Running

Almost trainwankered today because my feet and ankles were aching and was worried about doing some proper damage (especially with a ski trip a few weeks away) but, common sense put aside, I applied the HTFU spray and launched myself out of the door anyway. Felt fine after 10 minutes or so.

5:33/km pace for today's commute and almost started to enjoy it once I'd passed the 8km mark. Almost.

4.3km required for 120km in January so I'll go out for a little run between my swim and cycle tomorrow and then me and MiniGB can slob out over the weekend whilst Mrs GB is away.

Its Norway.
Its January.
Its fecking Cold.
Its fecking wet.

......Yet I drove past someone running in tiny shorts last night. @kl ?

Might help it heal a bit quicker, but won't fix it overnight.

Spikes ordered, taking my number of in use running shoes up to a frankly ridiculous five, with two more semi retired.

I've stupidly noticed that my usual 10k run (10.6k) plus my run to work (11.85k) = a HM and a bit.

Bolloc...

^ Fuck me, it's amazing how this running thing creeps up on you.

I hate running, but I'm now planning how I can make my commute into work a HM.

*self cockpunch*

you're doing well Greenbank.

my advice is don't hold the HM distance in reverence (or the marathon distance for that matter) they're just fancy names for 13 and 26 and a bit miles, if you keep running and don't injure yourself 13 miles before or after work is perfectly doable, I went from not being able to do 5k after not running for 3 years (and longest run back then only being 12 miles when i ran loops of greenwich park one bored sunday to see if i could) to doing at least 2 13+ mile runs a week in my marathon training within about 3 months (most of the first 2 months of which was building up to 10km distance still).

it's still a feat certainly as not many people put in the effort to train to be able to run that far but 13 miles isn't a magical number, if you don't fall apart at 10 miles you can pretty much schlep through a few more miles with strength of will or 90 more if you're an ultra runner.

(n.b. i'm not saying half-marathon big whoop, i can do that here btw, I'm saying don't build it up in your head and it'll be a lot easier to achieve, then of course once you've ran it by all means then lord it over everyone)

Yup, I don't worry about the distance itself (Audax has taught me not to care about that).

Anyway, time for a 5k run to finish off Feb.

Finally stopped being a lazy-bones. 12km route, under 45 mins (using the clock in the kitchen method). Relatively happy that all the fitness hasn't left me.
Probably time to start training properly though.

managed a 45:36 in todays winter run. was doing well for first mile then my ankle started hurting and I dropped about 40 seconds off my mile pace but recovered by mile 3 and got progressively faster through the rest of the run but too late to make it up. minute over my pb but have been putting lot of miles in lately so prob a bit too tired.

that said though I got home, dropped off my bag then went out for another 4.5 miles to make up the 10 miler i was meant to do on my training plan today.

now i have a massive blood blister under the massive callous on my second smallest toe looks well weird. resisting urge to pop it as i have to run again tomorrow.

Mrs T-V did her target of sub 50 at the winter run (48.56), while I stood at the finish and froze my goolies off. It was cold out there.

Well done Mrs T-V. a few people I know hit pb's today. not a bad course for it (apart from the switchbacks slowing you down).

Nice time HB, especially as you're in the middle of Mara training, right?

Did you hug the polar bears and how was the fake snow?

I didn't get to hug a polar bear but I did manage a hangover curing 8 miles in the mud, almost entirely without knee pain.

.

Polar bear hugs were pretty good actually but the snow zones were not very good. it produced about a snowballs worth of snow into the air at a time (spread across 2 lanes of road) so it was somewhat sparse.

they did also have a real life saint bernard (and a guy in a saint bernard costume) for people to pet on the way back to the bag drop area as there was a swiss tourism sponsor so the 'london' winter run was switzerland themed.

@Pifko yeah i'm into the meat of my training now. 220 miles on the training plan for feb :(

repeating the VDOT test I did back in November on Tuesday, I've spent the last 3 months training pretty specifically to improve my speed including intervals and proper tempo sessions for the first time, I've dropped 3kg as well so hopefully I'll be faster than I was, 10:45 for 3k last time.

hope that 10.30 is doable this time which doesn't feel that much but gives a pretty massive improvement on 10k and half marathon predictions, which are the distances that I care about, and if I can make a similar improvement in the next three months then happy days!

220 miles on the training plan for feb

Fuck that for a game of soldiers - That's a whole heap of miles. I'll be putting in around the same, but in km, not miles.

Ran a miserable 25k yesterday - the same route as the week before, and within 5 seconds of my previous week's pace too - but I finished feeling like crap, and with a pronounced limp on my left hand side.

I'm starting to doubt my ability to run much further than that at a (marginally) faster speed.

Tomorrow will be physio instead of track.

Also - Sunday 15 Feb - my plan calls for a race-pace half marathon.

Anyone fancy pacing me for a sub-1:40?

I usually aim for 5min kilometers. Seems fast enough for an old guy hitting a lot of Climbs. But I backed off a tiny fraction yesterday. I'm off on a Heavy cycling week and wanted to stay fresh.

Its amazing what backing off such a tiny amount can feel like. Soooo much nicer.

Done 13 miles in horrendous conditions around Epping forest on saturday, only to sprain my ankle on a discarded water bottle after 1km at the Winter Run. Sods law!

Spam alert: Im selling a Garmin watch and some runners if anyone is interested: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/261971/#comment12076839

I'm going to see what I can do about becoming the person in the St Bernard suit. That sounds a) warm, b) AWESOME and c) like something I might excel at, unlike running which I am endlessly disappointing at.

Usual 10k route, quite fecking cold in the first half (even with socks, otherwise kl-compliant). New best 10k section of 55:02 (40s off previous best) and, more importantly, HRavg slightly lower too (although that's probably to do with the cold).

Weight loss has plateaued but that's because I've been slacking off the cycling and food compensation has increased. Need to get back onto the hungry train. Ankles/feet not sore today, which is nice. Have this week and next week to destroy myself before a week of rest (skiing).

Feeling pretty tired but not very sore today after longest training run of the year yesterday (21.6 at 7.05).

What gels do people tend to use? I need to try refuelling on my next long runs.

Everybody should race Parliament hill at least once. It's epic. Although possibly not as hilly as Brighton.

@TW Where do you live to do those half marathon pace?