Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
New Mature Runners Thread
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Aquarius, What a dream! I love dogs. I live with two dogs. But, being charged by an Alsatian would scare the heck out of me. I am glad your dream ended with a doggie kiss, rather than a doggie bite.
Brian is doing fairly well, except that he had some unexplained swelling around his right inner ankle. It was a fairly large amount of swelling, and the first worry was a blood clot. But, it seems to be resolving
Going by the breakdown of your pace for each mile, your Gibside parkrun sounds challenging! Others on this forum have a lot more to offer in the way of valuable advice. But, I will share that I personally have found that very steep hills use different muscles than flat stretches, and strong glutes are really important. I do a lot of resistance band work with side steps and backward lunge walking and that seems to help propel me upwards.
Great job on running the Gibside, after your 7.5 miles, and finishing with a strong sprint! That sounds like a couple of days that deserve a bit of chocolate!
WtnMel, Yikes! I hope that your calf recovers quickly! You're being smart to give it a rest. However, it does kind of beg the question of what kind of fancy dance moves were you doing?
Congratulations on winning your golf game! It's nice to see perseverance and hard work pay off.
HS, I heartily agree with you and Aquarius about the wisdom of not running on camber. However, if you are going to run more than a few miles in my area, camber is what you are going to be running on. I consciously try to switch sides of the road when I run, but apparently it wasn't enough to offset the strain.
When I do the incline workout, I'll integrate recovery periods and see how it goes. I expect that it will be a little painful. I really appreciate your posting it.
I'm so sorry that your local runs were cancelled. Dennis sounds like a nasty storm. I hope it passes quickly.
Regarding running with glasses. I've never had a need for any kind of strap. Even when I've taken some nasty falls, they've rarely fallen off.
When is your 21k? It sounds like you are taking the plunge back into racing. Good for you
I went to the running store in Portsmouth today. After trying on a few different models, I decided to stick with Nikes. However, I did purchase a pair of inserts. I have always avoided inserts. I'm a little suspicious of them, but the woman helping me made a good case for them. I figure that I'll try integrating them into my running slowly, and see what I think.
I mentioned the parkrun to a couple of the more dedicated runners at the store, and they had never heard of the organization. I spent a few minutes explaining about the website and how the runs seem to work. They were very interested, as being involved in that kind of event is very good for business. However, their initial response was similar to my own initial reactions; there is nowhere around where we live to hold that kind of event. I mentioned the park in Newburyport, but as it is located over the state border in Massachusetts, it is doubtful that that would work for a New Hampshire running group. I'll keep putting the parkruns onto people's radars, but our area just doesn't lend itself to that kind of event.
It has been brutally cold over the last couple of days. Our mailbox froze shut, and one of our trashcans froze to the ground. I had to kick it hard to get it to move. I probably looked a little deranged standing at the curb kicking a trashcan. I stayed inside today and crosstrained on the bike, followed by some strength training. Happily, tomorrow is supposed to warm up considerably and I am going out for the 11 miler. My legs are tired, so the pace will probably be on the slow side.
Damien, well done for your session on the cross trainer.
Molly, good to hear that Brian seems to be doing fairly well, I hope he continues to make good progress.
Storm Dennis was calmer today regarding the wind, but still very windy. The rain though was much heavier. Absolutely belting down, more on this in my post below.
The 21k is in the first week of August, not long after the New Forest 10 mile. I did the 21k last year and the year before, and before that did the 33k in consecutive years. One of our previously regular posters, who hasn't posted for ages, invented "wings" which we send to anyone racing. They are to help the runner run quicker. I don't know "who's got them now."
I've never worn inserts. Several years ago in a running store they were trying to tempt me to buy a pair. They stood me on a machine to measure my feet and produce the inserts. I then had to run on their treadmill which was a disaster, because as I've said previously, I can't get on with them. I then had to run round the shop and was asked how they felt. I said that they didn't make any difference. As a matter of interest I asked how much they would be and was told £45. I thought they were joking. Needless to say, I didn't buy them, but I did buy the trainers.
