I can do that! I cross a bridge to reach the beach - and there's D, walking?! I yell at him "Vinga, D, vinga!", but he shakes his head and walks on slowly. I can't stop running now, so I continue. I'm proud that I'm going on, but also feel sad for him.
We're running along the beach front now, and more and more people are stopping and walking. I affirm to myself that I will not walk, I will not. So I keep moving, only stopping once to stretch before moving out again like a cripled horse. At least I'm 'running'. My parents are waiting at the Arc del Triomph, just before 35km, so I hold tight and keep going. I turn onto the parade, and there they are! Yay! They smile and cheer me on - my mom chases me with the camera as I slow down to grab some more orange, nuts and powerade. Then I'm off again - through the arch. We turn left and enter the old city centre - there are so many people here now, cheering, music playing. I'm going very slowly now, and I have to dig deep to keep it up. I very, very nearly trip on a loose tile - there's an audible 'pheew' from people who see it, and I stagger on. I'm really tired now, but there's less than 5km to go, I can do that!
There are many Danish runners with red t-shirts with 'Denmark' on the back, and for some reason I decide to cheer this one of them on. I say "Come on!" in Danish, and she turns and looks - my god, we know each other.. Where from, where from, we're both thinking through our tired minds. She manages "Basketball..?" And I nod and give her a "Keep it up!" before moving past the girl I used to play against in the Danish league, at my slightly faster pace than hers. Colom, 40km - more food. I stop to stuff my face for a few seconds with more nuts and orange before forcing my tired legs to move out again. 41km takes a long time to reach, and 42km keeps hiding... At about 41.5 the Danish girl passes me - no, you've gotta be kidding! I pull the last reserves and shift from the weird traipse to what feels like a proper run (but doesn't look it in the videos, I must say!). I overtake her again and as I run through the 42km arch I see 3.59.55, 3.59.56... OH NO! Over the Placa Espanya from where we also started, turn into the last 195m - the arches are confusing me - where's the finish line?! What's with the time?! I sprint the last hundred meters (or so it seems, really it's a slow-mo movement, but it's enough to overtake 8-10 people) and cross the line with the time at 4.00.45 or so. I'm so disappointed, I didn't make it under 4h. Man... I grind to a pained walk, and move through chip-removal, I get a medal.. Ok, 4h isn't bad... Darn it! I wanted UNDER 4h! I even bang a table with refreshments with my fist! But then - didn't I cross the START line at about 0:00:55 or so?! It just might be! I grab some more orange, nuts, water, muesli bar, powerade, and wander up towards the expo building. What were they thinking when they planned this - stairs?!
I pick up my bag, call my parents to have them come meet me. Then I see everyone looking at some print outs on the wall..? I search, and I find - 3.59.41! Wohoooooo! I made it!!!! I go find D's cousin, and then I feel my ankle and go out to find a red cross ambulance with some ice. D's cousin ran 3.08 - amazing, and a total inspiration. My mom saves the day with a fantastic fruit/nut/chocolate mix, eaten as D's cousin drops D and me back to the house in the hills outside Girona. We grill a load of lamb and potatoes and veggies, and wash it down with wine. Poor D has to go back to Girona, he's got a sports therapy client in the morning. I settle in on the couch in front of the fire with a few more snacks before dozing off. I wake at 8 o'clock with snow outside. Snow?! I was hoping for sun on the terrace! Oh well. I cook myself some more hearty Spanish food and go back to sleep. At 11am D is on the phone - panicky - "Pack your stuff, you need to come down from the mountain!" Hm. Ok. I make myself another sandwich and start packing up. In the end D has a friend come bring him up in his 4WD, D's car couldn't make it through the worst snow for 20 years. We slowly descend in at least a foot of snow, avoiding the trees bent or broken over the road. What a couple of days! We make it down, and I feel so happy. Just so happy. My muscles have been remarkably quiet, although all of the joints in my legs are painful, and my left instep and the right ankle are hurting.
I'm already thinking of when to do the next one.
I never set out to run a marathon when I began running, but the idea grew on me, and I signed up for Barcelona because my running buddy moved home to his beloved Girona.
My prep for this marathon was imperfect, to say the least. New responsibilities at work combined with tight deadlines meant that I did not get all my running in - missing my longest planned run of 30km (achieved 25km as a maximum), plus several others in the last 3-4 weeks. I was stressed, didn't sleep well, and worried that my training wasn't good enough. I didn't eat well either while travelling for work. Due to all this, I lowered my initial goal of 3:45 to 4h, as I didn't think it was realistic to achieve 3:45 with this kind of preparation.
After 3 days on the road delivering training, I got home late. I hadn't packed, of course, so when I woke up I threw some things in my bag (I had laid out my running shoes, and a bit of kit), and hit the road. A little pep-talk with a friend, and off to Girona! D picked me up, and we ate and had a lovely couple of days staying in a house in the mountains outside Girona (there's a point in this seeming excess information, wait for it :.) ) D kept pushing me to run together with him - to a 3:30h pace, and to be honest it stressed me out a fair bit, although I decided to stay with my 4h goal. I did walk a bit too much the days before the marathon.. We flew through the expo (D ran last year and was slightly impatient with me, the first-timer). Another good friend moved to Barcelona recently, so we needed to catch up, and my parents flew down to cheer me on, so a bit of chatting and walking was due. Train back to Girona, car up to the house in the hills, and a last pasta meal before the race. We were both getting jittery now. I packed and checked and double-checked my bag before climbing to bed and falling asleep when my head hit the pillow.
The alarm went off at 5, and it took a bit of cajoling by my friend to even get me up. "This is not a good idea, is it? I don't really want to do it.. Ok, I guess I signed up for this - UP!" Off we go, rushing out and walking to meet his cousin, who is driving. The rushing stayed the rest of the morning until we started racing - D and his cousin knew what they wanted to do, and when, and I didn't really feel I had any choice but to follow. I won't do that next time. Didn't really settle in at the expo-building, and didn't manage to warm up properly. Darn it. Rush to the corrals, only to wait for 15 minutes in a t-shirt in the cold. Darn it. I have to pee. Darn it. We wish each other luck and as people throw their long sleeved clothing and bottles we start moving. We pass the start line after 45-55s and D warns me to be careful of the dropped stuff. I start my ipod - now what's this - why is it measuring in miles? - and as I look at the *stupid* ipod I step on a bottle, twisting my right ankle! DARN IT! It hurts and as I mention it to D he nods and slowly moves ahead. I'm on my own for this one.
