Well it's been a long time and I've still been pootling along with my running, mostly short 5-6km runs with various groups and a couple of 10km trail races (one which was hilariously muddy and slippy and more like a walk/slide than a run!). Nothing challenging, but keeping going.
And now I'm back on the half marathon trail.
As well as the Royal Parks Half in October which I got in to (happily) via the ballot earlier this year, I'm now signed up for the Isle of Man Half in August (to coincide with a visit to family).
So far so good. It's early days. I've done a 7mile long run and a 7.5-8m long run (my tracker failed, so not sure exactly how far I ran!), the last 2 Sundays. Also a good parkrun last weekend where I pushed myself faster - not up to PB level but managed my fastest time so far this year.
I've also taken up pilates and started doing the occasional circuit class to help make me stronger and fitter.
Soooo not exactly my plan to focus on getting faster at 5kms this year... but at least having the halve's in sight keeps me focused. This weekend I'm running the 10km race for life in Milton Keynes, to support my friend - it's her first 10k!
Keep going keep going.
Showing posts with label parkrun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parkrun. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Does running lift your mood?
Today was the first day I managed to get out for a run since last Thursday, and I was determined to run today because I've been a right moody cow since the weekend, and I'm convinced I feel down when I don't get a run in.
I was at parkrun on Saturday of course, but not running. I had volunteered for marshalling with my son. Crazy idea. It was 1degree celcius when we arrived. We were wrapped up warm of course but I would rather have been running to warm the blood up. Also I had been out drinking cocktails and wine til 12.30am the night before so I would have rather been curled up in bed. I can't let down my parkrun marshalling duties however. Marshalling is fab, but it made me sad I wasn't able to run.
On Sunday I planned to go for a 10km run with my Chelmer Roadrunner girls, but my helpful husband had the hangover from hell - you know one of those that involves a lot of time in the bathroom and the rest of the day in bed. Soooo annoying. So that meant I had to stay home and entertain the boy, and even take him to his Little Kicks football group. That was NOT fun - I was the only mum and when the dad's joined in I didn't have a chance to put my hand up and say I have never ever played football in my life! hahaha. The four and five year olds were much more impressive than me. I was not in a good mood by the end of the day.
Monday - lots of work, stressed and anxious about work, feeling like I couldn't be arsed. Got home really late - missed Monday night run group, the Dynamos. That was annoying.
Tuesday - meetings, lots of work, feeling really anxious and grouchy and went to bed a bit teary.
And I know that tomorrow - Thursday, my usual Chelmer Roadrunners day, I am also busy and have a meeting that clashes with the run group time. So I was determined to get out and run today before I bashed someone over the head. seriously.
So, I dropped the boy at school and decided to just run a couple of miles. The trick for my brain was that if i said - I'll only do 2 miles - it didn't seem like such a big thing to do. The problem was i kept bumping into other mums around the school! For some of them that made me change my direction to avoid them, and for others it made me run faster to impress!
Anyway, i did just do 2 miles out and back from the car park, but they were a good 2 miles. It's lovely and flat around the school for starters! The first mile I ran in 10 mins - very quick for me and the 2nd mile I decided to do a bit of fartlek/speed play, so sprinted from one lamp post to the next, then slow jogged or walked to the next lamppost, then sprinted again etc. Another 10 minute mile. Very happy.
I'm determined not to leave it so long now before I lace up again.
In fact I'm tempted to try and 'streak' (a run streak is where you set a target to run every day for a set amount of days, like lent, or advent) or if not streak, but as a minimum force myself to go out at least every other day just for 2 miles. I think for so long my runs have been a big deal - doing 10 mile Sundays and 5 mile mid weeks that take up a fair bit of the day what with driving to meet people, having a chat after, cooking a recovery lunch and getting showered etc. I am going to change tack therefore and try and do a little often for the next few weeks until we go on holiday, just to keep me going and to try to keep the grumps at bay!
Does running cheer you up?
L x
I was at parkrun on Saturday of course, but not running. I had volunteered for marshalling with my son. Crazy idea. It was 1degree celcius when we arrived. We were wrapped up warm of course but I would rather have been running to warm the blood up. Also I had been out drinking cocktails and wine til 12.30am the night before so I would have rather been curled up in bed. I can't let down my parkrun marshalling duties however. Marshalling is fab, but it made me sad I wasn't able to run.
