Running for fun, running for sanity

littlebug

Blueskye did you go to Killaloe?

Blueskye

No, I went nowhere yesterday apart from my couch!! How about you, did you get there?

littlebug

God no.... even getting down there would have turned it into the ultimate adventure challenge! I wonder did it go ahead at all.


eta. oh look it did go ahead! http://www.imra.ie/events/view/tab/details/id/716/

I was hoping it would be rescheduled. Oh well... I'll keep an eye out for other events in the west.

Blueskye

Ok, feeling really guilty as I haven't run since Saturday and today is Wednesday :mad: But life has seriously gotten in the way and hopefully after today my life should be significantly less demanding. No more excuses!!

7 lovely lovely miles in the afternoon sun.
66.36 mins
9.31/mi
164 bpm

Blueskye

Hmm, it''s all gone a bit patchy. No excuses but moving house, birthday celebrations, thesis corrections have all contributed to a crappy few weeks of running. Plus I'm on hols next week in the Lebanon where there won't be any running for safety reasons. Hmm, holidays and safety in the same sentence...:eek: But I'll be starting the connemarathon training in earnest as soon as I get back. In the meantime I'll update the sorry state of affairs. In fairness, the runs I've done have been ok, there just haven't been enough of them:

Saturday 28th Nov
12miles
9.49/mi
156 bpm
Lovely run, if a bit cold. Felt shattered after the 10miler last week whereas I felt great after this run, spent the next 6 hours moving home and went out on the tear so all good.

Monday 30th Nov
6.28miles.
9.44/mi (factored in a few new hills, new route)
Icey in patches so had to tread carefully. Plus slid down a hill on my ass towards the end of the run but no harm done.
135 bpm

Blueskye

Thursday
Hill sprints. It's been months since I've done these but I love them once they're finished. Today was a session of all seasons, starting off dark but dry and very windy, followed by sleet/huge hailstones, followed by sunshine. Crazy weather.
1 mile warm up
8 hill sprints - 0.23miles (370metres): 7.20/mi - 7.50/mi
jogging down hill between each sprint
1 mile cool down
just over 5 miles

Blueskye

Friday
5 miles easy pace
9.49/mi
153 bpm
What a pleasure to be out running in a light fresh drizzle while everyone else is sitting in traffic

Blueskye

No training here as I've been away in the Lebanon and Syria. Fantastic time but no running at all. Didn't even bring my trainers. Lots of eating and drinking. On my last day I got a lovely bout of gastritis, had to get a jab from the doc to stop me throwing up while on the plane home. I ate something dodgy no doubt and am still recovering. But I am going to head out for a run at lunchtime today and see how I get on.

The plan was to start training for Connemara Monday just gone and so I'm already behind before I've even started. Plus I'm heading to Brighton tomorrow for the weekend but the runners are coming with me this time. See if I can get at least 2 runs in.

Blueskye

Thursday 17th December
Got out finally - 9miles with 5 strides thrown in of 0.23miles each
Lovely to be out running but not 100% yet.

Blueskye

Despite bringing my running gear to Brighton it was impossible to run. Snow Thursday night meant lots of delays Friday and a weekend of hilarious attempts to walk around Brighton. Streets were sheets of ice and it didn't improve. So lots of cautiousu walking but zero running. Lovely 8 hour wait in Gatwick airport on the way home on Monday as a snowstorm meant the runway had to be closed. But on the plus side, totally recovered post Lebanon food poisoning or whatever that was.

Back in the game today 23rd December:
10miles general aerobic. Roads were fairly quiet and the sky was amazing, loads of different shades of blue. Bit icey here and there but mainly it was fine. Beautiful day to be out for a run.

Blueskye

24th December
4 miles recovery run. Visibility was pretty poor, some serious fog out there so had to pull in out of the way of cars a fair bit which was annoying but beautiful out there. So quiet and white. Lovely snooze in the afternoon watching movies. I love Christmas

Blueskye

25th December 2009
8miles with 4miles at half-marathon pace: 1.16.33
1: 10.32
2: 9.47
3: 9.15
4: 9.02
5: 8.52
6: 8.46
7: 10.03
8: 10.09

Fantastic run, really enjoyed it. Had to turn back on the first few roads as it was really icey but once I got going on the busier roads it was fine, the cars had removed the ice. No slipping. And chuffed with myself for managing to stick with the running the whole year. I'm miles ahead of where I was this time last year and hopefully will keep on improving if I just keep it up. I'm no speedy gonzales but I'm only competing with myself. Running is the business

