"The dream is alive, I can run up the hills every night..."

rainbow kirby · 08-11-2008 2:05am #1

Decided it's time I got myself a training log here

Background: I've only been running for 4 months. Pretty much all my previous sporting background is in the martial arts - I'm a black belt in taekwondo and I also hold a junior black belt in kenpo, with a total of about 12 years training. However before starting to follow the Couch to 5k program this summer, I'd been almost completely sedentary for 2 years while I spent all my time no-lifing it on World of Warcraft.
So this summer I decided to get a life, quit wasting time playing MMOs and start looking after myself again - I wanted to shed the weight I'd put on and start getting fit again. A quick perusal of Something Awful's Watch and Weight forum led me to Couch to 5k. I enjoyed every week of it, and finished the program in early September. Since then, I've been running 12-15 miles a week and I've lost 29lbs in total since July.
I ran my first race in early October - the Rathfarnham WSAF 5k. I finished in 30.24 and I was absolutely delighted with that, especially considering I'd been training at about a 12 minute mile pace.

Goal: Aware 10k on the 6th of December. Submitted my entry a week ago and my packet with sponsorship cards and a course map arrived during the week.
Ideally I'd love to break the hour for it, but given that McMillan Running has me pegged at 63 minutes for the distance based on my 5k time that's a little unlikely. I'm currently following the Hal Higdon novice 10k program - I jumped in last weekend at the start of week 4. It's required switching my gym days around somewhat, but so be it.

Complication! I'm a final year student in Computer Science - this month is full of deadlines! :eek:
I'm trying to fit my training in around doing large amounts of studying, I've got at least one deadline every week this month. I'm really kinda relying on the calming effect of getting out for runs to keep me sane.

The plan for this weekend is to get out for a 3 mile run tomorrow and 4 miles on Sunday. This is roughly in keeping with the program, apart from me replacing a cross training day with a running day, and that's mostly because I can't be arsed sitting on the bus for an hour to go to the UCD gym.

The title is a lyric from a Sonata Arctica song - I like to listen to lots of power metal while running.

Krusty_Clown · 08-11-2008 1:00pm

Best of luck in the race and the exams. Don't forget that you'll run faster on the day, with the added adrenaline, crowds (of deer), and other runners.

Was your 5k time based on a race or training?

rainbow kirby · 08-11-2008 3:35pm

The 5k time was based on a race. I'm a sloooooow runner.

Today's run - 3 miles around my area. Not one of my finest, I think I'm starting to get a bit of a cold because I was feeling a little congested this morning. The wind, rain and leaves blowing down the Firhouse Road into my face really didn't help either.

Bally8 · 08-11-2008 5:40pm

Hi Rainbow Kirby, best of luck with the running. I just remembered where i know your name- the WW thread!!

I think you are doing really well so far. I ran my first 10k two years ago and it took me 66 minutes. Although Im now running at a faster pace, I can only do about 2 miles before I feel like my chest will explode. Wouldnt even attempt trying anything over 4 at the minute. But as I've seen before, if you put the work in and take your time, you will soon see big improvements in all areas of your wellness.

Best of luck

Woddle · 08-11-2008 5:42pm

Fair play for setting a goal and starting to aim for it, I see your only up the road from me, so I think thats 3 now that I know from boards AC around the area.Best of luck

rainbow kirby · 10-11-2008 11:07pm

I've been bad. Through a mixture of stinking weather yesterday and friends hauling me off for coffee and shopping today, I've managed to miss my long run. Should I try and make that up tomorrow, or just do the scheduled 3 mile run?

gerard65 · 10-11-2008 11:50pm

The long run is most important. You can always juggle you daily sessions around to fit in your quality sessions.

rainbow kirby · 11-11-2008 5:26pm

Got my long run in this afternoon, on a bloody nice afternoon for it. 4 miles in just over 44 minutes, and it felt pretty damn good - I felt like I had another bit in the tank at the end.

rainbow kirby · 13-11-2008 8:35pm

3 miles relatively easy this evening, 33 minutes. Felt pretty good the whole way around, and it was a nice de-stress.

