My Last Run

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  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Well run, Hazel and happy hols to Nessie.   Mr Consistent, JT.

    The switch from full-on teachy stuff to a spot of writing & some interviews has been quite marked for me this year.

    Knee is just about responding to self care and running on trail, grass or sand is woking quite well.  Of course, *not* Streaking would be an even better plan.... ;)
  • Swittle, I had a break from classroom teaching for a couple of years and branched into outdoor ed. Brilliant fun but didn't pay the bills, so back to the slog, with SATS etc. Not so brilliant!

    Did my first official Parkrun this morning and enjoyed it. Still finding my pace, but had negative splits and timed 25:23, finishing in the top half. Don't know quite how the leaders do it in 17/18, different planet!

    I run, therefore I am.
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Will, a colleague has gone to the Alps as a guide this summer but it's unlikely he'll be back teaching because of uncertainty over hours.  Canoes & cycles too.  A good lad: and in my PGCE group.

    I'll teach another 2 years if I can - thing is, I still get so much out of it.

    Well done on your parkrun!
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Nice park run Will. 

    Just popped in to say good luck to Cal for the 10 miler tomorrow if you still read this in time. 
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Same from me ^
  • Yep, hope it goes well Cal. Not too warm hopefully.
    In other news, my boy Aneurin smashed his Junior Parkrun PB by 53 seconds today!
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done to your boy, Will!
    Thanks for the good luck wishes, but I had a bit of a shocker. The humidity was very high and I struggled, so not only was I nowhere near my time goal but I was a full five minutes slower than last year. I really hope I can get my speed back by the Autumn.
  • Sorry the race didn't go to plan Cal. On to the next one now.

    I've gone and done back to backs since Friday, just to see how I coped really. Eight miles round the lake tonight. Very sweaty and a bit soft under foot, so legs and lungs felt it. 21 miles in 3 days. Shall sleep well tonight.

    Oh, saw a Kingfisher zoom past. Bonus.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    How lovely to see a Kingfisher, Will. Been a long time since I've seen one.
    5 miles recovery today. Legs a little heavy but otherwise not too bad (usual grumpy bits aside).
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Humidity's always going to play its part, Cal.

    Rest it up, Will - sound effort.  Good avian report too.

    9pm last night: 9.3 miles mostly beach & some trail in Crosby & Hightown.  An Iron Man as training partner.

    7am this morning: 4 moderately paced miles around the Coastal Park.  
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Lovely photo, swittle. My friend took me to that beach a couple of years ago.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    I had a good run today - two miles warm-up, five tempo (MP, but I got quicker during the five and did the last one a bit too fast) and one cool-down. Doing my recovery run the day after racing (as opposed to having a rest day and then doing a recovery two days after the race) seems to actually work for me.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    I've entered the club mile relays in Battersea Park next week, despite a) being slow, b) being off my game and c) never having run a mile. (Well, I've run a lot of miles, just not individually. You know what I mean).
    So I decided to see what running a mile was like. Did two miles to warm up, then had a quick breather and did a few drills. Then my mile, around the parkrun triangle. Clocked 8:23 (I was breathing very audibly, probably frightened a few people) which isn't amazing but it was warm and humid, despite last night's storms, so I'm sure I can do better on Monday. It'll be interesting anyway, even if, as I suspect, I'll be the slowest person there.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    To keep Cal company.. :) Bad luck on your 10 miler.  Humidity is a right pace killer.  The mile relay sounds interesting.

    Lovely photo swittle - I do envy you for your beach.  The Iron Men would raise their eyebrows if I came to visit as the first thing I would have to do is rush into the water with a big screech.  Haven't been to a beach for a couple of years again.

    Will: good kingfisher spotting and Parkrunning by your junior and running by yourself.  I will try to remember to take my camera with me on my next trip down the village to get you a pic of the storks. 

    Did a couple of 5km trots and my standard Tuesday evening outing in the last few days.  Warm here again too but there was a decent and unusually refreshing wind yesterday evening.  Lots of harvesting activity going on all around.  One of the hills felt a bit like the TdF, I was out in front initially but was mowed down by the field half way up.    
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    Back to first principles. Deliberate very slow run for the miles and time on my feet. Started out cloudy but cleared and the sun came out. Just shy of 21miles in 3hrs9. Had my camelbak. Took it very slow in the middle bit, so much so that despite the heat I had to squirrel myself away for a surreptitious pee. Sped up a bit toward the end. First 20miler in quite some time and felt okay.
  • A 4 miler at a decent pace last night. Survived two performances of Midsummer's Night Dream by my class and now have 6 weeks off to run and relax. Teaching is not all bad :)
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done Will - don't do what I did in 2014 which was to tear my calf in the first week of the summer holidays.
    Good job on the 21 miler, JT. I need to start building my mileage back up now although I don't have an Autumn marathon planned. I just figure that my fastest HMs came when I was doing more LSRs and higher mileage, so perhaps that is what I need more than speedwork.

    Cranked out 11 miles today, with a negative split. The intended easy pace turned in to MP towards the end. This will be my long run for the week as I've got to run a fast mile on Monday so I'll need to be a little fresh for that. Enjoyed today's run, anyway. Sat in a nice Epsom Salt bath afterwards with my (recently arrived) copy of P&D and a protein shake. Aaah.
  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Enjoy your vacation Will.

    Nice 21 miles JT. 

    Can you let us know if it is a good read Cal, I have been thinking about getting it as well.  Haven't (yet) checked if a bookshop here has it to have a look between the covers before I purchase.