The first 5km are slightly upwards, towards Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's stadium. I'm running slower than I normally do, confused, disappointed - will I have to stop because of my ankle?! I grab a gel and start the fuelling. I feel my left hip and glute as expected - sciatica, sciatica.. After about 7km my feet go numb as they do fairly often (apparently because of my sciatica probs) and after I nearly twist my ankle again because of the numbness I stop and stretch to lessen the tingling. It helps a bit, but I know that it will pass if I just keep going. Another gel. I have had to pee since the start, and get annoyed at seeing all the guys stopping to water the cars. I look around for portapotties at 10km, but there are none. In the end I run into a bar and relieve myself, sprinting out again to join the race. Ahh, I feel better!
My parents are meant to be at Passeig de Gracia, just before 15km, so after a couple of Gaudi buildings I look around for the blue and gold (nice sign, mom!) and spot them before they see me. Yay, a little boost! I'm feeling better after the toilet and the cheering, and the next 5kms are better - past Sagrada Familia, loving the sightseeing! - I catch up with the 3:45 balloon - wow, that's really good! I even see D on the stretch where we run opposite each other, and as I pass the half marathon mark I'm in good form, albeit a bit slower than expected, 1:51 I think. I need the toilet again - ah, there's the Calatrava bridge! I continue to calculate my pace in miles and kilometres, fractions of completed race, and spotting others that are at about my pace to keep my mind busy. My left hip is starting to bother me more, and at about 25km I begin to feel the right one too. They have fruit at the 25km station and a quarter of an orange proves extremely successful (unlike the not-quite-ripe banana). My running style is shifting to a weird canter to accommodate the pain in the hips, and I'm moving very, very slowly. I need a toilet and decide to crash a bar again. This time I apparently take longer than 2 minutes (I'll spare you the details!) because my ipod stops, which I only dicover after a while back on the road. Damn, now I don't even have the a total time to go by.
I run to the Torre Agbar, where my mom has positioned herself unannounced - she sees me, but I miss her. People along the course cheer us on with our names, they're printed on the race bib, so I think she's just some random person. At 30km I pick up another orange, water and some powerade - I'm feeling well fuelled, but aware that I need to keep eating, so I grab a gel too. I pass Forum at 30-31km and remember D's cousin saying at about 6.30 that morning that when you reach Forum you'll be very tired. And I am. But I can also see the end of this - just another 11km! I can do that! I cross a bridge to reach the beach - and there's D, walking?! I yell at him "Vinga, D, vinga!", but he shakes his head and walks on slowly. I can't stop running now, so I continue. I'm proud that I'm going on, but also feel sad for him.
We're running along the beach front now, and more and more people are stopping and walking. I affirm to myself that I will not walk, I will not. So I keep moving, only stopping once to stretch before moving out again like a cripled horse. At least I'm 'running'. My parents are waiting at the Arc del Triomph, just before 35km, so I hold tight and keep going. I turn onto the parade, and there they are! Yay! They smile and cheer me on - my mom chases me with the camera as I slow down to grab some more orange, nuts and powerade. Then I'm off again - through the arch. We turn left and enter the old city centre - there are so many people here now, cheering, music playing. I'm going very slowly now, and I have to dig deep to keep it up. I very, very nearly trip on a loose tile - there's an audible 'pheew' from people who see it, and I stagger on. I'm really tired now, but there's less than 5km to go, I can do that!
There are many Danish runners with red t-shirts with 'Denmark' on the back, and for some reason I decide to cheer this one of them on. I say "Come on!" in Danish, and she turns and looks - my god, we know each other.. Where from, where from, we're both thinking through our tired minds. She manages "Basketball..?" And I nod and give her a "Keep it up!" before moving past the girl I used to play against in the Danish league, at my slightly faster pace than hers. Colom, 40km - more food. I stop to stuff my face for a few seconds with more nuts and orange before forcing my tired legs to move out again. 41km takes a long time to reach, and 42km keeps hiding... At about 41.5 the Danish girl passes me - no, you've gotta be kidding! I pull the last reserves and shift from the weird traipse to what feels like a proper run (but doesn't look it in the videos, I must say!). I overtake her again and as I run through the 42km arch I see 3.59.55, 3.59.56... OH NO! Over the Placa Espanya from where we also started, turn into the last 195m - the arches are confusing me - where's the finish line?! What's with the time?! I sprint the last hundred meters (or so it seems, really it's a slow-mo movement, but it's enough to overtake 8-10 people) and cross the line with the time at 4.00.45 or so. I'm so disappointed, I didn't make it under 4h. Man... I grind to a pained walk, and move through chip-removal, I get a medal.. Ok, 4h isn't bad... Darn it! I wanted UNDER 4h! I even bang a table with refreshments with my fist! But then - didn't I cross the START line at about 0:00:55 or so?! It just might be! I grab some more orange, nuts, water, muesli bar, powerade, and wander up towards the expo building. What were they thinking when they planned this - stairs?!
I pick up my bag, call my parents to have them come meet me. Then I see everyone looking at some print outs on the wall..? I search, and I find - 3.59.41! Wohoooooo! I made it!!!! I go find D's cousin, and then I feel my ankle and go out to find a red cross ambulance with some ice. D's cousin ran 3.08 - amazing, and a total inspiration. My mom saves the day with a fantastic fruit/nut/chocolate mix, eaten as D's cousin drops D and me back to the house in the hills outside Girona. We grill a load of lamb and potatoes and veggies, and wash it down with wine. Poor D has to go back to Girona, he's got a sports therapy client in the morning. I settle in on the couch in front of the fire with a few more snacks before dozing off. I wake at 8 o'clock with snow outside. Snow?! I was hoping for sun on the terrace! Oh well. I cook myself some more hearty Spanish food and go back to sleep. At 11am D is on the phone - panicky - "Pack your stuff, you need to come down from the mountain!" Hm. Ok. I make myself another sandwich and start packing up. In the end D has a friend come bring him up in his 4WD, D's car couldn't make it through the worst snow for 20 years. We slowly descend in at least a foot of snow, avoiding the trees bent or broken over the road. What a couple of days! We make it down, and I feel so happy. Just so happy. My muscles have been remarkably quiet, although all of the joints in my legs are painful, and my left instep and the right ankle are hurting.