Of course, my buzz then got wrecked when I came home and got an email about a **** grade in one of my courses... :mad:

Fast_Mover · 13-11-2008 9:11pm

Remember "mens sana in corpore sano"...your grades will pick up!;)
Keep up the good work!:)

rainbow kirby · 14-11-2008 3:13pm

2 1/2 miles today, felt heavy and crap all the way around.

Peckham · 14-11-2008 4:07pm

Somedays it clicks, somedays it doesn't. Don't worry about it! Happens to all of us.

Although, maybe think about what was different today than yesterday to learn about the factors that impact on running...i.e. did you sleep less last night, what have you eaten in past 24 hours, were you drinking last night etc.

Part of the skill in running is learning how to listen to your body.

rainbow kirby · 16-11-2008 2:59pm

Just under 5 miles this afternoon - 55 minutes, I'm not dead - this makes me happy!

For some reason, I seem to feel best on my longest run of the week, maybe my body is just thinking "Hmm, long and slow, let's just relax and enjoy this". Either way, if I'm pretty ok at running 5 miles now, it makes me feel a lot more positive about the 10k in 3 weeks time!

Had a little bit of iPod serendipity on the way today too, just as I turned from Knocklyon to start up the Firhouse Road on the way home Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hills" came on, and this made me smile

Bally8 · 16-11-2008 9:11pm

Silly question but can I ask what kind of ear phones you use? Ive given up listening to music as I run as I used to spend most of my run putting earphones back in because they kept falling out- very annoying. I would love to have a pair of headphones/earphones that would stay in as I run.

rainbow kirby · 16-11-2008 9:33pm

I use a pair of Sony MDR-E10LP ear phones (I paid €15.99 for mine in Tower Records), which stay in fine until it gets windy. If it's windy, I just use a headband (of the cheaparse Penneys kind) and that holds in the earphones just fine. I don't tend to have massive problems with earphones popping out on me, I used the standard Apple ones that come with the iPod until very recently.

That said - I would like a smaller MP3 player for running with, I currently have an 8GB iPod Touch, and it does hog the pocket of my trackies a bit.

rainbow kirby · 19-11-2008 9:58pm

3 miles this evening, today was never going to be a good day to run as it was the day a massive paper was due, worth 40% of my grade in one of my classes, and I'd been up since 6am trying to get it finished and submitted.

However it was pretty nice to get out and clear my head, despite the fact it felt like a wind tunnel when I was going up the Firhouse Road. Finished 3 miles in about 33 minutes.

chatoon · 20-11-2008 1:33am

RK, well done on your running so far! I can so relate to your times, I'm not a fast runner at all but really enjoy it too. I can remember training for my first 10k and the buzz I got from actually finishing was enough to keep me running years later (not that my times show much improvement!); but keep up the training and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that you make the Aware 10k under the hour...!:)

Roddy23 · 20-11-2008 11:53am

Well done on the running so far. I'm about the same pace as yourself, and have the Aware run pencilled in myself.

Getting out this weekend, going to try and run the course route, hope to break 60mins for the race (as it's mainly downhill compared to the Adidas race series), but taking it easy this weekend as its my first lsr in at least a month.

rainbow kirby · 22-11-2008 2:53pm

Well this week has almost been a complete washout in terms of running. I've had SO many assignments due in college and nowhere near enough sleep due to it - until last night. 14 hours sleep, assisted by only 3 pints, ftw... :pac:

3 miles this morning, very easy - pretty nice, and I wasn't as wrecked at the end of it as I thought I'd be after the week I've had. The plan is for 5 miles tomorrow, and tbh I'm looking forward to it in a crazy sort of way.

One little concern I've had - in the last week, I appear to have completely lost my appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat 3 meals a day, because I know I *should*, but I honestly haven't felt hungry in about the last week-week and a half. This is strange, because it has never happened before, normally I like my food a bit too much! (There's a very good reason why I'm 12 and a half stone...)

rainbow kirby · 23-11-2008 3:53pm

4.8 miles this afternoon in 49.30-ish. Pace seems to be improving anyway, I'm very surprised at being inside 11min/mile on my long run! Felt like crap after about 3.5 miles, but got a second wind afterwards. I blame the pesky M50 bridge.

