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HS - with needing to get out and walk first thing, before coffee, I've neglected my stretching today (admonishes slap on wrist). The new rucksack is what I'd term mid-size .. I'm considering getting a smaller one too. A lot of the emails from companies I've bought things from go directly to my deleted items folder .. I just have to remember to keep the 'rules' updated to deal with all of them. Something to do with the census arrived in the post - will need to check with Margaret if she intends to fill in any form they've sent or we do it online like you.
JB - chuckling at you feeling ashamed at 'gaming' your run to achieve a higher WAVA
Aquarius - probably not too young to remember the Qualcast advert - more likely, my rubbish memory is to blame. Yes, as mentioned below, I managed a 3ml walk this morning - it was a bit windy, but nothing like as bad as it could have been. With the stretching exercises taking 30 mins or so and the strengthening ones adding another 15-20 mins, it can be a nuisance fitting them in. That's why I try to do them straight after breakfast before I get side-tracked into doing something else. I think eventually, once I am more supple, I can probably do the stretching/strengthening on alternate days. The sore thumb has healed remarkably quickly - but I've not managed to fit in any vacuuming yet
Managed to get out for a 3ml walk this morning. I wore my waterproof trousers and coat but it stayed dry - then when I was in the garden this afternoon scraping up some more moss to fill up the garden waste bin which is being collected tomorrow, a sudden downpour caught me out and I got drenched.
I remember "it's much less bovver than a hover!" I also remember an advert that you are probably all too young to have seen. It was just before Christmas and was supposed to be the perfect present for the wife. It was sung and went "Give happiness give Hoover, give happiness give Hoover!" I'm sure todays ladies would be far from happy getting a Hoover for Christmas. 🤣
Good that you managed to get out for a walk yesterday, but a shame that you got drenched working in the garden.
Drove into the village this morning to give the car another warm up, and got my shopping. The heavens opened just as I was about to leave the store, so I got soaked walking back to the car park. I was wearing a coat with a hood, but the wind blew it back, and as I had two shopping bags in each hand, was unable to pull it back over my head.
Aquarius - glad to hear you may have managed to uninstall Flash Player. I was surprised how wet I got in the time it took me to put the garden things away and get back indoors. At least you are running .. I'm still patiently waiting another couple of weeks. But a run/walk approach may help .. it's what I'll be doing when I do restart.
Not done a lot today. I blew up the exercise ball Margaret has bought herself - we have no idea where the other one went we had before we moved. I suspect it's somewhere in the garage. The security light on the garage hadn't been working. I suspected when I shifted some lengths of wood that had fallen over I might have inadvertently knocked the switch to the 'off' position - tuned out that was exactly what had happened. But apart from my exercises, I don't seem to have done a lot else. Incidentally, when I did a front plank I managed a count of 25 rather than 20 - so some small progress.
Aquarius, the 5k went well, but the very strong winds and muddy terrain, meant that we were slower than usual.
Walking and running might be a good idea.
WtnMel, I didn't have a form to be completed in my envelope, hence the submission on line.
Well done, improving your front plank by 5 .
An easy pace 4 mile road run this morning. Very bright and sunny, but a bitterly cold wind.
Thanks for the kind comments after my tumble. In short I've realised just how important thumbs are! For a couple of days mine was pretty much out of action (no hitch hiking for me!). I couldn't even tie my laces. Knee (which is my dodgy one) is pretty banged up but it doesn't hurt when I run so tried a few laps of the park today (checking first that there were no dogs in it!).
Had a nice walk today along the prom where I usually run. Quite novel to look at the runners, I wonder if I look as ungainly (in my head I'm Seb Coe, although Steve Ovett is more local). Bumped into one of my Parkrun 'friends' (who I hardly know but he is one of my arch rivals and we always have a few seconds of banter at the start line). He was with his wife, who has stage 3 ovarian cancer. Terribly sad - and shut me up about my silly little bumps and bruises.
Aquarius, you sounds as though you are struggling.
HS, you never sound as if you are struggling!
Mel, well done on your plank improvement. I hate them! Those big exercise balls are called Swiss balls I think. When I did my shoulder in many years ago, I used one of those for rehab: I used to lie on it and sort of mobilize my shoulder, very gently. It did the trick.