On Sunday I planned to go for a 10km run with my Chelmer Roadrunner girls, but my helpful husband had the hangover from hell - you know one of those that involves a lot of time in the bathroom and the rest of the day in bed. Soooo annoying. So that meant I had to stay home and entertain the boy, and even take him to his Little Kicks football group. That was NOT fun - I was the only mum and when the dad's joined in I didn't have a chance to put my hand up and say I have never ever played football in my life! hahaha. The four and five year olds were much more impressive than me. I was not in a good mood by the end of the day.
Monday - lots of work, stressed and anxious about work, feeling like I couldn't be arsed. Got home really late - missed Monday night run group, the Dynamos. That was annoying.
Tuesday - meetings, lots of work, feeling really anxious and grouchy and went to bed a bit teary.
And I know that tomorrow - Thursday, my usual Chelmer Roadrunners day, I am also busy and have a meeting that clashes with the run group time. So I was determined to get out and run today before I bashed someone over the head. seriously.
So, I dropped the boy at school and decided to just run a couple of miles. The trick for my brain was that if i said - I'll only do 2 miles - it didn't seem like such a big thing to do. The problem was i kept bumping into other mums around the school! For some of them that made me change my direction to avoid them, and for others it made me run faster to impress!
Anyway, i did just do 2 miles out and back from the car park, but they were a good 2 miles. It's lovely and flat around the school for starters! The first mile I ran in 10 mins - very quick for me and the 2nd mile I decided to do a bit of fartlek/speed play, so sprinted from one lamp post to the next, then slow jogged or walked to the next lamppost, then sprinted again etc. Another 10 minute mile. Very happy.
I'm determined not to leave it so long now before I lace up again.
In fact I'm tempted to try and 'streak' (a run streak is where you set a target to run every day for a set amount of days, like lent, or advent) or if not streak, but as a minimum force myself to go out at least every other day just for 2 miles. I think for so long my runs have been a big deal - doing 10 mile Sundays and 5 mile mid weeks that take up a fair bit of the day what with driving to meet people, having a chat after, cooking a recovery lunch and getting showered etc. I am going to change tack therefore and try and do a little often for the next few weeks until we go on holiday, just to keep me going and to try to keep the grumps at bay!
Does running cheer you up?
L x
Saturday, 20 February 2016
In and out of parkrun love
Its very rare I get to really run, as husband works Saturday's so a solo run would rely on a Grandparent dropping by to babysit while I run. Last happened esrly December. Also as my 5k times slowed and slowed in the last half of last year, I started to enjoy parkrun less and less. As I was half marathon training from August to November my body started to become comfortable with very slow long runs and so trying to run faster at parkrun would give me that horrible out of breath feeling and I found it almost painful to keep running at "speed", even though I was going minute per mile slower than than my summer pb. Being so far away from my 5k PB time made me miserable.
For two years I have run with my son in a running buggy. I adore it, we have great fun together and although it is so much harder and slower than running solo, I don't mind as its my chance to set a good example to him. But now he's 4 and a half and weighs over 3 Stone it's tougher and tougher and toward the end of last year I decided my buggy running days were over. I stopped enjoying it as I struggled. I just felt like I was pushing a rock around, especially through the muddy and grassy sections of the parkrun course, and I spent more time walking than running so just felt like I was failing. And my times (even buggy adjusted times) were getting slower as he got bigger, and that depressed me.
But then...
This morning my co-buggy runner-partner-in-crime Joanna sent me a message and said something like, 'let's just power walk parkrun with the boys (in their buggies), let them stretch their legs too, and catch up.'
I am so glad she did. I had the best time I've had at parkrun in months!!!
It took us 40 minutes but we did not care. We chatted, we let the boys have their little runs, we stopped to scrape mud off our tyres, we jogged a lot more than I expected and walked some bits too- especially up hill and through the big bog.
But it reminded me what parkrun is about. Parkrun is about participation. Not just PBs. Obviously PBs are wonderful when they happen, but also wonderful is the time to see a friend, spend time with your children, enjoy the fresh air and the high fives. And the coffee and the playground after, of course.
When we finished I immediately signed up to Marshall next week. My son had been asking why we couldn't volunteer this week - he loves volunteering at parkrun, as they give him a giant foam finger and he cheers everyone on. I've also used excuses (of the weather, it's unfair to make a 4 year old stand out in the rain) not to volunteer, but I just had to take the plunge back into the wonderful parkrun world that means so much to me.
parkrun, I'm back!