Weight is finally down below 80kg too, which probably helps!

rainbow kirby · 25-11-2008 11:36pm

3 miles this evening, 30.06 - I'm a little proud of this, as it's very close to my 5k time from about 8 weeks ago!

10.02/mile pace. I'm definitely improving and I think that losing weight is making a big difference. I'm 31lbs lighter now than I was when I started running.

Peckham · 26-11-2008 9:38am

Great progress there. Over 2 stone lost in 4 months - wow!

rainbow kirby · 26-11-2008 10:09pm

Another 3 miles this evening. Felt slightly flatter than I did last night, but was still a good run. Didn't bother bringing a watch to time things tonight.

Thanksgiving dinner at my American friend's house tomorrow night, so I'll need to run hard on Friday to make up for that! :pac:

rainbow kirby · 30-11-2008 4:17pm

Just over 5 miles in 55 minutes today. Found the cold and glare to be quite a bother, looks like I'm going to have to acquire myself either a cap or a pair of sunglasses.

Odysseus · 30-11-2008 6:26pm

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Just over 5 miles in 55 minutes today. Found the cold and glare to be quite a bother, looks like I'm going to have to acquire myself either a cap or a pair of sunglasses.

Just been catching up on your log, great stuff. You might find you end up with both, its strange when you need both at the same time, but that's Ireland for you.

rainbow kirby · 02-12-2008 1:44pm

2.85 miles this morning in 27.55. (I'm getting more precise,

MapMyRun!)

Felt like I was having to work fairly hard today, especially on that poxy M50 bridge...

Just wondering - what should my plan be for this week? Aware 10k is this weekend, should I run tomorrow and then just do some walking on Thurs/Fri, or should I walk tomorrow and Friday, and do my normal ~3 mile run on Thursday?

rainbow kirby · 04-12-2008 11:29pm

3 miles this evening in just outside 30 minutes. Felt like I still had craploads of energy at the end - which makes me feel rather good about Saturday.

Have pretty much decided that I'm wearing a long sleeved t-shirt (Aldi long-sleeved technical shirts ftw

) and tracksuit bottoms, probably with one of my many heavy metal gig t-shirts over the long-sleeved shirt, for Saturday.

rainbow kirby · 06-12-2008 3:01pm

*drumroll*

1.06.15 by my watch in the end.

Very happy just to finish because I knew my preparation wasn't ideal (stupid college!), and the frost this morning made me feel like I was ice skating at a few points. Unfortunately I *did* manage to end up on my arse at the drink station after slipping on some ice, and that knocked the wind out of my sails quite considerably.

Ah well, there's always next time to try go sub-hour!

*edit* Chip time 1.05.59. 10.37/mile pace, according to the Runners World pace calculator.

Bally8 · 07-12-2008 10:18pm

Well done rk, excellent result. Hope u dont hurt too much after the fall:).

shels4ever · 07-12-2008 10:26pm

rainbow kirby wrote: »

*drumroll*

1.06.15 by my watch in the end.

Very happy just to finish because I knew my preparation wasn't ideal (stupid college!), and the frost this morning made me feel like I was ice skating at a few points. Unfortunately I *did* manage to end up on my arse at the drink station after slipping on some ice, and that knocked the wind out of my sails quite considerably.

Ah well, there's always next time to try go sub-hour!

*edit* Chip time 1.05.59. 10.37/mile pace, according to the Runners World pace calculator.

Well done there, your going well now

. Thats a good run sets you up nice to break the hour next time out, which i'm sure you will...

rainbow kirby · 07-12-2008 10:30pm

Fingers crossed. Breaking the hour for 10k is one of my goals for 2009 now. I'd also like to break 30 mins for 5k.

"The dream is alive, I can run up the hills every night..."

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