Blueskye

Saturday 26th December
P&D had a 4 mile recovery run scheduled for today and 14 miles tomorrow. Well I hope to have a few drinks tonight so decided to flip the runs and do 14 today. The first 7 were full of christmas joy, easy pace, sunshine and birds in the trees and then something happened...it wasn't fun anymore, my legs were tired...I was hungry...why were cars flying past me at 100 miles an hour instead of their lovely cautious pace of the past few days...why didn't I bring water to drink...the surface of this road is ****e...I feel ****e...what's with the negativity Blueskye...why did you think chocolate and a banana was enough to eat before a long run? I stopped my garmin a couple of times when I pulled in for a car and forgot to turn it on again...more swearing...a few walk breaks...I'm bored...why am I so far from home...ok enough, cop the f^ck on...That was the lovely ****e going on in my head today! Anyway, I made it home and ran about 14.5miles I'd say. But it's done.

Blueskye

Sunday 27th December
Sore throat so skipped today's 4M recovery run.
36miles this week

Monday 28th December
Rest

Tuesday 29th December
8miles scheduled with 10 100m strides thrown in.
8.27miles including 10x100m strides plus a very cold additional 1.09miles
Tonight was the coldest run of 2009. It was freezing, far colder than last week. The first mile I was thinking how cold my face and hands were, despite gloves. Do runners ever wear balaclavas? That would have been the business. Serious wind and rain and the rain was sore on the face. But a lovely run, feeling good tonight. At 8miles I got back to my starting point and well, got locked out...through no fault of my own, so I had an extra run to find a phone at which stage I had cooled significantly...there weas a bit of a wait...so fingers crossed no chill tomorrow.

Blueskye

Wednesday 30th December
4.6miles recovery run. It is cold out there!!

Blueskye

Thursday 31st December
Last run of 2009 - 10 miles followed by lots of alcohol!!
10.02/mi
162 bpm
1136.63 miles for 2009, I actually cannot believe I ran that much, that consistently with finishing a Phd at the same time. What a year it has been!! Here's hoping for a fantastic 2010 full of more running, faster times and a bit more mileage. And thanks to all on boards for giving me that push to go out when I was feeling lazy. The site is a great motivator. Happy new year all, here's to a fantastic 2010 :-)

Blueskye

Friday 1st January 2010
Scheduled rest day

Saturday 2nd January
4mile recovery planned. Didn't happen.

Sunday 3rd January
15miles. Was not in the humour to go out in the cold today plus my garmin has jammed, it won't respond at all so did 3 laps of a familiar 5 mile route. Bumped into two friends randomly and stopped for brief chats which broke the tedium, also had a few bits of a banana at mile 10 plus water at mile 5 and 10 which seemed to help. To be honest, could have done another 5 at 15 but equally glad to have it done.

39.96miles this week

Blueskye

Well training has been patchy, missed a whole week - Jan 4th to 10th due to ****ty weather, trying to find somewhere to live in a new city, started a new job and moved house. Diet and training went right out the window. This past week has been a little better but I still missed a couple of runs between weather and tiredness. I'm getting a little anxious about Connemara training as it's all out of whack.

Wednesday 13th January
8.10miles with some 100m strides thrown in.
78.37 mins
164 bpm

Saturday 16th January
7 miles
148 bpm

16miler planned for tomorrow morning.

Blueskye

Sunday 17th January
16miles. P&D said to do 10miles at marathon race pace. Now, this is a first for me, in the past my long runs have just been long slow runs, with the main aim just to finish. I'm not really sure what my marathon race pace should be...but I aimed for 9.30min miles which is me working hard. Fairly hilly route and the legs were wrecked after mile 12 but a decent run. Just had water and a few bites of banana and that seemed to do the trick.

31miles this week

Blueskye

Tuesday 19th January
10miler planned but had to drive up to Limerick after work, plus the wind and rain were desperate. So 6 very wet miles up a massive hill, good bit of stopping and starting with traffic lights, not the most enjoyable run but at least I got out. Absolutely soaking afterwards.

Blueskye

Well I haven't been to log in with my username so I've given in and registered as Purpleskye.

Thursday 21st January
7miles
162 bpm
Hilly route

Friday 22nd January
10.5miles, few hills
158 bpm
9.48/mi

Saturday 23rd January
At a wedding so day off scheduled.

Sunday 24th January
18miler scheduled, and didn't even drink at the wedding in preparation but had some knee pain which worried me so gave it a miss.

Monday 25th January
7miles with 6x100m strides
153 bpm

Tuesday 26th January
Tried a running club as I've moved cities. 1.25miles warm up on the track followed by 2.5 fast laps, followed by 2.5 slow laps x3 then about 4 laps cool down.
circa 5 miles

Wednesday 27th January
Rest day

Thursday 28th January
7 miles
63.31
165 bpm

Friday 29th January
8.36miles
77.37
158 bpm
Had planned to do 10 miles but lower left calf seized up. Need to do more stretching and get a sports massage.