I'm already thinking of when to do the next one.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Race report: Watford Half Marathon 7 Feb 2010
I signed up to this over Christmas. I knew that my marathon training was going to be a lot of lonely miles on the roads, so I thought that running in a race with others might be good. Also, I'd get to train my race routines - packing my bag, pinning my number, hydration and fueling, and dealing with the pre-race jitters!
I was a good girl all weekend - no alcohol even though a friend gently offered me some red wine the evening before when we were hanging out. Early to bed, eating carbs to fill up my depots. I hadn't really run enough the weeks before, since I was ill for five days, and then struggling to get back to normal the next week. To "make up" for it I ran 8km on the Friday and 5 on the Saturday, and my legs were feeling tired. I had a sports massage on the Saturday, something I have been trying to get around to for a while because I am still dealing with some sciatica issues in my left thigh. It felt good, but I could still "feel" my legs Saturday evening. I was getting nervous too.
Into the bag: running shoes! Clothes to run in - pants, bra, top, long sleeved shirt, socks, panties. Towel, toiletries, my ipod with the nike thingie, two fruit bars for the run, wallet and all that stuff.
I got up at around 6.30 to got ready to leave, and decided I would change at the venue. I dressed in jeans and my normal coat, double-checked my bag with the running gear - maybe I should bring my running number and the directions and information on the race?! Maybe I should!
Off I go - it's cold today - and even on the bus from my stop a guy gets on, wearing sky blue track pants, he's doing some sort of exercise today, I think to myself. Surely enough, he gets off at the same stop as me, and as I walk through the train station I notice more and more people wearing running gear, walking the same way as me. At the platform there are people sitting on benches, that are surely going to the same race. I start thinking to myself that I should have changed at home - I'm not going to have time to get ready, oh no! I consider changing in the toilet on the train, but decide that that is just not going to happen!
The procession continues as we arrive into Watford, 10-20-60 people form a long snake walking towards the Colosseum where all is buzzing with runners of all ages and shapes and ethnicities. It feels good, and as I get changed I realise that I am fine for time. I pin my number to my top, and take a moment to take in the feeling in the big hall. People are chattering away, making the last preparations, and there is a definite sense of anticipation in the air. I need to use the toilet again, but the queue for the women's is MASSIVE, so about 15 minutes before race start I start moving towards the start (and the portaloos!). There's a pretty long queue here too, but it's moving. Will I have time to warm up a little more after the toilets? Not really, but I feel ok and do a little stretch against a tree (I like to think that I'm hugging a tree every time I stretch!) before joining the others in the start area.
We're off. I'm feeling good, getting carried in the crowds. The ladies and veteran men start off on their own, and as we join the men after a few hundred meters I'm feeling pretty good about my legs. It's pretty flat now, and people are jostling to find their spot in the crowd; after running along the edges for a while, it thins out and I settle into a rhythm. I select a couple of women running at my pace to be my "targets" - people I measure against and want to stick with during the race and run from in the end, if at all possible. It works really well for me to have them to think about during the long slog.
21km is a long way, and with a couple of hills that didn't catch my eye on the height profile of the race I had moments of "phew, now what?". Running through forest paths and along field lanes has a beauty I don't get on my normal runs. Through my increasingly tired eyes I appreciate the glorious cold of the morning.
I'm overtaken by a girl running fast (too fast?) up a hill - I stick to my pace, I know it'll bring me home. Eventually I pass her in the forest going up a hill, and smile to her, say "come on - keep it up!" and we share a moment of that painful running joy, but she is tired and falls back.
I'm doing well, overtaking a couple of the girls I set my targets on, but the one with the orange jersey is running with a friend, who keeps pushing her ahead.
I'm experimenting with energy supplements, gels, fruit bars and energy drinks along the route. Apart from a slight nausea from the liquid energy in my stomach it's good - every time I take a gel I get a boost to the legs within a minute or two. I save one for the very end - we're back in town and I'm feeling knackered. The blackcurrant fruit bar is making me feel sick and in the end I just have half, but it's enough to keep me going, moving. The orange jersey girl is tiring, I'm struggling but I want to stick with her. Her friend ups the tempo and forces her to keep going - I follow, but after a few minutes I can no more. They set off and I accept that she's going to finish ahead of me.
The last long stretch is dotted with people cheering us on, some have completed the run, others are there to encourage their friends and family. I'm so tired but try to stick to my pace as best I can, and when I touch the final 200m I let it rip - giving it a last sprint I overtake 8-10 guys and a couple of girls, I'm feeling the burn but I can do this!
I did it, and it felt good.
I was a good girl all weekend - no alcohol even though a friend gently offered me some red wine the evening before when we were hanging out. Early to bed, eating carbs to fill up my depots. I hadn't really run enough the weeks before, since I was ill for five days, and then struggling to get back to normal the next week. To "make up" for it I ran 8km on the Friday and 5 on the Saturday, and my legs were feeling tired. I had a sports massage on the Saturday, something I have been trying to get around to for a while because I am still dealing with some sciatica issues in my left thigh. It felt good, but I could still "feel" my legs Saturday evening. I was getting nervous too.
Into the bag: running shoes! Clothes to run in - pants, bra, top, long sleeved shirt, socks, panties. Towel, toiletries, my ipod with the nike thingie, two fruit bars for the run, wallet and all that stuff.
I got up at around 6.30 to got ready to leave, and decided I would change at the venue. I dressed in jeans and my normal coat, double-checked my bag with the running gear - maybe I should bring my running number and the directions and information on the race?! Maybe I should!
Off I go - it's cold today - and even on the bus from my stop a guy gets on, wearing sky blue track pants, he's doing some sort of exercise today, I think to myself. Surely enough, he gets off at the same stop as me, and as I walk through the train station I notice more and more people wearing running gear, walking the same way as me. At the platform there are people sitting on benches, that are surely going to the same race. I start thinking to myself that I should have changed at home - I'm not going to have time to get ready, oh no! I consider changing in the toilet on the train, but decide that that is just not going to happen!
The procession continues as we arrive into Watford, 10-20-60 people form a long snake walking towards the Colosseum where all is buzzing with runners of all ages and shapes and ethnicities. It feels good, and as I get changed I realise that I am fine for time. I pin my number to my top, and take a moment to take in the feeling in the big hall. People are chattering away, making the last preparations, and there is a definite sense of anticipation in the air. I need to use the toilet again, but the queue for the women's is MASSIVE, so about 15 minutes before race start I start moving towards the start (and the portaloos!). There's a pretty long queue here too, but it's moving. Will I have time to warm up a little more after the toilets? Not really, but I feel ok and do a little stretch against a tree (I like to think that I'm hugging a tree every time I stretch!) before joining the others in the start area.
