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I think that I am able to maintain a respectable weekly mileage because I've always religiously warmed up before exercise, and stretched afterwards. This has kept me virtually injury free, until my menisci tears in June 2017.
I dead heated with Sarah H, but I had to run flat out.
My hairdresser is also a runner and she runs for another running club.
Well done for persisting with the hill rep sessions, and hope you are able to get out tomorrow for your speed session. I hope physio and yoga can help you with your problem hamstrings in your left leg.
I will run tomorrow, but it will only be a shortish road run, as I have a dental appointment at 12 noon. After that I will be going to the nearby industrial estate to pickup a bottle of fountain pen ink which the stationer has ordered for me. Writing ink isn't an off the shelf item these days. The reason I ordered it is because my hand writing has become poor, owing to very seldom having to put pen to paper. I have a Parker fountain pen, and will bring it back into use again, after a long retirement😃
HS: you may have dead heated with Sarah H, but taking age grading into account I rather think you were the winner! Younger runners such as Sarah H are very lucky to have the opportunity to run with you, your mileage, speed and consistency must be very inspirational to them.
Damien: good news that your ankle is better. Good luck for your 10k run on Saturday
Damien, good to hear that you had no problems with your recent run. Hope your 10k on Saturday evening goes well.
Aquarius, I like age grading as it tends to equalise us with younger, faster runners, making us still competitive.
My first experiences with pen and ink were in my Primary School. We had double desks with seats that were just like a plank of wood. Not very comfortable. There were ink pots which were filled by an ink monitor. It was a privilege to be the ink monitor. The pens were dip in, and the nibs were often crossed where we dropped them on the floor to make them stick in. I remember ball point pens becoming popular when I started senior school, but we were forbidden to use them "as it would ruin our writing!" We had to use fountain pens, but were allowed to use cartridge pens which came with different coloured ink. The teachers didn't like the colours, especially purple and green, and insisted on blue.
I purchased my bottle of Parker Quink ink after my dental appointment and was shocked that it cost £4.99, although that wasn't bad considering that my existing bottle cost £2.60 many years ago.
Steve will need to get back into his running fitness gradually, and not to be too eager to "get up to speed."
It's nice and bright today, but has been very cold. I just did a 4 mile jog in the morning, because of my dental appointment.
Well done for doing more speed work this morning and I hope you enjoyed your walk at the reservoir. I'm doing "Sarah F's 5k run" again with her tomorrow morning, and I have a feeling that she will be determined to finish ahead of me.
Molly - I know where I was going wrong with my golf when hitting balls on the fairway. And I have one of those indoor putter things to practise with (like businessmen used to have in films) so I should get it out and use it!
It’s good that you know where you were going wrong with your golf strokes, at least you’ll know what to do to improve for the next time.(I was wondering whether a touch of super glue surreptitiously applied to Alan’s clubs might also bring about an improvement in your game? Just a thought…)
WtnMel, glad to hear that there were no old people hogging your table this time. I'm not surprised though that the chap sitting at the end of the table moved away, as I've often thought that it must be very boring for non runners to listen to our chatter.
Good to hear that your club run went well and that your U3A session was fascinating.
Well done for making a start on pruning the laurel.
You will find that the ink in the bottles will still be perfectly ok to use. I'm using my old bottle, which I hadn't opened for many years.
Aquarius, we pushed ourselves really hard this morning on Sarah's 5k route, but were very disappointed to be nearly 2 minutes slower that the last time we ran it a month ago.
My memories of physics at school are mainly of Bunsen burners and petri dishes.
Very upsetting to see the pathetic carcasses in the reservoir. It would be nice if you could post a picture of the white feathers.
Glad that you enjoyed todays parkrun which was similar to your usual time, despite your recent speed session and 5 mile walk.
I think the world is going mad with this corona virus. The local supermarkets have all run out of toilet paper already. What's wrong with old newspapers that were good enough in years gone by. I think the Government is responsible for panic buying by advising not to panic buy.
HS: it’s strange isn’t it how sometimes you feel you’ve run really well only to find it wasn’t as fast as you thought it was. Some of my parkruns are like that.