    17.75 km in 1:40 yesterday.  Intended to go out in the evening but had to flee mid-morning from a workman noisly cleaning our house prior to painting it .  Was expecting not to enjoy the run as it was warm and sunny and I had planned a route without much shade but a brisk breeze, several convenient water troughs and an occasional fluffy cloud covering the sun kept it just about comfortable.  The local farmers have been busy the last few days - hardly any corn left standing now. 
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    It goes into some detail about the different types of training runs (lactate, long runs, recovery etc) and why and when you should do them, so it's interesting even if you don't plan to use the plans themselves. I'm not really a good enough runner to use the plans as written but was considering using them as a basis for my own training. If I'm to get any quicker, I need to do something a bit different to muddling through as I'm doing now.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Sore from yesterday (and also slept poorly) so took it comparatively easy at parkrun for a 28:06 finish. Have to leave some gas in the tank for Monday.
  • Impressive mileage JT, Cal and HazlenutCH! I too need to step up my long runs and am planning a couple of 10 milers this week. I should really try a proper training plan, but seem to like the make it up on the hoof style.
    I did a relaxed 5K yesterday to loosen up for today's park run with my brother in law. I came in a couple of minutes after him but nicked a PB by 3 seconds at 25:20. Pleased with that and with out-sprinting the 10 year old at the finish! 
    Good luck with your mile Cal.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    Good Park Runs all. Still never done one. Too early in the morning.
    Sunny humid afternoon 9miles in under 1hr9. Hard work. I do need to vary things. Probably should go back to hill sprints, bloody awful though they are. Probably should also lose a few pounds. Boo. Thing is when running is difficult you don't relax and take in what's around and about. Stuff probably happened but didn't notice. Maybe there were bunnies.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Ha, I find them too late, JT. I'd rather they were 8 (or earlier, but I don't think there would be too many takers if they were at 7).

    4 miles recovery today. Legs felt pretty tired. I've done 35 miles this week (highest total since March) and with only one day off (where I did yoga anyway).
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Glad the photo appeals.  Hazel, the sea's much cleaner than it was 30 years ago but bathing's discouraged!  
    Encouraging 20+, JT - and will, you're right about the gems in the bedrock of teaching.
    Cal, your post-11 miler recovery sounds spot on!  Speed work beckons, although it's rarely pleasant.

    Besides taking pictures, I'm making for the prom or beach most days and covering 30 slow-to-steady miles a week.  Left knee hates the pavement & road, so grassy trail & firm sand does me fine.


  • HazelnutCHHazelnutCH ✭✭✭
    Thanks for the P&D review Cal.  I will have a browse if I can find it in the bookshop.  Have a good mile this evening.

    Nice Parkrun PB Will

    JT: try looking around you deliberately when you are struggling with the running.  Not always easy to do, I am better at doing this in races but then there are often more distractions.

    Take care of your knee swittle.  

    Modest mountain hike on Saturday and 10.3 km for me yesterday running to the local high spot. Met OH at the top of the hill and got a lift back down to avoid annoying my slightly sore quads (from steep down hilling on Saturday's walk) by pounding back down the hill.   
    2 more runs and then the 47km mountain marathon on Saturday.  The weather forecast looks good at the moment.  Dry, partly sunny and not too hot and no thunderstorms.

    Here is a photo of the storks for Will.  I ran past them on the way out and took the photo on the way back so I hope it still counts as a running photo. 

    There are several houses with nests on them like these. 
  • swittleswittle ✭✭✭
    Time to wind it down before your race, Hazel.  And I adore the storks on watch on the roof ridge.   :D
    Anything seen while running should count as a running photo!


  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Nice photo, Hazelnut!
    I enjoyed the relays. A very different kind of run to my usual, and it was fun. No prizes or even chip timing but I managed to go sub-8 for my mile which I'm pleased with, given the fact I've not done a mile before and have a dodgy hamstring. I didn't feel the hammy during the race either, but I'm definitely feeling my lungs!
  • Great pic of the Storks, Hazlenut! Amazing nest builders. I reckon I could fit in there for a mid-run snooze :)
    Well done on your mile, Cal. Great time. I'm sure the lungs do hurt. I'm still finding the pace of a Park Run a bit of a burner.

    I really enjoyed a steady/slow 10 miles tonight. Am trying to fit in a few good long runs before I head off on hols. There was a constant and very welcome drizzle tonight and a cool breeze, which was perfect. I did 4 miles on the road, then 4 on the soft and slippery trail around the lake. Most of the birds were hidden away, but a Song Thrush made an excellent mile marker, mimicking at least a dozen other birds from the same bush the whole time. The last 2 miles on the road back home are usually a bit tough, but I felt strong all the way through tonight's run and was happy to get back in 1:43 hr. NIce when it all comes together.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Nice running, Will. It was cooler for me today too, but no drizzle.
    I logged 12 miles today, with 9 at MP or a bit faster, and ran a negative split of just over a minute. Took me 2 hrs 59 seconds, with an average pace of 10:05.
    No interesting wildlife today but I will say it's much easier to cross the roads now the kids are out and there are fewer cars about while I'm running.
  • JT141JT141 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2017
    I think I've seen a stork fly over when out running, which is quite something. Not today though. Saw plenty of bunnies and a squashed weasel (not a euphemism, although I did also see a male runner in just compression shorts). Evening run so not so warm. 13.5miles in under 1hr49. Kept passing the same two cyclists over a few miles. One had a pink tee and his arse popping out. Should really have been a 14miler but half mile from home was knackered and there was a bench. Very similar run a couple of weeks ago when at 8min/mile pace body/mind had enough at 13miles. Stamina and perseverance really is lacking this summer. Still in the cooler weather yesterday did 9miles in 1h6:30, albeit very uneven splits. Would like to be in that zen consistent running pattern that makes me content. Am not. Am all over the shop. I wish it would snow.
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