We're off. I'm feeling good, getting carried in the crowds. The ladies and veteran men start off on their own, and as we join the men after a few hundred meters I'm feeling pretty good about my legs. It's pretty flat now, and people are jostling to find their spot in the crowd; after running along the edges for a while, it thins out and I settle into a rhythm. I select a couple of women running at my pace to be my "targets" - people I measure against and want to stick with during the race and run from in the end, if at all possible. It works really well for me to have them to think about during the long slog.
21km is a long way, and with a couple of hills that didn't catch my eye on the height profile of the race I had moments of "phew, now what?". Running through forest paths and along field lanes has a beauty I don't get on my normal runs. Through my increasingly tired eyes I appreciate the glorious cold of the morning.
I'm overtaken by a girl running fast (too fast?) up a hill - I stick to my pace, I know it'll bring me home. Eventually I pass her in the forest going up a hill, and smile to her, say "come on - keep it up!" and we share a moment of that painful running joy, but she is tired and falls back.
I'm doing well, overtaking a couple of the girls I set my targets on, but the one with the orange jersey is running with a friend, who keeps pushing her ahead.
I'm experimenting with energy supplements, gels, fruit bars and energy drinks along the route. Apart from a slight nausea from the liquid energy in my stomach it's good - every time I take a gel I get a boost to the legs within a minute or two. I save one for the very end - we're back in town and I'm feeling knackered. The blackcurrant fruit bar is making me feel sick and in the end I just have half, but it's enough to keep me going, moving. The orange jersey girl is tiring, I'm struggling but I want to stick with her. Her friend ups the tempo and forces her to keep going - I follow, but after a few minutes I can no more. They set off and I accept that she's going to finish ahead of me.
The last long stretch is dotted with people cheering us on, some have completed the run, others are there to encourage their friends and family. I'm so tired but try to stick to my pace as best I can, and when I touch the final 200m I let it rip - giving it a last sprint I overtake 8-10 guys and a couple of girls, I'm feeling the burn but I can do this!
I did it, and it felt good.
8 days to go till marathon day!
Work is keeping me very very busy these days, and I've felt exhausted when I finally got home. My training for the marathon I'm running next week hasn't lived up to my hopes because I've felt drained and tired, and haven't had the extra umpf to go get all the miles in that I need.. I'm a bit disappointed in myself, even though I know that it's not my "fault". This will be my first marathon and I really wanted to do well, to be well prepared and feel a whole lot more secure with my level of fitness and running skills. After putting in all those runs and hours on cold winter days it feels a bit of waste to let it all float so close to the race..
I've felt all along that I can do this, and I know that unless something goes very very wrong on the day I will complete, which is my basic goal. My secondary goal has been to run under 4 hours, and I was hoping that with the right training I might be able to go under 3:45. I've been re-adjusting that - I'd be really happy with anything under 4 hours, but have less hope of 3:45. But I have a feeling that just completing will pretty much make my day :.D
I'm getting nervous about the 42km next Sunday, but have accepted that I will just have to do what I can - that's all I can do! Wow, 8 days to go now!
Wish me luck!
I've felt all along that I can do this, and I know that unless something goes very very wrong on the day I will complete, which is my basic goal. My secondary goal has been to run under 4 hours, and I was hoping that with the right training I might be able to go under 3:45. I've been re-adjusting that - I'd be really happy with anything under 4 hours, but have less hope of 3:45. But I have a feeling that just completing will pretty much make my day :.D
I'm getting nervous about the 42km next Sunday, but have accepted that I will just have to do what I can - that's all I can do! Wow, 8 days to go now!
Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Ramping up.
Tomorrow at 10.30: 21.1km, no stopping, no hesitating.
Wish me luck. Maybe it'll take my mind off things; I sure could use that.
Love to y'all, my faithful (3?) readers.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Marathon
A while back I committed to running the Barcelona Marathon on 7th March 2010. It sort of happened by itself.
My running buddy D, who was a friend of a friend and who decided that we should run together despite me hesitating, is from Girona. When we started running together nearly a year ago now, he lived 15 minutes away and we were both unemployed, and so it was easy to do. He was training for the 2009 version of the marathon and went on to successfully run it, in March last year. He kept challenging me to join him, or to consider another marathon, saying stuff like - you need to run a marathon, you're competitive, you ARE competitive.. as I would stress the fact that I took up running as a means to liberating myself from competition with (team)mates and to create a space where I could just be, just run.
I still see my running as a free space, but I am beginning to lump it into the "things I need to do" category, merely because it wouldn't otherwise happen, between travelling and working and doing various other projects.
I ran a couple of races this summer, enjoying myself along the way, and in particular my half marathon is something I'm very proud of. I ran those races for the sheer fun of it, to prove to myself that I, just me - ME!, could do it. And I did. I ran them all alone and achieved the results I wanted: satisfactory timings and a sense of pride and contentedness.
When D moved back to Girona this summer, I knew I was going to miss our running together, but also what had turned into a warm friendship. Him being a sports therapist, he would treat me for my sciatica, and I'd help him work on the website for his business. He'd make dinner, and we'd go for drinks, talking running and all the other stuff that happens in life. He became a good friend. So when he went back, the possibility of seeing him again in March to run together made so much sense that I said I'd do it. So now I am. And I've even been telling other people (even people at work, you fool!) that I'm going to go and I'm going to run it. It scares me to no end.
My main worries are these:
I won't take the time to train properly
I might have troubles with my sciatica (I need to have some treatment..)
I have no clue of proper marathon nutrition/hydration
My commitment isn't strong enough and I will waver
I'm excited too. This is what gets me going:
I'm going to bloody run a marathon!
I get to visit D in his home town
I get to run a marathon, my first, with D
If I can complete my training satisfactorily I'm sure I'll do great
The training will keep me fit and healthy
I haven't begun training properly, and as a matter of fact, I haven't been running as much as I usually would. I've just started a new job and a lot's going on in my life right now. So, this week I realised that there is not much more than 3 months to go, and I need to get me a running programme that I can then proceed to adjust, but at least I'll have one. I know for a fact that with my long hours at work it is difficult but possible to squeeze in runs, by taking TOIL in the morning, which I've been doing recently, and by going for a run before breakfast when away for conferences.