We’ve still got plenty of toilet rolls in our local supermarket, but no pasta 😄.
The memory that sticks in my mind of chemistry lessons is the day a classmate and I were using a Bunsen burner. She accidentally leant over the flame and her hair frizzled up, I can still remember the smell. I remember shouting out to the teacher - “please sir, Roselyn’s hair is on fire!” To which he just replied “we never, ever, shout in the chemistry lab” That put me in my place!
I'm sorry that I missed a few days. I had a deadline and I've been rushing to meet it.
HS, Thank you so much for the wings! I am sure that they helped (more below).
If I understand it correctly, the Garmin is supposed to be testing the air temperature with a sensor that is located near the heart rate sensor. Because it is next to the skin, its reading tends to get raised by the heat coming off of our skin when our body temperature gets raised. It's not the best arrangement, but to be fair I can't think where else on the watch the sensor could go. I'm still mulling over getting the Tempe accessory, which attaches like the RdPod and overrides the information from the air sensor on the watch.
Regarding the fountain ink. I really love handwritten letters/notes. It is very sad to me that hand writing is somehow becoming obsolete. I very much applaud your bringing back your fountain pen!
We have our first case of coronavirus in our little town, and all of the stores seem to be empty of supplies. We had to drive a ways to get basic supplies.
The Sarahs seem to be giving you some good running competition! I would have loved to see the dead heat with Sarah H.. In my mind, it was pretty exciting
Aquarius, Thank you for the good wishes for the HM (more below).
Yes, the inserts seem to be working well, but I do plan on taking your advice and visiting a podiatrist to get measured for proper orthopedics sometime in the future. The RdPod has a very tight clip that holds it very tightly to the back of my running pants. I don't think that it would come off.
I'm glad that Steve is being cautious about edging back into exercise after the ablation. I suspect that Brian started too hard, too soon, and that that was partly responsible for the continued issues that resulted in the second procedure. It has finally been determined that the complication with Brian's ankles was due to his kidneys not being able to process one of the medications. It was really pretty scary that it took so long to figure out. But, he's been off of the medication for a week, and things are improving. However, he needs to have some lab work to make sure that his kidneys have recovered.
I think that the thyroid medication is helping a great deal. I feel some of my old energy coming back, and some of the mental fog that I was struggling with has lifted. I am very happy about the improvement.
How is your hamstring doing? You've had some intense training days. Good for you! You'll be flying up and over any hill they throw at you in no time.
WtnMel, I definitely think that you should start practicing with your putter thingy! The golf game competition between you and Alan is getting quite interesting. I feel like I'm rooting for the home team, and would love to see a win
The U3A talk on fuel cells sounds fascinating. I am glad that you had a good club run. Did you go for a Rambler's walk this weekend?
I should warn you that I am terribly jealous that you have plants that warrant clipping in your yard. At this point, we don't even have early growth plants showing up.
Damien Nagle, I am so glad that your ankle healed up right and tight! I can completely sympathize with you about the winds coming off of the water. They can be a complete nightmare. Good job on your 10K!
I finished my half marathon this morning. And, while things didn't go completely according to plan, it all worked out in the end. We had sun and temperatures that weren't frostbite inducing, so that was good. The problem was the wind. It was insane. We literally had 40 mph gusts and incredibly strong head winds throughout the entire race. When we were lining up in the corral for the start, the road signs for the race were being blown all over the place. On the way out, we ran into the wind. By the time we were coming back, the wind had shifted and we were still running into it. I don't think the wind was at my back once during the race, mores the pity. The result was that there were no records set today by anyone. The fastest time was 1:15, which was about 10 minutes off of the winner's normal time. He usually qualifies for the olympic trials.
By the time I hit the last three miles it was pretty clear to me that I wasn't going to negative split, I was just trying to hold on. I ended up with a finishing time of 2:39, with a 12:09 average pace. I am finding that it is a bit of a challenge to accept my finishing numbers gracefully. Especially when I see people that I used to finish with, finishing quite a bit ahead of me. However, this is where I am now, and there's no point in trying to deny it. All in all, my tendon held up, I managed to run straight through, and I don't feel wrecked (just really tired). So, I am calling it a small victory and moving on toward the fall marathon.