It seems odd that none of the serious runners in your neck of the woods have heard of parkruns, as they are held all over the world. They don't have to be in parks, the Southampton parkrun, which has over 1,000 runners every Saturday, is mainly on concrete pathways. Once one is established, it's amazing how quickly numbers of runners build up. A lot of parkrunners are"parkrun tourists" who try to run a different one each week, even going overseas. Some try to run alphabetically, by searching for runs in alphabetical order.
Hope you managed to get out today for your 11 mile run?
The storm force winds we had yesterday and all night have abated somewhat today. The torrential rain is now the danger with some parts of the country on Red Alert, which means possible danger to lives. There is a lot of flooding with rivers bursting their banks. The Army have been called in to help with flood defences.
The rain wasn't quite that heavy here and I decided to brave it and run, as I hadn't run yesterday. I only intended to run a few miles because of the conditions, but as I was running into the village, I saw 3 club running friends the other side of the road, running in the opposite direction. I decided to join then and ended up running 10 miles, bringing the weeks total to 41.😁
Aquarius, I am glad that you are just getting wind where you are. Though, I expect that the wind isn't particularly pleasant. My fingers are crossed in hopes that you will be able to get outside soon.
HS, It sounds like the New Forest 10 mile followed by the 21k is an excellent progression. July and August will be a lot of fun for you. How hot does it get in your area? We may need to resurrect 'the wings'. I think that is an excellent invention!
I completely understand your reaction to the inserts. I'm still not sure about them. They told me at the store to try them and, if they didn't workout, I could bring them back. I suspect this is a benefit of having been going there for a while. However, I plan to start with just wearing them around the house. I really don't want to try them out on an longer run and find that they are driving me crazy. I have a tendency to occasionally 'lose' the things on long runs that are bothering me (water bottles, clothing layers, gloves), and I suspect that the inserts would end up 'lost', instead of returned to the store. On the other hand, there is no doubt that I could benefit from a little more stabilization.
The parkruns really haven't taken hold over here. I'm going to try and attach the map from ParkrunUSA and you will be able to see the issue. Most states don't have any parkruns, and the states that only have one or two parkruns probably don't draw much attention to the events, simply because they would be lost among the more normal 5k road races that draw fairly large crowds.
I am glad that you were able to get out running despite the storm conditions. How fun to have joined up with your clubmates for a longer run. Well done on your mileage for the week. That is close to the max that my mileage reaches during my peak training weeks, nowadays. If I try to maintain that range of mileage for too many weeks, I accumulate too much fatigue to easily recover and my performance starts to drop. It's always impressive to me when that mileage is just norm. Like I said before, you are impressively strong.
It was a bit warmer today, though in this case the term 'warm' is more relative than descriptive. I decided to change my Garmin screen to only show my mileage for my run, and to concentrate on just running at a pace that felt really easy. I decided on the 'really easy' because my legs were tired from the week's workouts. However, for the uphill on the last mile I got a little impatient and picked the pace up a bit. When I got home, I was pretty curious about the run, so I signed into my Garmin account to check my stats. According to Garmin, my average moving pace was 11:36, and 78% of the run was in zone 2 (a heart rate less than 149). It was an interesting experiment, and I was pleased to see that I could gauge my 'really easy' running pace correctly just by feel. I also enjoyed running without the constant influx of Garmin data. However, I am not sure that I would trust myself to run by feel if I was running at a more normal training pace, or a race pace. I think that I will continue to keep the mileage only screen for long runs, and cautiously experiment with it. However, for me, there is a fine line between pushing and blowing up, and I can't always feel where that line is, especially in a longer race. Three more weeks, and one more long run, before race day.
I hope everybody stays warm, dry, and safe until Dennis dries up and blows away.
Molly, it is inevitably very hot for the NF 10, being that it is in July and starts at 11am. The course is fairly open, with little shade, meaning that the sun beats down. It can get quite hot underfoot, as the gravel trails warm up. Yes, we must resurrect the wings. They probably need servicing, as they haven't been used lately.😁
Thanks for the map, I can see the problem. We have very few 5k road races in the UK, hence the popularity of the parkruns, which are free.
I was very lucky to meet up with the 3 club runners yesterday, as I had decided to deviate from my intended route, which I thought would have lead to flooded roads. It is important to fit in rest days, even in the peak mileage weeks, prior to the tapering. My standard schedule at present is 5 running days, 1 spin day and 1 rest day.
