Love run run! Run report 26/10/15

Last night I went out for a run with some of the Dynamo girls and we ran just shy of 9kms and I flipping loved every step!  Hooray!  Such a relief after the tough long run last Friday.

The course makes a big difference - we ran a different route that I haven't run before, so it was interesting to see different things and have the element of surprise, plus the course was pretty flat, a couple of very slight barely noticeable inclines and some great downhills.  Compared to the very hilly route I ran last Friday it felt so much easier running on the flat.

The people make a huge difference - we ran and chatted, talked about other runs, other races, our families, what we were doing for half term, about the film 2 of us saw last week, about the restaurants and bars we were running past, etc etc.  It made the time go quickly.

And the pace makes a difference - yes! It's all about the pace!  We didn't race, we were running at a pace where we could chat so it felt manageable and not too hard work.  Just had a nice little race/sprint for the last 200 metres.  Also great fun!

In the end when I reviewed my stats we hadn't actually run too slowly, averaged 7 minutes per kilometre, which is a good 10km pace for me and shows me that my fitness and pace is improving, I've just been unlucky to run my races this year on some really really tough hilly all terrain courses, which slowed me down.

My glute muscles did feel very tight by the end and again this morning, but no pain, so feeling positive that the old hip niggles are calming down too.

Love love love running today.

Hooray. back on track.  3 weeks 5 days! Waaaaaaaaaaaa

Monday night rainy run with the Dynamo ladies

I wasn't going to run last night since I ran on Sunday and having seen the physio in the morning.  But then my husband came home from work early and I thought, if I don't take this opportunity and run tonight, I'm going to struggle to get 2 or 3 runs in this week.   So I went out to join the Dynamos at 8.

It was raining as well, so I nearly changed my mind.  The old me would have stayed on the sofa and watched TV ... I have  no idea what happened to change me... but I went anyway.

It was strangely warm in spite of the rain and it being October.  Once we got running the light rain was actually nice and cooled us down.  There was just three of us in the main run group (and loads in the beginners course!  Very impressed with those ladies - if I was a beginner I'm not sure i would have made the effort in the rain and dark.

So we set off on an easy 5k! Yeah right, its never easy.  The pace felt fast but manageable and we went a slightly different route to usual to mix it up.  Finished off at 5.8kms in 39mins.  So not that fast, but not slow either...

HOWEVER.  The hip was not happy again.  It started to niggle from 2kms.  Maybe because I'd had the physio prod, plus I had managed to do some of my exercises yesterday too ... even with a 4 year old trying to hang off me and climb under me as I held a one leg bridge!  Once we finished running it was sore for a little as I walked it off, but thankfully it is fine this morning.

A day of sitting in an all day meeting today so I will have to squeeze my exercises in this evening.

Have a good day of running all
Lisa x

Time for a new challenge

This week I have signed up for my first ever half marathon. YIKES!  I said I would never do that.... my sneaky friend Michelle, who is a run leader with the Dynamos and has recently qualified as a Running Coach and set up the Chelmer Roadrunners group, made me do it.

I have been toying with the idea for a while but never dared say it out load. And I really didn't think it was something I could or wanted to do.  Michelle started training for a half marathon in the summer (she's run other half marathons and even the London Marathon before, but has been struggling with injury and getting her fitness back.   I offered to join her on the longer runs, just to test what my body could do.  I didn't want to sign up to a race and put that pressure on myself... but was curious.

So over the summer we started doing longer runs on a Sunday morning.  7 miles, 8, 9, 10 and even made it to 11 two weeks ago, although I really struggled with 11 and I'm not sure I ran very much of the last half mile!

I started to think that maybe it's possible, with a bit more training, to get up to that magical 13.1 miles of a half marathon.

While we were on a high from our Women's Running 10km race last Sunday we talked each other into it and booked ourselves onto the Norwich City Half Marathon on 22nd November.  EEEeeeeeeeek.  What have I done?!?!

I can't believe that this time 3 years ago I was massively overweight and hadn't run since school, and now I'm happily paying out money and giving up my weekend to run 13.1 miles or 21kms.  Freaking out a bit now actually.