Waving to my husband at 5 miles:
Through the finish line:
Due to the wind, we headed straight home. So my medal shot was in the kitchen:
Damien, well done in your 10k. That was a good time in very windy conditions.
Aquarius, yes it is very strange when we have days that we think "we are flying," and the results are disappointing, and others when we are feeling off colour and yet run better than expected.
Your chemistry teacher sounded like a typical boffin, very eccentric and a mad professor.
Good luck with your 5k race tomorrow, and I hope your hamstrings will be ok so that you can do Saturdays cross country race.
Molly, I'm glad that you found the wings a help and that you felt the encouraging vibes from us lot over the water.
That run with Sarah H was good, and I was impressed at the way she managed to sprint at the end of a 10 mile run.
Good that the inserts seem to be doing the trick, and the thyroid treatment is working.
Well done in your half marathon which seems to have gone very well, especially in such windy conditions. On the plus side, racing in those adverse conditions will stand you in good stead for your marathon. It will have enhanced your stamina and endurance. Thank you for the lovely pictures
Hope you are taking it easy for a few days now, and then all the best for your build up to your marathon.
After Saturdays burn up 5k with Sarah F, which incidentally also finished in a dead heat sprint finish, I ran a solo 5.5 miles yesterday pushing myself all the way. Not what I would advise anyone else to do, but I'm afraid that I don't always practice what I preach.
Today was the Monday Groups morning run and I ran 10.1 miles with the two Sarah's and Jane. Danii didn't run because she ran the Malta Marathon a week ago. At about 6 miles, Sarah H and I decided to challenge each other to a sprint. It was about 200 metres on a flat gravel surface, and we hit a top speed of 6.38 minute miling. That was running flat out, and made me think back to when I could race 10 miles in under the hour.
Damien Nagle, Thanks
Aquarius, Thanks! I was really happy to see my husband at mile 5
How did the 5k go? Are your hamstrings yelling or purring? It is hard to figure out how to manage a chronic injury. Trying to get the right balance between pushing and babying is tough.
HS, I am definitely getting the idea that it will shortly be time to send the wings back to you. I'll try to make sure that they are in fighting shape
You've had three hard days of running in a row. How's the knee feeling? At this point, it seems like you've pretty much recovered from your injury and are well on your way to recovering your pace.
I'm taking a couple of days to rest. I walked the dogs a couple of miles today to loosen up. And, I'll probably get back on the bike on Wednesday, before easing back into a running schedule. The next four weeks are going to be about resting and strengthening, with moderate running. I am signed up to run a 5k on April 11, and the official marathon training will start the week after. I am going to loosely follow Hal Higdon's 3 day a week with crosstraining training plan. It goes for 24 weeks and will line up well for the Maine Marathon. I've used his plans before as guidelines and they work really well to give me structure and keep me on track.
Molly, the New Forest 10 mile multi terrain is on the 5th July. I'm also contemplating running 10k in the Race for Men again. This is on the 14th June and is held in aid of Prostate Cancer Research. Until this year, its only been open to male runners, but this year is open to ladies as well. It's multi terrain, but rather unique. After a down hill start on grass, the first 5k is all on road, and then there is a right hand turn and the final 5k is all off road, finishing down a very steep, narrow grassy path.
I've actually run 4 successive days, the first easy, and the last 3 hard. My knee seems to have held up ok, but I have decided to take a rest day today, instead of attending the spin class. I'm not getting any younger😒
A good idea you taking a couple of days rest, but walking the dogs instead. You seem to have a good training plan leading up to your marathon. Your 5k, which I presume you will run hard, will give you a good indication of your fitness, and what sort of marathon time to aim for.
HS, Both of your planned races sound quite challenging and fun. The last one especially sounds as if glasses might be useful.
I am pretty sure that most runners, no matter what their age is, would benefit from a rest day after your four days of running. I'm glad that you knee feels good, and I am equally glad that you are taking a day off.