I've done the maths, and I've got 15 weeks from now to then. That's 3 months and 2 weeks. In the next month I'm going to India for 12 days (what am I going to do?! Can I run in 33 degrees?), and I'm going home for Christmas (the food will pose a challenge, but I did great with running last year so that might be ok). 15 weeks is about 3 weeks shorter than most marathon programmes will cover. I'm hoping that the fact that I've been running for well over a year (started properly in July of last year) will be a benefit.
This is going to be a (yet another) challenge over the next months.
I think I've delved enough into this for now, but will just share a sentence from a book I might need to buy:
"Marathoners battle the fiercest of foes: their own psyches".
My running buddy D, who was a friend of a friend and who decided that we should run together despite me hesitating, is from Girona. When we started running together nearly a year ago now, he lived 15 minutes away and we were both unemployed, and so it was easy to do. He was training for the 2009 version of the marathon and went on to successfully run it, in March last year. He kept challenging me to join him, or to consider another marathon, saying stuff like - you need to run a marathon, you're competitive, you ARE competitive.. as I would stress the fact that I took up running as a means to liberating myself from competition with (team)mates and to create a space where I could just be, just run.
I still see my running as a free space, but I am beginning to lump it into the "things I need to do" category, merely because it wouldn't otherwise happen, between travelling and working and doing various other projects.
I ran a couple of races this summer, enjoying myself along the way, and in particular my half marathon is something I'm very proud of. I ran those races for the sheer fun of it, to prove to myself that I, just me - ME!, could do it. And I did. I ran them all alone and achieved the results I wanted: satisfactory timings and a sense of pride and contentedness.
When D moved back to Girona this summer, I knew I was going to miss our running together, but also what had turned into a warm friendship. Him being a sports therapist, he would treat me for my sciatica, and I'd help him work on the website for his business. He'd make dinner, and we'd go for drinks, talking running and all the other stuff that happens in life. He became a good friend. So when he went back, the possibility of seeing him again in March to run together made so much sense that I said I'd do it. So now I am. And I've even been telling other people (even people at work, you fool!) that I'm going to go and I'm going to run it. It scares me to no end.
My main worries are these:
I won't take the time to train properly
I might have troubles with my sciatica (I need to have some treatment..)
I have no clue of proper marathon nutrition/hydration
My commitment isn't strong enough and I will waver
I'm excited too. This is what gets me going:
I'm going to bloody run a marathon!
I get to visit D in his home town
I get to run a marathon, my first, with D
If I can complete my training satisfactorily I'm sure I'll do great
The training will keep me fit and healthy
I haven't begun training properly, and as a matter of fact, I haven't been running as much as I usually would. I've just started a new job and a lot's going on in my life right now. So, this week I realised that there is not much more than 3 months to go, and I need to get me a running programme that I can then proceed to adjust, but at least I'll have one. I know for a fact that with my long hours at work it is difficult but possible to squeeze in runs, by taking TOIL in the morning, which I've been doing recently, and by going for a run before breakfast when away for conferences.
I've done the maths, and I've got 15 weeks from now to then. That's 3 months and 2 weeks. In the next month I'm going to India for 12 days (what am I going to do?! Can I run in 33 degrees?), and I'm going home for Christmas (the food will pose a challenge, but I did great with running last year so that might be ok). 15 weeks is about 3 weeks shorter than most marathon programmes will cover. I'm hoping that the fact that I've been running for well over a year (started properly in July of last year) will be a benefit.
This is going to be a (yet another) challenge over the next months.
I think I've delved enough into this for now, but will just share a sentence from a book I might need to buy:
"Marathoners battle the fiercest of foes: their own psyches".
Saturday, August 01, 2009
August
Can't believe that today is August 6th. This year is just cruisin' by, days falling from the calendar like nothing. So much has been going on that I have had little time, let alone mental capacity, for anything 'extra-curricular' such as blogging..
I started getting paid 15 June for 2 days work in the charity I've been volunteering in, but have been unsuccessful in securing a permanent job with them - twice.. It's weird, cause they express that they really like me, but in the end I don't get the jobs. They have been talking about how the jobs were perhaps not thte right thing for me (not challenging enough over time). I can't help but feel that perhaps that should be up to me, but on the other hand, their choices have led me to the position I'm in now, where I just last Wednesday started my new temporary 3 day weekly consultancy position in a charity that works to support and train community groups to engage in their local area. I'm covering both (temporary) positions at the same time over the next month(s?), and am learning to manage to engage my mind where I am and to manage my time well.
I started a healthy living programme early April, and have through that gained a hold on my eating, more or less. I've got aims for my nutritional values, and have lost about 5kg and 8cm off my hips. It takes energy to track all the food I eat, but it's proving really useful to me and I'm learning loads about nutrition along the way. It's funny, 'cause my mom has always had a strong focus on it, especially for us kids, but understanding portion sizes and what's right for ME, now that's another story. Now I aim to snack throughout my working day and to eat sturdy meals that will provide me with slow releasing energy that'll last me till my next meal. I feel like I'm eating all the time (and I am!) but I'm getting so many less calories onboard, and they're of the right kind for me right now. For my snacks I eat fruit, nuts, drink a little smoothie, a couple of healthy biscuits, roasted soy nuts etc.
I went to Denmark for a little week for a bit of a holiday and a wonderful hen night for a close friend.
My 'favourite aunt' who used to visit us when I was a child came for a 4-day visit in London with her two gorgeous kids.
4 friends visited me in London for 4 days.
My friend got married July 12th in a beautiful Jewish ceremony, in a handsome old Hall in the countryside. (All the many preparations paid off, I got the bridal bouquet in the end, haha! Who knows where this will lead!?)
I ran my first half-marathon on July 19th in the time 1:48:29.
Phew..
Now for the next slew of activity.. I'm going to Denmark for another hen night for a friend this weekend, and then again a couple of weeks later for the actual wedding. After that it seems that things will become more stable. Unless I keep it all in overly dynamic motion, that is.
All along, I'm still trying to navigate a fragile mind... However great advances I feel I'm making, I just keep encountering more and more sore spots in there, tender to the touch.. brittle. I tend to leave them alone, to the degree that I don't acknowledge them in my conscious mind, yet they continue to pop up now and again only to be battered aside. I think it's time to start holding them out in front of myself. Examine them. Deal.