I'm just about to watch the new detective series, Grace. It's set in the Brighton area, so it's a must-watch. (The book it's based on by Peter James wasn't great, but I feel it's my civic duty to watch it! )
Damien, good to hear from you again, and glad that you are still running. Good luck with your target of sub 24 minutes. I'm still trying to go sub 26.
JB, I hadn't realised what a handicap a dodgy thumb could be.
Try not to overdo it with that knee of yours that isn't 100%.
That's really sad, your friend's wife being so ill with cancer. It makes us realise how trivial our aches and pains are, in comparison.
I don't what you might call struggle, but do have days that are much tougher than others.
Aquarius, I don't actually shuffle, but do have an ungainly gait. People always recognise me by my running style. ☹
It was hard work on Saturday, and Sarah's idea of trying an alternative trail backfired. It was wetter and muddier than the usual one.
Sorry to hear that you and Steve have been a bit under the weather, but glad that you are now feeling better. Probably a good idea not running today, the rest will probably help. Hope you are able to run tomorrow or Wednesday.
Good that birds have found your new birdbox so quickly.
I ran a solo 4 miles on roads yesterday, and this morning ran an enjoyable 8.4 miles in the forest with Sarah F. It was milder and windless, which made a nice change.
HS, thanks for the advice. Took it easy today but might be enticed out tomorrow if the weather is pleasant.
Damien, hi. Yes, the return of Parkrun will be a motivator to some of us- as well some warmer weather (please!).
Mel, I guess you are relieved that the crowds won't be there for Cheltenham this year? I'm working on the assumption that in normal years the traffic would be horrendous. I guess local guesthouses etc must be feeling the pinch though. We've all got sports that leave us cold, and I'm afraid anything horsey does that to me.
I've only ever been to one such event (Chester) and was pretty bored. I'd extend this to anything with 4 legs, as I've only ever been to greyhound racing once and that too was a bit of a turn-off. You will rightly infer that I am not a betting man.
Still a bit of a nip in the air, so I'm guessing that (unusually) others have had a better day than we have down here.
JB, 3 ticks now against the spammer!
Runners ignore my advice at their peril💀 Run at an easy pace until the knee starts to behave itself😉
I've no interest in horse racing either, which is surprising as both my grandfathers used to bet regularly, although only small amounts.
It's quite mild here today, and it's a rest day😴
JB - it's not until you can't use them (thumbs in your case) you realise how much you need them. Reminds me of when I had my hernia op and only then realised how much I use my stomach muscles. Sorry to read about your friend's wife with cancer. I see you fell asleep during Grace - not a good sign (I'm recording it for Margaret - she'll watch it when the whole series has finished recording). Oops re setting off too fast and running out of steam - as I've mentioned, I use the opposite approach (steady to start; speed up if I can). Yes, we're very happy with the Cheltenham Festival being on but without the crowds. Lady Bathurst tweeted about signing up to Paddy Power and putting bets on and how much she'd miss it. I tweeted in reply saying I'm not missing it at all and being glad there's no traffic disruption, moronic race-goers walking out in front of traffic and drunk ones using people's gardens as toilets. Racing does nothing for me as you can probably gather. I did go to greyhound racing once but that was a work social and we spent most time chatting, eating & drinking with betting on the dogs (50p a time!) a sideshow.
Aquarius - I've not just got photos of me running but video footage too. I lent my BIL my GoPro to film me at the Ridgeway Run a few years back. Not exactly athleticism on show - but as my BIL remarked to my sister as he filmed me running into the distance up a hill just after the 6ml point .. "He's doing okay actually"
HS - sorry to hear Sarah's plan backfired re the alternative trail. Well done re the recent 4ml and 8.4ml runs.
The daily stretching exercises continue. And I've now re-introduced the five strengthening exercises the physio gave me (shoulder bridge; chair squat; wall squat; clam advanced; step up/down) plus a front plank. I'll carry on trying to do them daily for the rest of this month at least.