Yes, I am planning on using the 5k to get a little more information for setting my marathon time goal, and I will set my training pace times according to that final goal.
Damien Nagle, I completely agree that HS's pace of 10 miles under an hour is awesome!
I am planning on sitting on the bike for about 30 minutes today. My legs are still a little tired. But, overall, I am recovering nicely.
All heck is breaking loose on this side of the pond with the spreading of the coronavirus, and our governments complete ineptitude in dealing with the situation. My son's school is switching to online classes for the rest of the year, and we expect his partner's school to follow suit. They are considering moving back up her for the rest of the year, where the virus isn't quite as wide spread.
I hope that your side of the pond is managing better, and everyone is healthy.
Damien, Thanks, I was 43 when I went under the hour. It was the Fareham 10 miles.
Molly, I still haven't tried running wearing my long distance glasses.
Definitely a good plan to use your 5k as a guide to setting your marathon goal.
I hope the 30 minutes on the bike yesterday helped to ease your tired legs?
I'm glad to hear that you are recovering nicely from your half marathon.
The coronavirus is steadily taking a grip over here, and some football matches are likely to take place without any spectators. I'm waiting a few more days before entering any more races, in case they are likely to be cancelled. It's unlikely that entry fees would be refunded in the event of cancellation. or that entries could be transferred to another date at no cost.
Aquarius, I think that all physics and chemistry teachers are tarred with the same brush.🤓
Sara H and I were very pleased with that sprint time on Monday.
That 5k time was very impressive, especially in such windy conditions. I think that handicap races are excellent for improving race pace as they are so competitive. Good to hear that your hamstrings were ok.
Fingers crossed that your cross country race on Saturday won't be cancelled. If you ask nicely, Molly will send the wings over to you. They seemed to do the trick for her.😄
It's been really warm and sunny today and I ran without wearing my cap! I did a 5 mile fartlek recce run this morning, as I'm doing a fartlek run with Sarah F tomorrow. She wants a fast pace as she is racing a 10k in 2 weeks time. I shouldn't have put so much effort into the fast segments as I might suffer for it tomorrow.
I was going through a lot of old paperwork yesterday and came across my "Typequick Keyboard Finger Positions" chart. I learnt touch typing when I was a teenager at night school, and obtained a couple of certificates. I learnt on the old upright typewriters at first, and then to the upgrades before electric typewriters. It seems quite primitive now, but I remember a keyboard chart being on the wall, and we had to type looking at that, and not the keys. It was quite amusing when we typed to music and hearing the "ping", when we pushed the carriage return lever. I'm pleased to say that I am still using the correct fingers on the keyboard.😏
WtnMel, sounds like you and Margaret had a good time at the health farm.
Lucky that there weren't any hen parties, or you might have been "attacked" in the jacuzzi. Steer clear of drunken race goers, or they might join you in your run🤣
Did you manage to cut your lawn today?
Good that your club mates looped back for you during last night run.
I ran 5.7 miles fartlek with Sarah F this morning, on the route that I had recce'd yesterday. It was a really good session and we both finished knowing that we had put 100% effort into all the speed segments. We will both be having a rest day tomorrow, and on Saturday will do "Sarah's 5k challenge" again. We finished minutes before it started to hail, so were pleased about that.
The toilet paper fiasco continues, and despite shops limiting purchases to 5 per customer, the shelves are still empty. The virus doesn't cause diarrhoea, so how many toilet rolls do they think they will get through if they have to solo isolate for a fortnight? Ignorance and selfishness I call it.👿
Aquarius, Congratulations on your 5k pace
I am glad to hear that your hamstrings are holding up nicely. You're obviously doing a good job managing the condition.
I've got the wings well rested and recovered from their US event. I'm now officially sending them back to your side of the pond to help you fly through Saturday's XC. I do hope it's not cancelled. Just about everything here is cancelled.
HS, I can't wait to run without head gear and gloves! A sure sign that spring is on it's way
Good job on missing today's hail!