I started getting paid 15 June for 2 days work in the charity I've been volunteering in, but have been unsuccessful in securing a permanent job with them - twice.. It's weird, cause they express that they really like me, but in the end I don't get the jobs. They have been talking about how the jobs were perhaps not thte right thing for me (not challenging enough over time). I can't help but feel that perhaps that should be up to me, but on the other hand, their choices have led me to the position I'm in now, where I just last Wednesday started my new temporary 3 day weekly consultancy position in a charity that works to support and train community groups to engage in their local area. I'm covering both (temporary) positions at the same time over the next month(s?), and am learning to manage to engage my mind where I am and to manage my time well.
I started a healthy living programme early April, and have through that gained a hold on my eating, more or less. I've got aims for my nutritional values, and have lost about 5kg and 8cm off my hips. It takes energy to track all the food I eat, but it's proving really useful to me and I'm learning loads about nutrition along the way. It's funny, 'cause my mom has always had a strong focus on it, especially for us kids, but understanding portion sizes and what's right for ME, now that's another story. Now I aim to snack throughout my working day and to eat sturdy meals that will provide me with slow releasing energy that'll last me till my next meal. I feel like I'm eating all the time (and I am!) but I'm getting so many less calories onboard, and they're of the right kind for me right now. For my snacks I eat fruit, nuts, drink a little smoothie, a couple of healthy biscuits, roasted soy nuts etc.
I went to Denmark for a little week for a bit of a holiday and a wonderful hen night for a close friend.
My 'favourite aunt' who used to visit us when I was a child came for a 4-day visit in London with her two gorgeous kids.
4 friends visited me in London for 4 days.
My friend got married July 12th in a beautiful Jewish ceremony, in a handsome old Hall in the countryside. (All the many preparations paid off, I got the bridal bouquet in the end, haha! Who knows where this will lead!?)
I ran my first half-marathon on July 19th in the time 1:48:29.
Phew..
Now for the next slew of activity.. I'm going to Denmark for another hen night for a friend this weekend, and then again a couple of weeks later for the actual wedding. After that it seems that things will become more stable. Unless I keep it all in overly dynamic motion, that is.
All along, I'm still trying to navigate a fragile mind... However great advances I feel I'm making, I just keep encountering more and more sore spots in there, tender to the touch.. brittle. I tend to leave them alone, to the degree that I don't acknowledge them in my conscious mind, yet they continue to pop up now and again only to be battered aside. I think it's time to start holding them out in front of myself. Examine them. Deal.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Regent's Park 10km race
Yay! Just ran my first properly timed 10k race this Saturday and I'm well pleased with the results! After having a fairly bumpy ride this year with injuries and a bit of illness topped off with 3 weeks of no running at all due to sciatica I managed to pull a sub 50 min result out of the hat! :D
I'm going to hit that 45 min mark this year!
Race report: Regent's Park 10k Summer Series
I made sure I got an early night the night before, and that I had plenty of carbs and all the good, healthy stuff the night before (including a bit of ice cream to make sure I was comfortable, hehe). It was drizzling outside as I had my bran flakes / banana breakfast, and I wasn't sure my chosen outfit of a t-shirt was really a good idea.. I decided to go with it and left the house, only to get fairly wet by the rain on my way to the bus stop.. was this going to work out?!
I arrived at Regent's Park at 8.45, 15 mins to go till the start - hurry up! Power walked to the Hub, got changed, left my bag, power walked to the start.. It's still drizzling heavily.. Off goes the start! Oh no, my ipod's not on, fumbling with it.. man! I'm running too fast.. Get caught up by the moment - all these people running faster than me! After 1.5k I settle into a stable pace, although still faster than normal.. This is going fine, the drizzle's ok too. There's a woman running around my pace, I'll stick to her.. First lap of three in 16.30, this is fine.. Lap two was nice and easy, still a bit wet, but nothing much to worry about, I keep my pace. There's people taking photos - this is fun! I like racing! The last lap is here - I feel my legs getting a bit tired, but halfway through I can see the end - and decide to up my pace a bit to see how many people I can pass. I pass a guy with a t-shirt saying "Only a fool believes there's no God - don't be silly" thinking well, agnostics apparently run faster, I'll take the sillyness any day... The last two corners - I'm running faster - I'm going to catch this guy - no, he sees me, looks and takes off - he's gone like an antilope that's being chased. The last stretch - I push myself, gotta beat that girl, check - beat that one, check! Finish! Ahh.... this was fun!
Walk to the Hub again, grab a banana and some water and think to myself that I really need to race more.
Just went over the final results, and saw that I came better than 25 out of 228 on the women's side and better than 140 out of the 443 total - wow! That rocks!
I'm going to hit that 45 min mark this year!
Race report: Regent's Park 10k Summer Series
I made sure I got an early night the night before, and that I had plenty of carbs and all the good, healthy stuff the night before (including a bit of ice cream to make sure I was comfortable, hehe). It was drizzling outside as I had my bran flakes / banana breakfast, and I wasn't sure my chosen outfit of a t-shirt was really a good idea.. I decided to go with it and left the house, only to get fairly wet by the rain on my way to the bus stop.. was this going to work out?!
I arrived at Regent's Park at 8.45, 15 mins to go till the start - hurry up! Power walked to the Hub, got changed, left my bag, power walked to the start.. It's still drizzling heavily.. Off goes the start! Oh no, my ipod's not on, fumbling with it.. man! I'm running too fast.. Get caught up by the moment - all these people running faster than me! After 1.5k I settle into a stable pace, although still faster than normal.. This is going fine, the drizzle's ok too. There's a woman running around my pace, I'll stick to her.. First lap of three in 16.30, this is fine.. Lap two was nice and easy, still a bit wet, but nothing much to worry about, I keep my pace. There's people taking photos - this is fun! I like racing! The last lap is here - I feel my legs getting a bit tired, but halfway through I can see the end - and decide to up my pace a bit to see how many people I can pass. I pass a guy with a t-shirt saying "Only a fool believes there's no God - don't be silly" thinking well, agnostics apparently run faster, I'll take the sillyness any day... The last two corners - I'm running faster - I'm going to catch this guy - no, he sees me, looks and takes off - he's gone like an antilope that's being chased. The last stretch - I push myself, gotta beat that girl, check - beat that one, check! Finish! Ahh.... this was fun!