I try to avoid looking at my garmin between miles, and just look when it bleeps on each mile. I wait until I get home to look at heart rate, average pace, Vo2 max etc. I have the Garmin forerunner 235.
I hope your training goes well in the 3 weeks before your half marathon. Good tactics, one more long run and then tapering.
Had a good road run this morning with some of the "Monday Gang," Sarah H, Jane and Sally. 8.6 miles before the rain returned. The wind was only moderate, as Storm Dennis is on its way out.😃
WtnMel, I hope the operation on the cataract in Margaret's eye was successful?
I also hope that the new organisers of the Salisbury 54321 do a good a job, or better than the previous organisers. It won't be the same though, now that Ludo has stepped down. He was the race organiser for many years.
I will update the wings to enable the wearer to run even quicker😂 Thanks for the kudos!
Your U3a meeting must have been interesting. I wonder if he ever met the buffoon Johnson in his journalistic days😏
Well done for today's run achieving some faster segments, and good pace final sprint. Good news that your calf was trouble free, so hopefully it was just a blip.
This morning was my spinning session. It consisted mainly of hill climbing, but there was a sting in the tail. The last session was a HIIT Session on the flat, comprising 3 sets of 8 x 20 seconds with 10 second recoveries. There was a 60 second recovery between sets.
My new reading and driving glasses are ready now, so I will collect them in the morning.
HS, Good Golly that HIIT session sounds brutal! Your instructor must have fun watching everyone try to keep up.
The NF 10 sounds like a tough course. Do you have high humidity, as well? I have trouble with humidity and we tend to be average 90% humidity in the summer, so I rarely race in July or August.
I'm so glad that Dennis is leaving you. Your morning Monday run sounds like it was quite pleasant. I hope that your weather continues to improve for the rest of the week. I'll be curious to hear how you like running with your new glasses.
WtnMel, I'm glad to hear that your calf twinge passed, and that you were able to get out for a nice run this morning. Good job on the 200 yd sprint!
Your U3A meeting sounds very interesting. What does U3A stand for?
I had planned on a six mile hill workout this morning, but my day got a little crazy and my stomach is feeling a little queasy, so I cut the workout to 4 easy miles on the treadmill. It was a good chance to start breaking in my new shoes for the half marathon and try out the inserts. My tendon has been complaining slightly over the last couple of days, and the first .5 mile with the inserts didn't feel great. However, after I warmed up, I was pretty much pain free. I'll wait and see how my tendon feels tonight before I decide whether to continue with the inserts.
I don't have any data from today's run, as my lab pup made a spirited attempt at eating my heart rate monitor. So, I'll need to pick up a new one. I am hoping for a decent speed workout on Thursday followed by a 12 mile long run on Sunday, and a couple days of cross training before tapering.
HS - yes, Margaret's op was a couple of years ago and was successful. As I mentioned, the other eye will eventually need doing but not just yet. That speaker didn't mention meeting BoJo the buffoon - but he did used to work with Laura Kuennsberg(sp?). He was an investigative journalist before becoming a political one - was partly responsible for getting rid of a corrupt NHS chief exec in Gloucs who was a megalomaniac and a bully. Well done re your spin session.
Molly - just wish I could sprint for further than a couple of hundred yards! U3A is short for "University of the Third Age" with the idea being oldsters like me can keep their minds and body active now they're in their 3rd age ie. retirement after early life (1st) and full-time work (2nd). Don't blame you cutting back on your session if you weren't feeling 100% (sounds like your heart-rate monitor isn't feeling 100% either!). Hope that tendon of yours behaves itself - and good luck with your plans for Thu and the weekend.
Molly, the spin session was a bit of a circus, as Shona's bike, which is on the stage and next to the audio system, was causing hi- pitched feed back. Eventually, as she was unable to fix it, she had to use one of the bikes on the floor with the rest of us. This meant that she was facing away from us, and couldn't see what we were up to. She wears a mike, so we could hear her instructions clearly. She did stop and turn round now and again, so it "wasn't a free for all!"
The humidity can be quite high, which makes the going harder. The race attracts a high number of club runners and last year there 125 different clubs represented. Many had hired coaches to bring them down. I think it is so popular as there are very few 10 mile races nowadays. Careful pacing is important, as every year there are "runners" walking that have gone off too fast.