So this week I am resting a little as I've had a sore right hip since running the hilly 10k on Sunday. It's now Friday and I haven't run since Sunday which has been tough ... I'm itching to get my trainers on. I may try and go out for a gentle couple of miles this afternoon or evening to see how my hip feels.

On Sunday my running buddy and I are going to run 4 or 5 miles to test our legs again after the 10k, and because she has her first half marathon next weekend she can't do too much this week.

Then after that, we will be back onto those runs again later in the month, and I look forward to posting my training diaries.

So here I go... wish me luck. Half marathon here I come.

Lisa x

Finding my way again

A few months after we moved to a new town and I had let my running drift a bit and dribble on without purpose or real effort, I found a running group, the Dynamos.  I decided to give them a go because they seemed relaxed and friendly, not a very serious running club. There is another running club nearby that includes all those guys who run parkrun in 15 minutes... soooooo intimidating and not for me.  So I found it very reassuring to find that not all running 'clubs' are super competitive and full of fast marathon runners.  There are lots like that, and they are great for some people.  I even have friends now who run with said super speedy professional running club, and they are lovely too... but it's just not for me.  I can't be and will never be that serious and don't want to be intimidated.

I want to run with other people like me...!

Dynamos are run by women, mostly other mothers who are passionate about running, health and fitness but also balancing that with the school run, feeding hungry kids, having a social life (oh yes, we also have the occasional tipple together!), fitting running around work and into a busy family life and so on.  Perfect. Some of them are really good, experienced and/or fast.  Some have run marathons and others are complete beginners and everything in between.

They are also incredibly friendly and welcoming.  The first time I went to the Dynamo Monday night session I was absolutely terrified.  I was so convinced I would turn up and find loads of super fitties who could knock out 10 miles in their lunch break and I'd never fit in.  I sent a message to the organisers and got a text message immediately encouraging me to join them and making me feel welcome before I even arrived.

My first run was tough I won't lie - I had to push myself, which I would never do when running alone.  I joined a 5km run with no stopping and slightly faster than I was used to, but I kept up, and did it and couldn't quite believe it!  I discovered that running with people has so many benefits including:

- We chat on the way around so the miles go faster
- You can't just stop and walk if you're struggling as you feel you don't want to let the others down, so I always run further/faster etc when running with others.
- You always turn up and run, as others are expecting you, so you can't just chicken out and sit on the sofa.
- Making friends! Learning about what's going on in my community... (discussing the best primary school to apply to! hee hee).

But best of all, by joining a group I became a better runner.  As well as sometimes just leading simple 5-8km runs where everyone runs at their own pace, the run leaders will other times lead us in different training sessions - I started to take part in (still relaxed, informal) training sessions doing hills, intervals, running further, running faster, adding strength and core exercises to build my muscles. I didn't expect to enjoy that or be able to do those sort of things. But I did, and I did! I also learned more about running from talking to others more experienced than me.

And I never ever felt like I couldn't run and didn't fit in.  I started to feel like a runner. I became a runner.  There were (are!) people at every level in the group, from beginner to marathon runner, slower and faster.  But we all encourage each other and thrive off seeing each other's achievements.

I still run with Dynamos now most Monday nights at 8pm (if Hubby gets home in time or I have a babysitter), and I also run with another similar and lovely group, Chelmer Roadrunners.

Chelmer Roadrunners are an offshoot of the Dynamos, but they run on week day (Tues and Thur) mornings, so the runners are all women who come to run after dropping the children at school.  Both groups regularly run beginner training courses to help those who have never run before or want to get back into running.

When I first started going out with the Roadrunners I would take my son in a running buggy.  Now he's at school thankfully I get to run on my own which is a lot easier! Some of my running friends know me as the buggy lady though! There was another lady last year who used to run with a double buggy and three year old twins! Awesome woman.

Both of these groups, and the inspiring ladies that lead the runs have given me so much and helped me to really love running, by helping me to get better at it.    When I ran my first 5kms at the end of following a c25k app alone, it took me 37 minutes, and now my personal best (pb) is under 32 minutes.  Thanks to these groups I have now run some 10km races too.  I struggled through my first with lots of walk breaks, but this year alone (2015) I have run 7 10km races so far, road race and cross country, and seen that distance get easier and more comfortable.

So... now the big question is... what next for me?

What's next for you?

Lisa x