Walk to the Hub again, grab a banana and some water and think to myself that I really need to race more.
Just went over the final results, and saw that I came better than 25 out of 228 on the women's side and better than 140 out of the 443 total - wow! That rocks!
Friday, May 08, 2009
How's that for a thought?
"Worry is the darkroom in which negatives are developed."
Enough of that already. On to brighter things. Opportunities are developing, and although they are exciting and fascinating, I still worry whether they are achievable, whether I dare pursue them, if it's for me..
Just went for a run this morning - feels good to get my act together. Just 4k, but that's ok. I'll go for a longer one (or two) over the weekend. Should stop being annoyed at my self for not going out running.
Enough of that already. On to brighter things. Opportunities are developing, and although they are exciting and fascinating, I still worry whether they are achievable, whether I dare pursue them, if it's for me..
Just went for a run this morning - feels good to get my act together. Just 4k, but that's ok. I'll go for a longer one (or two) over the weekend. Should stop being annoyed at my self for not going out running.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Running
Lately I haven't been running a lot, and I have gone through phases of enjoying it, missing it and really being annoyed that I couldn't just go run!
My back has been causing me issues, and my running buddy, the sportstherapist, says it's probably due to me stopping with the diversity of movemenets my body was used to through basketball, and replacing it with an exercise that is basically just body straight up and legs moving. I've been doing core stability exercises for the back (boring but I can already feel an improvement), being treated with massage and stretches and basically been lazy.
But I'm starting up again - and it feels great! Just went 12 km today in lovely mild sunshine, through streets dotted with pink petals dropping from the flowering trees, Clissold Park and Finsbury Park, where a summer fair was getting all the kids excited. Nice! I wasn't even sure I'd go all the way to Finsbury Park (basically indicating that I'd just go 4-6km in my local park), but the nice weather and feeling that my legs were good and my back not ailing me encouraged me to go a bit farther!
I've lowered my ambitions for this month as I haven't been able to get out there the first half of the month. I've got 10 days to do 45 kilometres, that should be possible with a little bit of willpower..
All smiles here - and sending my love to y'all.
My back has been causing me issues, and my running buddy, the sportstherapist, says it's probably due to me stopping with the diversity of movemenets my body was used to through basketball, and replacing it with an exercise that is basically just body straight up and legs moving. I've been doing core stability exercises for the back (boring but I can already feel an improvement), being treated with massage and stretches and basically been lazy.
But I'm starting up again - and it feels great! Just went 12 km today in lovely mild sunshine, through streets dotted with pink petals dropping from the flowering trees, Clissold Park and Finsbury Park, where a summer fair was getting all the kids excited. Nice! I wasn't even sure I'd go all the way to Finsbury Park (basically indicating that I'd just go 4-6km in my local park), but the nice weather and feeling that my legs were good and my back not ailing me encouraged me to go a bit farther!
I've lowered my ambitions for this month as I haven't been able to get out there the first half of the month. I've got 10 days to do 45 kilometres, that should be possible with a little bit of willpower..
All smiles here - and sending my love to y'all.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Running update
As is painfully visible from the gadget on the right (--->), I haven't been running nearly as much as I'd like to this month. That's not to say that I haven't been far behind on my monthly amount before and still made it, but this month it's been different.
I've had troubles with my old shoes, Nike ones, and decided it was time for some new runners. I wanted to have a gait analysis to ensure I got shoes that are right for my running style and feet, so that took a while to get done too, all the while I had slowed down my running a lot. I finally did got my act together to have the analysis done by a very apt professional and then had to decide on going for the top of the range model or the 'one step down' model that he suggested to me, because they didn't stock the more expensive one. So I went to other stores, trying to find the other model in my size and never managed, and in the end I ordered it online anyway. This process took a fair few days during which I did not run much. End of it all is that I'm now running in Asics Kayano 15's, and I'm liking it.
Although, of course, I then got sick and have only been out twice in my new shoes. 2009 hasn't been a great year for running so far, what with my fainting-induced concussion in January, shoe-woes in February and a mild but prolonged bout of illness in March. I hope this isn't going to be the norm for 2009!
I've had troubles with my old shoes, Nike ones, and decided it was time for some new runners. I wanted to have a gait analysis to ensure I got shoes that are right for my running style and feet, so that took a while to get done too, all the while I had slowed down my running a lot. I finally did got my act together to have the analysis done by a very apt professional and then had to decide on going for the top of the range model or the 'one step down' model that he suggested to me, because they didn't stock the more expensive one. So I went to other stores, trying to find the other model in my size and never managed, and in the end I ordered it online anyway. This process took a fair few days during which I did not run much. End of it all is that I'm now running in Asics Kayano 15's, and I'm liking it.
Although, of course, I then got sick and have only been out twice in my new shoes. 2009 hasn't been a great year for running so far, what with my fainting-induced concussion in January, shoe-woes in February and a mild but prolonged bout of illness in March. I hope this isn't going to be the norm for 2009!
Monday, March 09, 2009
Something in the air
The Danish national poet, or at least one that you'd have a very hard time not knowing about if you lived in Denmark, Klaus Rifbjerg has published yet another book. Was reading a review today and fell over this quotation from one of the poems:
Man må ha en skid på for at
klare ensomheden
den anden marts
...which translates something like this:
You've gotta be sozzled to
handle loneliness
on March 2nd
Which is why I too have embarked on a form of escape (not the one at the bottom of a bottle) in this reverberating space, where spring all but sings in the air, warmer and warmer still, the cherries blossoming, and around me couples look deeply into each others eyes with that passionate longing you have for something you've already got.
Me? I go running, I go out with friends, drinking and dancing till morning, I write down thoughts on who I think I thought I imagined I was and am. And there's a spring to my step as well.
Man må ha en skid på for at
klare ensomheden
den anden marts
...which translates something like this:
You've gotta be sozzled to
handle loneliness
on March 2nd
Which is why I too have embarked on a form of escape (not the one at the bottom of a bottle) in this reverberating space, where spring all but sings in the air, warmer and warmer still, the cherries blossoming, and around me couples look deeply into each others eyes with that passionate longing you have for something you've already got.
Me? I go running, I go out with friends, drinking and dancing till morning, I write down thoughts on who I think I thought I imagined I was and am. And there's a spring to my step as well.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Step 1.
Today I tried both meditating and yoga for the first time, all in the privacy of my own room..