With no running lately the weight has been creeping on so I've signed up to MyFitnessPal to log my food and am hoping that will help me identify and cut back on 'calorie-laden' things. One good thing is you can link Garmin Connect to MFP so the calories burnt during exercise (walking) is logged against the food intake.
It was lovely and warm when I walked earlier - so this afternoon I've been in the garden in shorts and a t-shirt, scarifying some more of the lawn and raking up lots more moss. Will probably finish doing that tomorrow and if I have time, give the lawns another cut. But we're hoping to get out on Cleeve Hill tomorrow for a walk so I'll fit it in as an when.
Good luck with the diet.
That spammer has had 4 flags now and is still there. I thought 4 got rid of them?
WtnMel, thanks! Well done for your enhanced stretching regime.
Good luck with your weight loss regime, it will probably take a lot of willpower. Raking the lawn is good exercise, and should burn off quite a few calories. Hope you got out for a walk today.
JB, how is the knee, are you still resting it?
A 10k run in the forest this morning, including 10 hill reps with 30 metre sprints at the top on level ground, and easy jogs back down. It was lovely and sunny, and the ground is drying out. The only down side was the icy cold wind.
JB - I won't be watching Grace. My partner Margaret watches lots of dramas but I pick and choose which ones I watch too. I have a friend who is a tv producer and he's explained they have people who travel around (well, normally they would!) looking for possible locations for upcoming films/programmes. I understand ITV brought forward Grace because they wanted to try and get the audience hooked so they won't watch the new Line Of Duty that starts this coming weekend - I think they're being a bit optimistic!
HS - I checked and that 'spammer' has posted on other threads .. seemingly genuine but I still think it's a spammer behind it. Re weight loss, I know I 'pick' at biscuits etc. and have a 'treat' every now and then. I just need a bit more willpower! Well done re the 10K run with added hill reps and sprints.
I was thinking of doing some gardening today but our lunchtime walk was a bit more strenuous than we expected so I'll leave it for another day.
Good news - my car passed it's MOT with just a couple of 'advisories'.
Mel, that's really interesting about Line of Duty. I know it's 'the nation's favourite' but I think it's hugely over-rated. Just too much dry police procedure delivered by characters who seem to have had a sense of humour removal. Having said that, I do have an aversion to programmes that are over-hyped. 'Strictly' and that Celebs in the jungle show are my two prime examples. I might even enjoy them if I gave them a chance!
So, no running for me today, but a half marathon. Actually, that's an HM on the rower. And not even a genuine one as I simply couldn't sit on the damn thing for any length of time, so I split it into 7 x 3kms. I'm trying to do them at 5 minute per km which should give me a 1.45 HM. As I write this I've done 6 of the 7 sessions and in the last one got to do the extra 98 metres to make the full HM distance. I'd never dream of running an HM in this way and have to say that rowing is easier than running, although I'm no good at it. It'll be interesting to see which bits of me ache in the morning...................
I'll probably watch Line of Duty as I've seen all the series so far, although I have to say (as with a lot of programmes which run into multiple series) the first couple were the best. I'll tell you what I'm watching at the moment, and you'll probably roll your eyes but I'm enjoying it, and that is All Creatures Great and Small (the original not the recent remake). There's no violence or bad language, the scenery is lovely and it feels very nostalgic. I'm also looking forward to the return of Gardeners World as I like to imagine I could grow all the lovely things that the professional gardeners do (some hope of that!)
HS/WtnMel - I flagged the spammer the day he posted, but I checked his profile first and would agree he could be genuine, but if that is the case it seems a very generic post "I was interested in the topic you are discussing" could be used for posting on any forum.
WtnMel: good news that your car has passed it's MOT. Was it your Cleeve Hill walk that proved so strenuous yesterday? We had a short walk (2 miles) yesterday but apart from a shortish steep hill it was relatively easy. I hope you are sufficiently recovered to get your gardening done today. Steve is just about to cut our lawns for the first time this year (cue rain).
I see one of your strengthening exercises is the wall squat. Is that the one where you keep your back up against the wall and slide down into a squat that you hold for a specified period of time? I hate that one and generally give it a miss, but I can see that it would indeed be good from a strength point of view.