I collected my new glasses this morning, but didn't run today, so I haven't tested them yet. I don't think that I will wear them in the rain, or in races.
If I were you, I would be cautious about wearing the inserts for your half marathon, especially if you haven't broken them in. I never race in new trainers until I have run a few miles in them.
Good luck with your speed session on Thursday and your 12 miler on Sunday. Will you be wearing the inserts for the 12 miler?
WtnMel, glad to hear that Margaret's cataract operation was successful. My mother had operations on both eyes, but my dad, who lived until he was 90, never had cataracts. He wore glasses, but his eye sight was good.
I think that Laura is a very good political reporter, as she has the ability to separate the "hot air" from the facts, and present them in an easy to understand manner.
I was reading an article that said that people putting off retirement and working on, had a better chance of avoiding, or delaying the onset of dementia. Well, I took voluntary redundancy when I was 58.5 years old, so hopefully that wan't a bad decision.
I'm doing the Dibden Doddle again tomorrow in the forest. I haven't run in the forest for at least a couple of weeks, so don't know what it will be like. We will probably need to wear fisherman's waders.🤔
At my car service last week they noted that 3 of the 4 car tyres were getting low (NSF, NSR, OSF) but the OSR seems to be okay. They've not done bad as the current ones were fitted in 2017 and I've done almost 30K with them. My MOT is due in March so I'm getting the three low ones replaced tomorrow morning. All being well, I can get to the golf driving range tomorrow afternoon.
The forecast isn't looking good for Sunday when I was planning to walk with the Ramblers - so I may do another solo walk up to Cleeve Hill on Saturday.
WtnMel, I remember you mentioning the 10 mile Tring Ridgeway race in the past. I believe it is quite challenging? Yes, I do watch Newscast which is very informative.
Getting muddy in the forest is a bit of an understatement! I ran the Dibden Doddle with about a dozen club mates this morning, with more walking and wading through mud and deep water than actual running. We did up the pace on the occasional dryer areas though, total mileage 8.1.
Well done for your 5 miler with your club. Very impressive overtaking some of the runners on the uphill stretch. Sorry to hear that Lynne was having problems with her knee, and another with her hamstring. I would suggest that they take a couple if rest days to see how it goes.
A good idea getting those 3 tyres replaced prior to your MoT, which should ensure that your car passes it.
Hope the weather is ok for you tomorrow, so that you can get on the golf driving range.
Fingers crossed for Sunday so that you can walk with the Ramblers.
WtnMel, U3A sounds like a lot of fun. My husband has talked about going back to school after he retires, to study something completely new. Personally, I'm kind of hoping to never retire, but we'll see.
Poor Lynn! It must be discouraging to be starting her training with an injury. I hope she gets the ITB band under control quickly. I'm sure that she appreciated your concern. Good job on the strong uphill part of the run.
My fingers are crossed for you and your new tires to make it to the golf range tomorrow morning.
HS, Shona must have been working out her frustration with the equipment via the HIIT section of the class. The scenario of her spinning with her back to the class does lend itself to some cartoon like mental imagery
Wow, the NF 10 sounds like quite an event. It must be fun with all of the different clubs. I do enjoy larger runs. We don't have a lot of 10 mile races over here, either. Though, there is one in Boston in May (right around my birthday) that goes along the Charles river and is quite popular. For several years running, I've meant to get down there to run it as a birthday run, and, with one thing and another, I haven't made it. Maybe this year?
I think that I will be wearing the new trainers with the inserts for my long run this weekend. I wore them on Tuesday for the short run, yesterday for walking the dogs, and for today's run. I am beginning to have some sense that they might be helping. At any rate, I think my achilles is better now than it was at the beginning of the week.
Wading through mud is still putting one foot in front of the other, plus it offers some resistance training. Of course, it's easy for me to write that, but in truth I doubt that I would have the fortitude to stick out 8 plus miles of mud. So, seriously, Good Job!