I downloaded a couple of podcasts on the subject and selected some that sounded and looked to be of a fairly reasonable quality.
The yoga was YOGamazing (pretty darned corny name!), and I selected the episode with exercises for runners. It was fairly easy to do, even in the limited space of my bedroom, and I could certainly feel everything stretch. I've downloaded a couple more and will give them a shot. Only thing I'm concerned about is that I'm not doing the stretches right.. I'm thinking that maybe, at least initially, I should do some supplementary classes just to get the poses right. Don't want to do any harm in all my eagerness.
The meditation was from some Australian meditation society, and apart from the tinny voice, I had nothing to fault them for either. There's a whole series of sessions, so I'll be working my way through them, one a day hopefully.
Now I just need to figure out a good order for my yoga, meditation and running! Running first, then the stretches and then clearing the mind?
I downloaded a couple of podcasts on the subject and selected some that sounded and looked to be of a fairly reasonable quality.
The yoga was YOGamazing (pretty darned corny name!), and I selected the episode with exercises for runners. It was fairly easy to do, even in the limited space of my bedroom, and I could certainly feel everything stretch. I've downloaded a couple more and will give them a shot. Only thing I'm concerned about is that I'm not doing the stretches right.. I'm thinking that maybe, at least initially, I should do some supplementary classes just to get the poses right. Don't want to do any harm in all my eagerness.
The meditation was from some Australian meditation society, and apart from the tinny voice, I had nothing to fault them for either. There's a whole series of sessions, so I'll be working my way through them, one a day hopefully.
Now I just need to figure out a good order for my yoga, meditation and running! Running first, then the stretches and then clearing the mind?
Friday, November 21, 2008
Update
I write this on my new macbook pro, which is absolutely wonderful. I must say, my apple-wares do provide me with more pleasure than my older, worn-out laptop.
I've really made an effort with my running this week, and it just seems to be getting easier and easier for me to run at the speed I want to, and even to go a bit further than I have been doing. Feels great, and I feel confident I'll reach my 90km goal this month. Since Monday I have run 27km already, and I will go out at least once more during the weekend. I'm now consistently running at less than 5 minutes/km, no matter how far I run. I've not run farther than 10km at one time, but I think I'm going to expand on that sometime soon.
Ever since my mom commented on all my running and said that maybe I should be doing something for my upper body as well I have been tormented by the image of myself with bulging calfs and thighs, and with a scrawny set of stick arms. I don't know what to do about it though. I'm considering some yoga perhaps? The stretching might be good for my weary legs too. Any training thoughts and suggestions are welcomed!
I'm going home for Thanksgiving next Wednesday, and am really looking forward to some TLC in the family home, not to mention the amazing food. It's been around half a year since I was home last, and although my brothers have visited, and my parents ditto recently, I just feel a bit out of touch. Particularly with my friends. I find I'm a lot less inclined to email or text when things are not flowing easily, and I haven't exactly been following the textbook example of how-to-do-a-career lately, or been feeling great. Actually I've been rather confused (and continue to be so, albeit to a lesser degree these days).
The London Jazz Festival is on at the mo, and I'm just about to head down to the Southbank Centre to hear one of the free acts there. It sounds really good in the leaflet, so I'm hoping it will be. Tomorrow I'm going to another free gig, which is more of a bossanova and samba sound. I love London!
Take care you guys. Thinking of you all. Err, both.
I've really made an effort with my running this week, and it just seems to be getting easier and easier for me to run at the speed I want to, and even to go a bit further than I have been doing. Feels great, and I feel confident I'll reach my 90km goal this month. Since Monday I have run 27km already, and I will go out at least once more during the weekend. I'm now consistently running at less than 5 minutes/km, no matter how far I run. I've not run farther than 10km at one time, but I think I'm going to expand on that sometime soon.
Ever since my mom commented on all my running and said that maybe I should be doing something for my upper body as well I have been tormented by the image of myself with bulging calfs and thighs, and with a scrawny set of stick arms. I don't know what to do about it though. I'm considering some yoga perhaps? The stretching might be good for my weary legs too. Any training thoughts and suggestions are welcomed!
I'm going home for Thanksgiving next Wednesday, and am really looking forward to some TLC in the family home, not to mention the amazing food. It's been around half a year since I was home last, and although my brothers have visited, and my parents ditto recently, I just feel a bit out of touch. Particularly with my friends. I find I'm a lot less inclined to email or text when things are not flowing easily, and I haven't exactly been following the textbook example of how-to-do-a-career lately, or been feeling great. Actually I've been rather confused (and continue to be so, albeit to a lesser degree these days).
The London Jazz Festival is on at the mo, and I'm just about to head down to the Southbank Centre to hear one of the free acts there. It sounds really good in the leaflet, so I'm hoping it will be. Tomorrow I'm going to another free gig, which is more of a bossanova and samba sound. I love London!
Take care you guys. Thinking of you all. Err, both.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Yay!
80km in a month - this is great! Next month's challenge is 90km.. My strategy of adding 10km per month is working at the moment, even with being sick and downsizing in September, but I wonder when I'll hit a max. Soon, perhaps?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
General downturn
As is dreadfully obvious from the tracker to the right (-->) I haven't been running lately. Actually for two whole weeks my running shoes have been resting further and further down in the pile of shoes by the door. I went for a little one today, after having been ill and staying home from work thursday afternoon and friday, sort of in defiance and to prove to myself that the general feeling of being slightly ill, and rather tired had been cured by resting for a couple of days. Not the case. I felt dizzy and ill after 2.4 km and had to rest for 15 minutes to get better again. This is rubbish, and I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.. Go figure.
I have been pushing myself pretty hard lately, I know, but I am adamant that my illness is not only due to this, I really feel it's a sickness. It's frustrating to feel sick and I really hope it goes away soon. I'm going to work tomorrow because I don't feel I can stay home with these mild symptoms any more. Silly? Proud? I just have so much to do at work and I want to finish the work I've commenced properly. I'm taking it slow though.
Two more weeks, that's ten days and counting.
I have been pushing myself pretty hard lately, I know, but I am adamant that my illness is not only due to this, I really feel it's a sickness. It's frustrating to feel sick and I really hope it goes away soon. I'm going to work tomorrow because I don't feel I can stay home with these mild symptoms any more. Silly? Proud? I just have so much to do at work and I want to finish the work I've commenced properly. I'm taking it slow though.
Two more weeks, that's ten days and counting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)