Ran the first of what I guess you might call the long distance runs on Monday with Tom. It was great running with him since he is a speedy man and also massively motivated so we got through it together, with my pacing and his determination. Very happy when we'd done it, but very tired. Got some muscle spasming in my left quad(?) at about mile 13 for a second or two, but we slowed down and got round in a good time, for me anyway. Dad said that the spasm is because of overworking the muscle without enough carbohydrates in the body (or some such madness) which makes sense since I hadn't really eaten properly beforehand - two bits of toast, a sandwich and a mars bar don't really constitute "carb loading".
16 miles
2:08:00
Conditions: good, light wind, light rain at times
Mood: Elated.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Friday, 11 February 2011
Getting faster
Out again today, all alone though. Headed towards King's, the science buildings, turned right, headed back towards the park, turned left, ran along a bit, turned right to the park and hoooome. Put a fair bit of pace into it but feel good at the end and felt good for most of it too.
4.37 miles
00:31:42
Conditions: wet underfoot
Mood: Very happy
4.37 miles
00:31:42
Conditions: wet underfoot
Mood: Very happy
Logging
Totals so far.
03/01/11 Week 1: 15.7 miles
10/01/11 Week 2: 24.37 miles
17/01/11 Week 3: 32.46 miles
24/01/11 Week 4: Not many - travel and cold.
31/01/11 Week 5: 32 approx?
03/01/11 Week 1: 15.7 miles
10/01/11 Week 2: 24.37 miles
17/01/11 Week 3: 32.46 miles
24/01/11 Week 4: Not many - travel and cold.
31/01/11 Week 5: 32 approx?
Last week...
Falling behind in the logging, but not the running. We've been out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday solid, with football on the Wednesday between.
Monday was an interesting one. Big Bird came out for a run with me, which was nice, and we'd planned to go 7 or so miles before I popped off to do another 7 or so. However at the start, about a mile in, I was feeling pretty lightheaded and realised all I'd eaten that day was a bowl of soup and two bits of bread. So we trotted around the 7 miles and then walked home, via the fish and chip shop. Big Bird managed to keep me going without going into a food withdrawal coma, which is just another of his excellent skills. It was a pretty depressingly slow run though.
7.4 miles
01:10:00
Tuesday and Matt E came over for a run in the afternoon after class, and Big Bird again joined us for part of it, taking us around Arthur's Seat. It was pretty nice, but getting dark towards the end, so we splashed through puddles and admired the colour palette of the darkening sky, which provided an impressive backdrop to the ruined chapel and cityscape.
00:52:58
6.4 miles
Today, Thursday, Matt came over again and low and behold we got some early afternoon sun to run in. We decided to do the first part of the marathon course, so home advantage would really count, and headed out into Leith and down to the sea front, which was a very peaceful and calm run until we reached the bright lights of the arcades. We overran our escape point and could have continued all the way along the coast for the rest of the course, but jumped off about mile 6 of the route and came back home in the growing darkness. Fortunately we only got a bit lost once for about 200 metres, apart from not turning home at the right point, but that doesn't really count! A good run which makes up for the lack of miles on Monday.
01:15:00 approx
9.6 miles
Monday was an interesting one. Big Bird came out for a run with me, which was nice, and we'd planned to go 7 or so miles before I popped off to do another 7 or so. However at the start, about a mile in, I was feeling pretty lightheaded and realised all I'd eaten that day was a bowl of soup and two bits of bread. So we trotted around the 7 miles and then walked home, via the fish and chip shop. Big Bird managed to keep me going without going into a food withdrawal coma, which is just another of his excellent skills. It was a pretty depressingly slow run though.
7.4 miles
01:10:00
Tuesday and Matt E came over for a run in the afternoon after class, and Big Bird again joined us for part of it, taking us around Arthur's Seat. It was pretty nice, but getting dark towards the end, so we splashed through puddles and admired the colour palette of the darkening sky, which provided an impressive backdrop to the ruined chapel and cityscape.
00:52:58
6.4 miles
Today, Thursday, Matt came over again and low and behold we got some early afternoon sun to run in. We decided to do the first part of the marathon course, so home advantage would really count, and headed out into Leith and down to the sea front, which was a very peaceful and calm run until we reached the bright lights of the arcades. We overran our escape point and could have continued all the way along the coast for the rest of the course, but jumped off about mile 6 of the route and came back home in the growing darkness. Fortunately we only got a bit lost once for about 200 metres, apart from not turning home at the right point, but that doesn't really count! A good run which makes up for the lack of miles on Monday.
01:15:00 approx
9.6 miles
Saturday, 5 February 2011
On the road again
Back out again today. Just a quick update since I don't have long, but an excellent fast paced run. Felt really good. We went out on Thursday to do some speedwork in a storm and today I did about 7 miles in 48:49 which is pretty pleasing.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
In the cold, cold night
Out and about again, planned to follow up my long run yesterday with about 5 miles this afternoon but unfortunately when I got home from classes the beautiful sunny day had turned to rain so no-one was keen to go out, not even me. I left it til later and headed out just a few minutes ago for a shorter run, but tried to do a small bit of speed work and run it at a decent tempo. Was reasonably pleased with the results, could have pushed harder obviously but decent start to the week so far.
2.78 miles
00:19:46
Conditions: Dark
Mood: Bright
2.78 miles
00:19:46
Conditions: Dark
Mood: Bright
Back back back
OK things kicked off again on Monday, after traditional Sunday of rest/tearing up my legs on astroturf. I went out on a long run on a new route, heading towards the motorway in the south of the city. It was quite a nice run; early on the route passes the university science buildings, so I was trudging up hill and obviously my flailing was spotted by a few people I know. Even here it's a boost to get a smile from someone you know, so I'm hoping for a turbo-boost on marathon day! The first half was quite hilly, but it was a steady pace rather than pushing it so it felt fine. There was a "problem part", when I'd got so far out into the wilds (about 6 miles in) that there were fields and smells and things! I turned west and headed across to the dry ski slopes, with wind battering me even more than before and it was a mile and a half that seemed to last for ever. I checked my watch near the start and near the end, and it was only about 15 minutes, but it seemed like an age. I guess the combination of hills, wind and a new route can take their toll.
But soon I'd reached the turn and it was nice from there, mostly downhill after all the climb. I got a bit of cramp which I tried to push through but had to have a walk for a minute or so, which didn't really help, but after that I just kept going. Definitely going to do this run again next Monday, it's a good route with the hills and the slope later on.
13.8 miles
01:35:24
Conditions: very windy
Mood: variable, but huge exercise high at the end.
But soon I'd reached the turn and it was nice from there, mostly downhill after all the climb. I got a bit of cramp which I tried to push through but had to have a walk for a minute or so, which didn't really help, but after that I just kept going. Definitely going to do this run again next Monday, it's a good route with the hills and the slope later on.
13.8 miles
01:35:24
Conditions: very windy
Mood: variable, but huge exercise high at the end.
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