This has been one of those weeks where everything has gone a bit wrong. The dog chewed up my heart monitor. The new heart monitor won't pair with my Garmin. I'm not feeling great. Brian is having some new and exciting health challenges, and the doctor he saw seems to be slightly cognitively impaired. A professional opportunity fell through, and...taxes... As a result, I've been taking it easy on the training this week. Instead of cross training on the bike, yesterday, I walked the dogs for about an hour. And, today's 6 mile speed run turned into a bit of a fiasco. Two miles into it, Brian called to tell me his doctor's diagnosis, which was clearly bunk. By the time we figured out where to send him for a second opinion, I had lost my running motivation. Since my heart monitor wasn't working, I decided to go outside to finish the run garminless. I ended up just trotting around the neighborhood for the remaining four miles at a slow super pace with intermittent walking whenever the wind started blowing. Tomorrow is a rest day, and I still have hopes for turning out a strong last long run this weekend.
Molly, hope you make the Boston 10 miles this year. It will be interesting to see how you get on with your long run this weekend, wearing the inserts. If they don't cause any problems, I imagine that you will wear them for the half marathon?
I agree that running through mud etc is good stamina building, and when running with others, makes it almost pleasurable.
Oh dear, you do seem to be having a bad week! I presume the heart rate monitor is a chest strap? My Garmin 235 has a optical monitor which is built into the watch and works from impulses in the wrist.
Sorry that you are not feeling too good, and that Brian is having some health challenges, not helped by a dodgy Doctor's diagnosis. In those circumstances and with your business disappointment and taxes etc it's not surprising that you are taking it easy with your training. Running at an easy pace without your garmin was probably the best idea considering the week you are having.
I didn't run today but was busy this afternoon edging one side of my drive, where the grass had been growing onto it. Hard work and I'll probably wake up in the morning with an achy back.😬
Hi Damien, good luck for your parkrun tomorrow.
I’m keeping fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow as I’d like to do a 7 or 8 mile slow run. At the moment it’s trying to snow and it’s still very windy. This morning driving into the supermarket car park we narrowly avoided a wayward trolley careering towards us at top speed. I think the wind is stronger than ever today and unfortunately it sounds like next week is likely to be just as bad. I rather think our club 5k Grand Prix event on Tuesday (which has already been postponed once due to the weather) will probably be postponed again.
I hope the weather hasn’t disrupted everyone else’s runs/walks this weekend.
HS, I use a the Garmin Forerunner 630, which requires a chest strap. I really love the darn thing, but I confess that I have secret hopes of someday upgrading to a more recent model and preferably one that doesn't use a chest strap.
Oh my gosh, how is your back today? Not to mention that it must have been a bit cold and windy to be working outside. I hope you stayed warm. We still have another couple of months before we start yard work, at which point I will definitely be commiserating with you about aching backs
I would like to run the Boston 10 miler this year, but my son and his girlfriend are both graduating from grad school right around then. Their graduations are a week apart and I'm not sure that I'll be able to fit anything else in.
I am guessing that, if your back wasn't too sore, you went out for a nice long run today. I hope that you had less mud and less wind!
Aquarius, Thank you for sharing your experience with your orthotics. If the inserts don't work out, I may try to make time to find a podiatrist. At the moment, I've pretty much had my fill of doctors. So, I am hopeful that the inserts will work. I am planning on trying 12 miles with the inserts tomorrow, so I'll have a better idea of how they are working out after the run.
I am sorry that you are having such lousy weather! Good job on getting in a day of hill repeats and keeping up with your yoga. I am sure that it will pay off when the weather gets better. However, until that happens: BEWARE of wayward trolleys!
I had to chuckle after I read your post about the trolley. Over here, a 'trolley' is a kind of bus that runs on an electric line. I had a moment of horror envisioning an escaped trolley that had some jumped it's tracks and was careering down on you. Happily, my internal translator jumped in and replaced 'trolley' with 'shopping cart' (our lingo). Do be careful in the high winds. It sounds pretty treacherous.
My fingers are crossed that you will be able to get out for a run tomorrow. This time of year is frustrating!
DamienNagle, you are a champ for taking on 49mph headwinds! Good job. It must have felt really fun on the second half of the run to have that wind at your back.
We seem to be getting back on track over here. Brian replaced the battery in my new chest strap and, hopefully, it will work for tomorrow's long run. I am going to sit on the bike for a while today, so I can try it out then.