Saturday 30th January
19.2miles.
3 hrs 11 mins
152 bpm
hilly route. Longest run in a long time, since DCM I guess. Was a bit anxious about how it would go but went fairly well. Fell over climbing a ditch at the very end and bashed my thigh and knee but no harm done just some very colourful bruises!!

January: 116.23 miles

Blueskye

Tuesday 2nd February
4.6miles

Blueskye

Another almost full week of training missed...feeling unwell since Tuesday, just tired (overdid it at the weekend) and sinuses giving me trouble, then had a vaccination at work on Wednesday and got a full blown cold on Thursday. Not sure if coincidence or not. Came home from work early yesterday and went straight to bed and spent most of today in bed too. I've watched Up in the Air, White Ribbon, Music for Melancholy and the Blind Side in the past 48 hours!!! I was not happy looking out at that lovely sunshine today thinking of another missed run.

It has crossed my mind a few times to revise my goals and just do the half in Connemara rather than the full and aim for Edinburgh instead as I just don't feel I've prepared enough for Connemara. I still haven't found any long routes I like here (just moved at the beginning of January) and I've missed a good bit of training with the bad weather, moving house and now being sick. Going to have a look at dates now and make a new plan.

Blueskye

Tuesday 9th February
7.65 miles
158bpm
9.29/mi
strength work
core work (finally!!!)

Blueskye

Thursday 11th February
10miles. Put this off all evening and then when I went out I had a fantastic run. Really enjoyed it. 4 miles under 9mins (8.57, 8.58, 8.51, 8.39) which is fairly fab for me.

10miles: 91.31mins, 166 bpm. Feeling happier about just doing the half in connemara and going all out for Edinburgh. Hopefully will be more prepared.
Strength training
Core work

Blueskye

Sunday 14th February
15.5miles
2.29.40
162 bpm
9.63/mi
Difficult enough run today, lost the will to run at about 12.5miles and it was a struggle from then on just to keep going. Probably needed to eat something, I usually have a bite of a banana to keep me going. But it's done and it was a fantastic day out there today. The sun was amazing.
Core work and stretching.

Blueskye

Tuesday 16th February
I'm going out for dinner this evening and I didn't want to miss yet another run so I took 2.5 hours off work this afternoon and headed out for a 9miler after lunch. What a pleasure, sun shining, could see where I was going, what a treat. Definitely more fun than dragging myself out after dark, tired and hungry after a full day's work. Anyway, P&D said 9 miles with 5 at HM pace. So I thought, ok, let's try 8.40 as HM pace, which is probably a bit ambitious but it's time I pushed myself.
4 easy hilly miles: 9.25, 9.31, 9.00, 9.27. Legs felt a bit heavy after Sunday's run but once I warmed up they felt fine.
5 much harder miles but flatter. Really pushed myself today. I couldn't keep up the pace continuously, so I walked for 1 minute between each mile from 5 onwards and after the first mile I stopped the watch when walking so I could get an idea of my pace when running alone:
8.31,
8.59 (1 min walk included here which reduced the pace),
8.22,
8.53(pretty wrecked at this stage so walked for 1 minute at half a mile here so that slowed the time),
8.30.
Finished off with an easy mile to bring it up to 10 miles: 9.34.
Happy with that. Tough session. I realise I need to push myself a bit more, looking at those times shows me I'm probably capable of more than I'm currently achieving.
10miles
90.15 mins
162bpm

Blueskye

Thursday 18th February
9.10miles
85.23 mins
160bpm

Blueskye

Saturday 20th February
15 planned. Am away in Galway so tried a hilly route near where I'm staying. Jesus, I really don't run enough on serious hills. The first 2 miles were uphill and the next 2 were rolling, followed by 3 fairly flat. Repeated the first 3.5 and then turned around to go downhill as I was struggling motivation-wise. Fantastic day weather-wise, beautiful scenery and the sun was out but I felt fairly blah, just wrecked from the hills I'd say. So 14miles done. Not too bad.
2 hours 13 mins 49 seconds
163 bpm
9.53/mi

Blueskye

Sunday 21st February
Asleep by 11pm last night! What a mad thing I am!! Watched Tulpan, a movie set in Khazakhstan, well let's just say I never wanted to see several dead lambs being born but now I've had the pleasure.

Anyway, it meant I was up nice and early for a 5.5mile recovery run in Salthill this morning. Wow, so foggy out there, I had icicles on my eyebrows it was so cold. The legs were fairly heavy the first 4 miles but then eased up for the fifth.
5.5miles - 55.05, 150bpm.
38.6miles this week.