Thursday, 1 October 2015
Passionate about parkrun
Anyone who knows me knows that I love parkrun. I am a parkrun evangelist!
The first time I went to Chelmsford Central parkrun in summer 2014 I was terrified and I'm not even sure whether I managed to run all the way. There were over 300 people in the park, ranging from babies to pensioners some fit some not so fit, but all wanting to challenge themselves on a Saturday morning.
It is daunting going to anything the first time, and lining up with all those people at 9am and waiting for the 3, 2, 1, RUN! and not knowing which way to run (there are marshals and signs, I didn't get lost!) and finishing that 5kms and feeling exhausted!
But I have come to love parkrun and everything about it. I sometimes run with my son in the buggy (well, jog walk now he's getting so big and heavy and tough to push). I sometimes run on my own and attempt to get faster (pb is 31m44s). I regularly volunteer when I can't run, as volunteering is just as much fun as running. My son likes to high five all the runners and tell them to keeeeeeeeep running!
I have made friends through park run, and I have introduced friends to parkrun. A saturday morning without parkrun is a sad saturday for me. I even do parkrun in other locations - when I visit my parents, or when on holiday. Every course is different but they are all the same -
a free, 5km run, every Saturday morning at 9am in a park near you, brilliantly organised by super friendly volunteers... and usually featuring a coffee and a cake afterwards!
Again, as with my running clubs, parkrun is very inclusive. There are people who will really push themselves and race around in 15-20 minutes and there are people who really push themselves and race around in 30 minutes or 37 minutes, AND there are people who want to walk, are still training so run/walk. It really is for everyone.
My favourite volunteer role is as Tail Runner. The Tailrunner jogs or walks at the back of the pack to make sure everyone gets around safely, and is always the last over the line!
You can run or volunteer any week any where, just don't forget your barcode! You register on the parkrun website and get a printable barcode. They scan that for you at the end of the run so you can receive a text message or e mail with your time on.
It's not a race in the traditional sense, but most people are racing in their heads, against themselves, trying to get quicker than last time.
We've just started taking our son (age 4) to junior parkrun some Sundays too. That's for children under 14 and is a shorter 2km course, and mums and dads run with the little ones. A great way to get your children active and have wonderful family time.
Give it a go. parkrun makes me happy :) Where do you parkrun? Click here to find your nearest parkrun event.
The first time I went to Chelmsford Central parkrun in summer 2014 I was terrified and I'm not even sure whether I managed to run all the way. There were over 300 people in the park, ranging from babies to pensioners some fit some not so fit, but all wanting to challenge themselves on a Saturday morning.
It is daunting going to anything the first time, and lining up with all those people at 9am and waiting for the 3, 2, 1, RUN! and not knowing which way to run (there are marshals and signs, I didn't get lost!) and finishing that 5kms and feeling exhausted!
But I have come to love parkrun and everything about it. I sometimes run with my son in the buggy (well, jog walk now he's getting so big and heavy and tough to push). I sometimes run on my own and attempt to get faster (pb is 31m44s). I regularly volunteer when I can't run, as volunteering is just as much fun as running. My son likes to high five all the runners and tell them to keeeeeeeeep running!
I have made friends through park run, and I have introduced friends to parkrun. A saturday morning without parkrun is a sad saturday for me. I even do parkrun in other locations - when I visit my parents, or when on holiday. Every course is different but they are all the same -
a free, 5km run, every Saturday morning at 9am in a park near you, brilliantly organised by super friendly volunteers... and usually featuring a coffee and a cake afterwards!
Again, as with my running clubs, parkrun is very inclusive. There are people who will really push themselves and race around in 15-20 minutes and there are people who really push themselves and race around in 30 minutes or 37 minutes, AND there are people who want to walk, are still training so run/walk. It really is for everyone.
My favourite volunteer role is as Tail Runner. The Tailrunner jogs or walks at the back of the pack to make sure everyone gets around safely, and is always the last over the line!
You can run or volunteer any week any where, just don't forget your barcode! You register on the parkrun website and get a printable barcode. They scan that for you at the end of the run so you can receive a text message or e mail with your time on.
It's not a race in the traditional sense, but most people are racing in their heads, against themselves, trying to get quicker than last time.
We've just started taking our son (age 4) to junior parkrun some Sundays too. That's for children under 14 and is a shorter 2km course, and mums and dads run with the little ones. A great way to get your children active and have wonderful family time.
Give it a go. parkrun makes me happy :) Where do you parkrun? Click here to find your nearest parkrun event.
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