Brian managed to get another opinion and a much more reasonable diagnosis, so that situation is resolving, as well. He has had quite a bit of swelling in the soft tissue around his ankle. At first we were worried about a blood clot from the ablation. However, the surgeon decided that it was something else and that Brian should see his regular doctor. His regular doctor decided that Brian was suffering from gout and prescribed medication that would have had potentially very bad effects, if mixed with his current medications from the ablation. Bearing in mind that the swelling was not in Brian's foot (or toe), and was not even in a joint; that we don't eat any kind of meat or animal product and haven't for years; and, that the doctor didn't bother to order a blood test, we had a little trouble trusting the diagnosis. With some help from Brian's surgeon, we were able to get him in to see an orthopedic doctor who promptly diagnosed the issue as achille's tendonitis/bursitis. Who new that the condition was contagious? Brian saw a physio (I think that is the same as what we call physical therapists) on Friday, and has a treatment plan. We cancelled the medication, and Brian is now looking for a new regular care doctor.
I am still a little tired today, and a my own tendon is still a bit twingy, so I am planning on some light cross training today and, then, running 12 miles on the race route tomorrow. Brian will drive me down to near the start, and I will just go from there.
It looks like our weather is beginning to improve. I am hoping that our good weather heads your way in the same way that our storms seem to have.
Aquarius, agreed, it is a bit too windy to give the wings an airing! It was rather amusing with Shona sitting at the front of the class with her back to us. She does put 100% effort into the session, and is not one that says "do as I say, not what I do!"
A shame your parkrun was cancelled. Several of my local runs were cancelled too, but the Southampton one went ahead. I hope you will be able to run tomorrow, and that Tuesdays grand prix won't be cancelled.
Damien, well done for your parkrun, another excellent time, especially considering the strong winds.
Molly, Garmin's that don't require a chest strap are more convenient, as you don't have the bother of having to attach the chest strap and getting the right tightness. Also the contact is not always good, until you have worked up a sweat. I used to run the contacts under the tap of my previous Garmin so that they were moist. To be honest, I very seldom used the strap, as it was too must bother.
Surprisingly, my back is fine today, and didn't cause any problems during this mornings run. I was well wrapped up yesterday, including my thermal hat.
I hope that you will be able to run in the Boston 10 miler, but it does look a bit unlikely.
I ran 6.3 miles this morning with Helen on roads, so no mud! It didn't rain, but was very windy.
Good luck with tomorrows long run and I hope the chest strap works with the new battery.
Good news that Brian now has a treatment plan and is not taking unnecessary medication.
Good that your weather seems to be improving, but we still have large parts of the country under water, and the winds and rain show no signs of improvement.
Molly my Garmin Forerunner is a 610 and it also has a chest strap. I had to change the battery in it recently and hadn’t realised that when you take the old battery out you have to wait a while before inserting the new battery. Apparently this is necessary to ensure there is no charge left in the device. I can’t remember how long you have to wait, it may have been 10 or maybe even 30 minutes, but if you don’t do this your HR monitor won’t work. That’s what happened to me and it was only when I checked the troubleshooting section on the Garmin website that I found it was a known problem. As you have a later model it’s possible that Garmin have fixed this issue, but I thought I’d mention it in case they haven’t.
We went to see 'Parasite' yesterday - an interesting film and a nice change from the usual Hollywood block-buster fare (Marvel Universe films for example) they seem to serve up most of the time these days.
Off for a swim this evening - my legs feel fine after my walk but I'm not sure I'll manage my usual 32 lengths. So maybe just a slow, shorter swim in between visits to the sauna instead
Aquarius, that is the problem with the chest straps, unless the contacts are moist, the heart rate monitor won't register. It's ok if you moisten the contacts and then run right away, but if, as you say, you have an hours drive to the race, they will have dried, and the monitor won't register until you have run and started to sweat. The optical hr monitor in the Garmin doesn't need any moisture, as it works from pulses in the wrist. I do find though that it is more accurate when I tighten the Garmin strap. Too loose and it is "all over the place!"
Thanks, it was quite hard work yesterday, running in the wind.
