What was I thinking?

Serious doubts kicked in today.  What was I thinking signing up for a half marathon?  I can't run!

I had a really really shitty run today. Woke up in a bad mood, feeling exhausted like I hadn't had much sleep. Went to run with Chelmer Roadrunners and was pleased than an interval session was planned, rather than distance.

But I just couldn't do it.  We ran about a mile as warm up, but because the 6 or so of us were all trying to stick together we went off way too fast, all trying to keep up with the fastest lady and she was seemingly oblivious to the rest of us struggling. Then we started our intervals - was planned to be 30 seconds faster (not sprinting, just increasing cadence) and then 2 minute recovery jog, repeated 8 times, and then finish off with another mile plus as a slower cool down run.   I don't think we managed that many intervals.  4 out of 6 of us were all so tired from going out too fast that the 30 second faster bits seemed to last forever and ever and ever and got slower and slower and harder and harder.  I think I did 5 well-ish, although starting to flag, and then on the 6th I started to feel queasy and had to walk my recovery rather than jog it.

And by that point my bum and hip were starting to hurt too :(  Oh woe is me... crappy crappy run.

Once I'd walked for a minute I did try to get back into it I really did but just couldn't! I wanted to keep going for a mile at a slow pace to cool down but actually managed less than 1/3 of a mile before the nausea kept bubbling up in my throat and I started to get really worried about hurting my hip.  So I decided to walk back to the start, and thankfully there was another lady, Emma who was also struggling and very happy to walk with me.  We put a little slow jog on for the last 1/4 mile and had a lovely chat about finding work that fits around children and school runs!  I've never felt queasy on a run before so that was a new, not very welcome experience for me.

In the end we ran less than 5kms and I hated every minute of it and I now hate running. Full Stop.  I really hate running and I hate that I seem to have hurt myself.   What an idiot to think I could run a half marathon... ( in 6 and a half weeks!!!!).... when those long training runs have broken me and I now I can't even manage 3 miles :( I want to cry.

I am keeping on with the glute strengthening exercises that the physio has given me but also finding them very hard and it's too early to see any difference yet... I wish someone could magically fix my running.

I'm off to eat some chocolate now and wallow in the self-pity of a shitty run.

Losing my way

So I finished c25k and I was about to run my first ever event - the Race for Life 5km race.  I managed to run almost all the way - just walked about 2 minutes up a very steep hill, and finished in 37 minutes.  You see. SLOW.  But that was fine for me because having started as someone who couldn't manage to run for 1 minute non-stop, being able to keep going for that long and complete 5kms was a huge achievement!

And I achieved this all on my own. I felt very proud. My husband and son were proud. My friends were amazed by the transformation.  I was on cloud 9!

At that point I kept running a little now and then, but lost my way.  I had nothing to aim for.  Life got very busy and stressful. We were moving house, or attempting too, and the sale fell through, we lost a house we were in love with, ended up living with the in laws and super super stress abounded.

And then winter came in and I found it hard to keep myself going in the cold and dark and wet, although I did occasionally still venture out and jog a little, slowly.  I didn't have anything to push me on.  I didn't know if I was any good.  I didn't know if I should attempt to run further, or how. And because I wasn't running regularly with any consistency I never found it very easy to keep going.  I started to fall out of love with running a little bit. I started to find it really hard to keep going mentally and physically.

But finally, we moved into our new home in November 2013, had a lovely Christmas, and as the Spring (2014) started to peak its little head up, I started to discover new running routes around our new town.

Running is a fantastic way to get to know a new place.  Whether you move house, like me, or are on holiday or visiting friends.  I know my town now, and all the lovely riverside footpaths, back passages (oooer mrs) and cut throughs. I know the fields and the roads and I know exactly how long each park is and how long it will take me to run from my house to the pre-school and back!  I thoroughly recommend running as a great way to fall in love with your town or village too.

I have had lovely runs where I've bumped into people I know and ended up chatting or walking a while with them.  I have had runs where I've got completely lost and had to run fast as I freaked myself out that I'd get more lost as night fell!  I have had runs where I've experienced nature at her finest, migrating geese over sunsets and stumbled across lone deer and foxes... and I've even had a run where I accidentally surprised the local drunk being sick behind a bush.... nice!  Most of all I've high fived, and said hello to lots and lots of other runners.  The running community on the whole is amazingly friendly.  And there are lots of people out running all over the place these days.

But still I struggled, and I never felt like a real runner, just someone playing with it. I was lost and I lost my running mojo.

And then I found a running group. My running group(s) and running friends are wonderful, I've made friends and acquaintances, I've improved my running, had great fun, learned new things, and pushed myself to achieve things way beyond my imagination.  I recommend running clubs to everyone. They seem scary yes, especially to a beginner, but you have to do it if you want to really enjoy and get the most out of running.

So I will write in my next post about my first experiences of joining a group!

Do you run with others or alone?  Let me know!
Lisa x

Simple strength training at home for runners

2.5 years into my running journey and 2.5 years of saying that I have no time to exercise I have finally accepted that if I want to get better at running and, crucially, stay injury free, I need to do some other form of exercise to develop the muscles I use for running.

I've read lots of running magazines and put myself together the following little routine. It takes me about 10- 20 minutes (I don't do all of it every time - so adapt to suit the day) and I try to do at least 1 or two of these each day as a minimum. Perhaps a few leg raises and donkey kicks just before I have a shower or a few squats while I'm boiling the kettle etc.

Any serious runner would do something a lot more intensively and seriously but let's be honest, some days I don't have time to brush my hair!

You don't need any equipment and you won't get particularly sweaty so you could even do it while the kids play (my little boy likes to join in!) or while you've got half an eye on the tv!

So if like me you are time poor, and have a jelly belly from baby bearing ...  but want to do some strength exercises to help with running...  here's a few things to try out...

PS you tube has some other good work out examples - a good place to look up if you don't know what these names mean as well.

Classic Plank 15s (build up to 30s) and build up to repeating this.

Lie on side - side leg raises (15-20 each leg) (either straight leg straight up or bent leg scissor motion)

Donkey kicks (15-20 each leg) 

Bird dog (15-20 each leg) yeah I had to look this one up to. Might take practice as you need a little balance too!

Squats 10, rest and repeat, build up to more reps  (add arm raises when confident) 

Lunges (15-20 each leg) (add arm raises when confident)

Russian  twists (15 -20) - this is also really nice for rolling out a slightly stiff lower back.

What others would you recommend that are quick, easy and need no equipment?