Oh Jeesh, two fartlek sessions back to back. Most mortals need at least an easier day after a hard fartlek session. Your recovery abilities are obviously superhuman, since you were able to really push today's run with Sarah F. I wish you both luck on Sarah's 5k challenge on Saturday. Perhaps if Aquarius's race is cancelled she can send the wings on to you
We're having similar issues here around purchasing basic supplies. However, there hasn't been any purchase limits put in place. Nobody knows what to do, so they're doing what they can-buying anything and everything they think that they might need.
WtnMel, Your vacay sounds wonderful
I hope you manage to run tomorrow without interference from the festival goers. Excellent job on today's 5 miler. It sounds like your club is a nice group.
I am so jealous that you have a lawn that needs cutting. I went out and stood in the back yard today desperately looking for anything beside the fur trees that was showing signs of green, or life in general. We still have a few more weeks to go. Though I did take a stab at starting to set up the back porch
I jumped on the treadmill today for a couple of miles, and my legs felt pretty good. I'm planning on cross training on Saturday and running 6 miles on Sunday. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how my body recovered from the HM effort. I think the thyroid medicine is really helping, even my hair texture is noticeably changing. It had become very dry and stiff.
At this point, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that the US is in crisis. Everything is shutting down at a very rapid pace. Even Park Run US sent out an email this afternoon saying that all events were shut down through March. However, this is a time that I am very glad to be a solitary runner. I figure that running outside is about as safe as I can get
I hope that everyone stays well and runs super fast races this weekend!
Thanks, I think Sarah and I have earned todays rest day. It's bright and sunny which is typical for a rest day. It's still cold though, mainly because of the wind.
Good news that your legs felt good after your 2 miles on the treadmill. You seem to have recovered very quickly from your half marathon, and good that the thyroid medicine is helping.
I'm surprised that all parkruns have been cancelled in the US during March. This hasn't happened yet in the UK. The only ones that have been cancelled, have been due to the waterlogged conditions and strong winds, which have been felling trees. I see that the Boston Marathon has been postponed until the Fall.
I think that it will be some time before we start running in the forest again. Someone on facebook posted 19 photos this morning taken in one of the inclosures where we usually run. They showed flooded fields everywhere, almost like small ponds in places.
Aquarius - money is why the Cheltenham Festival went ahead. Too many vested interests not wanting to miss the opportunity to make some money. If we hear lots of race-goers are affected in the coming weeks I for one won't be surprised.
Stay safe everyone - will catch up with you all in a week or so.
HS, It's too bad that your hat and gloves didn't get to stay in the closet. Soon!
How did Sarah's 5k go? Any 6 min splits? Or was it cancelled.
It's pretty amazing that they postponed the Boston Marathon. I don't believe that that it has ever been postponed before. I saw that the London Marathon was postponed, as well. I really feel for the people that have been training for them, though I do understand the necessity.
Does your forest usually flood in the spring, or is the flooding due to the heavy storms/Daniel?
Aquarius, did race go off today?
WtnMel, How was the golf game?
Damien Nagle, did you break your record again? Or are your runs cancelled, as well?
We're still having heavy winds here, as well. I've decided that trying to run an easy recovery run in a strong wind is pretty much the runner's definition of insanity. I walked the heavy gusts, and cut the run from the intended 6 miles to a little over 5 miles. My legs are still a little tired from last weekend, but I am hopeful that they will be to normal by the time I run again on Tuesday. Tomorrow I'm sitting on the bike.
I hope everyone is well, and has abundant stores of toilet paper to tide them through
Aquarius, I'm sorry about your XC race. But, I agree that you are making a sensible choice. My fingers are crossed that all of us on both sides of the pond will give the virus it a miss, even if it means barring our doors and running up and down stairs for training.
I completely sympathize with your concern around Steve's ablation procedure. Brian is now working remotely from home and that is easing my mind some.
WtnMel, We'll 'see' you in a week
When you come back, you'll have to explain the 'walking holiday'. Is this the same idea as big walk about that you've been training for? And, is it a group thing, or are just you and Margaret walking? So many questions! It's quite a foreign concept to me. Though, I suppose it could be the more urban/suburban equivalent to multi-day hiking/camping.