WtnMel, your Tring Ridgeway 10 miler sounds my sort of race. I agree that the mixed terrain races are much more interesting than road races. I haven't done any road races since my injury in June 2017.
Thanks, we all enjoyed the Dibden Doddle on Thursday, despite the mud and water. As it is a social run, the conditions were all part of the fun. I was surprised that my back was ok on Saturday, after Fridays digging and trimming.
Good that you haven't had any problems with your chest strap, except for having to replace the battery. I never had to, probably because I didn't use the strap very often☹
Hope the GoPro film you took of yourself proves to be useful and enables you to improve your game.
I haven't had to have any tyres replaced on my current car, as it has only done a small mileage. I did have to have tracking on older cars checked though.
I haven't been to the cinema for many years. I hope you enjoyed the film as well as finding it interesting?
Well done for your wet and windy walk and for managing to retain your balance.
Hope this evenings swim goes well!
I ran 9.6 miles on roads this morning with the two Sarah's and Sally. Very windy, but rain free.
HS, At this point, I am thinking of divorcing both my chest strap and my Garmin. But, I'll give myself a couple of days to think about it. before I toss them into the trash bin. After all, we've been together for a while, so I feel I owe it that much
With all of nature's resistance training (mud, wind) that you are experiencing, it sounds like you will be very strong going into spring. Good job on both the 6.3 and 9.6 windy miles! Also, excellent news that your back held on through your 'driveway training'.
I saw some news items about the flooding in the UK. It sounds very serious. From what I could tell, heavy rain was forecast through this evening. Will it be letting up this week?
Aquarius, Thank you for the tip re: changing the Garmin battery. That could very well explain some of the problems that I am having, along with the new chest strap being a little loose, as HS mentioned.
It sounds like you didn't get out for your planned run. Did you end up with snow on top of the rest of the awful weather? Picture me standing on the beach on the other side of the ocean, shooing any hints of sun and warmth that we are getting in your direction
WtnMel, Your Tring Ridgeway Run sounds like quite a lot of fun from your description. Though, I expect that I would find it quite challenging.
We seem to have gone in opposite directions for our career paths and schooling. After spending many years working toward advanced degrees, I happened to fall in love with a trade. In my early thirties, I quit the profession that I had gone to school for and entered a two year apprenticeship. That was many years ago now, and I still love what I do. Though, I now sell my work in much different venues that when I started. My only regret is that I spent as much time as I did studying for the wrong career path.
Excellent job on staying upright during your walk. With all the dancing that you are doing, I am sure your recovery was very graceful.
Coincidentally, we watched Parasite yesterday, as well. Except that we streamed it through Amazon and watched it on my husband's laptop. We also enjoyed the movie and found it a very refreshing change of pace.
Well, today's long run turned into a bit of a fiasco. It started out ok. To preserve my achilles, I walked some sections around mile 6, where the camber of the road is very steep. I was taking it easy over all and feeling pretty good until around mile 9. I should explain that I was wearing a new pair of running pants. They were a pair that I was really pleased with when I put them on. However, around mile 9 it was becoming apparent that the inseams had either been designed by a non-runner or a sadist; possibly both. As far as maximum chaffing potential goes, these pants are an engineering marvel. Doing my best to ignore the extreme discomfort, I gritted my teeth and tottered on. Somewhere near the end of my tenth mile, I passed a family with two small children. Despite the tears trickling down my cheeks, I managed what I hoped was a friendly grimace and wave in their direction. When I heard one of the children ask 'Why is that lady running so funny?', I decided enough was enough, and I placed the SOS call to my husband. At that point, it was right around 11 miles, and I was a bit frustrated to end the run just a mile short of my goal, but I also didn't relish making a figure of myself.
I also found that the data that I was getting during the run, doesn't align with data the Garmin reported after the run. And, some of that data doesn't make sense. At this point, my Garmin is on a Time Out.
The one positive note out of the run, is that the new shoe/insert combination seems to be working nicely. While my achilles is a bit sore and stiff now, as my body cools down, it actually felt better at the end of the run than at the beginning.
I plan on a 6 mile moderate run on Tuesday, and an hour tempo run on Thursday, followed by an 8, 4 and 3 mile run leading up to the HM, with some cross training in between. Let the taper begin