HS: Ungainly gait or not, you certainly knock out the miles so it can't be doing you any harm.
I managed another 2 mile run yesterday, which felt (slightly) better than the last few.
I think the sniffles Steve and I have had lately could be the return of hay fever. It's normally March /April time when it begins.
This afternoon we are off to the coast for Dental and Optician appointments and will hopefully have time to call in at the Garden Centre on the way home to stock up with some plants.
Funnily enough not a single ache and pain following my (half) marathon row. Had I done the thing without long breaks I'm sure it would not be thus. I've always been prone to chronic stiffness - I remember when I was a kid that after the first game of cricket for the season I could hardly move next day. Which reminds me of an A level Geography field trip to Shropshire and Wales when after the first day of serious walking, I couldn't walk down the stairs in the morning. This later was actually good practice for being 66, as stairs are a bit of a problem these days too!
At the risk if incurring the wrath of HS I did a 4 miler today: 29.43.
JB, a half marathon on a rowing machine, that's amazing, and even more amazing that you have no post aches or pains!
A slap on the wrist for running a fast 4 miles 💀
Aquarius, I've always run like that, I think that I must have "odd legs!"
Good that you were able to run 2 miles feeling a bit better.
I hope that you both got on ok with your dental and optician appointments, and had time to pop into the garden centre. I've got my 6 monthly dental check up appointment on Monday.
Met up with Karen in the village yesterday afternoon for a take away costa coffee, and walk round the Marina. Only the essential shops were open, so not many people about.
Ran a recovery pace hilly road 10k this morning. Felt surprisingly fresh after yesterdays hill rep session.
I can only speak for myself but it's certainly not the latter! I'm 66 and still consider myself to be (relative to age) a competitive runner. This could be delusional, of course. Even so, I probably don't run 20 miles a week - perhaps an average of 3 runs and tending to stick to 5-10k distances. I'm a bit of a parkrun fanatic and was on the verge of clocking 200 before lockdown.
Just for information and if you are looking for someone to benchmark against, I'm currently clocking around 22.15 for 5K. But we are not, as a thread, competitive.
I think it's fair to say that we don't tend to stick to running as our sole focus. I'll let the others introduce themselves, but rest assured, no-one will want to exclude you on the basis of either your age or IQ!
In terms of Parkrun, we got a local one (which is one of the fastest around) but I like to do others and have done all the ones in East and West Sussex and some a bit further afield.
Cheers!
Like most of my many and various afflictions, I tend to just live with it, although there are drops and sprays.
Pleased to hear that you are running again.
Hope you will stick with us Mike, as we often get newcomers that post once, and are never heard from again. I'm the oldest on here at the grand old age of 75. I'm an endurance runner at heart, but since the covid lockdowns etc, have been concentrating more on constructive training and regular Saturday not a parkrun 5k's. Tomorrow will be my 52nd consecutive run. I'm probably running similar times to you for the 5k's and am aiming to get sub 26 minutes. I do most of my runs in the New Forest , which I much prefer to the roads. I'm currently averaging 30 miles per week, but will shortly be upping it, as my running buddy has got a place in the London Marathon, and I'm intending to do the New Forest Marathon in September, if it goes ahead. That would be my 15th, and last.
Aquarius, well done getting back into your running again. I don't suppose it will be long before you are back to your regular sessions which included hills and intervals. Take it easy with that hamstring though. It is quite possible that it might have been the yoga that stretched it too hard.
Lucky that you got to your dental and optician appointments on time, despite the holdups. Sorry to hear that you have been having problems with your eyes, so it was good that you contacted your GP, who put you in touch with the optician. At my last check up in January last year, my optician advised that I should wear my driving glasses, which are tinted, whilst running; even in the winter, as any sunlight speeds up the development of cataracts. I'm sorry to say that I haven't been wearing them☹
Today is a rest day, typical on a lovely warm sunny day, but as I mentioned above, tomorrow is another 5k in the forest.
The running shorts and 2 pairs of socks which I ordered from Sweatshop in their sale, arrived this morning. The shorts don't have any pockets, which will be awkward when I'm back to vest and shorts, as I'll have to carry keys etc by hand.