Becoming an Athlete...

ontothenextrun

Hi Guys,

I'm starting this log as a means of keeping myself accountable and also to connect with more running peeps as I have no friends really 'into' it (read: in love with it) like I am!

For someone so in love with running, I have been a very inconsistent runner since I first began in 2008, and as a result have made hardly any gains (if any) in pace. I'm kind of fed up with this lack of commitment in myself - I could abide it in areas of my life I am not passionate about but not in something I love this much. So this log marks the beginning of me stepping up to the plate and trying to reach my potential.

My Running Story;

I began running in 2008 when I signed up for the mini marathon with a friend. We trained together, in the beginning running for 5 mins straight, working up to 60 over the course of about 10 weeks. I still remember the time I first ran consistently for 15 minutes and the awe I felt that I could actually do it.

After the mini marathon, my friend emigrated so I was a solo-runner. I had caught the bug so this didn't deter me; in the same year I ran another 10k, and the 5 mile and half marathon in the Dublin Race series.

From 2009 to 2013 my running was very inconsistent, sloppy, stop-start-y! Over those four years I ran a good few 10ks including the Great Ireland Run and the Mini Marathon for the second time. In 2012 I got married and used running to help my drop a lot of wedding weight but not running any races, despite my best intentions.

In 2013 I decided to run the Dublin City Marathon. Another of my friends (who runs occassionally for fitness as opposed to running races or really loving it) was due to go out to Chicago a few weeks after I began training and decided she would do the Chicago Marathon in September and begin training with me before she went out and also on any ocassions she was home in Ireland. This worked well as I don't mind training on my own but also had my friend in the same boat and an occassional training partner.

15 weeks into my 20 week training plan my right knee became injured, due to poor form (I won't bore you with the details!) but I had come so far that I refused to drop out of the marathon. I was aiming for a sub 4:30 finishe but with the injury came in at 4:51 with a strapped up knee and 10 Nuerofen Plus down the hatch (I know - please don't judge me!). I loved every minute of the marathon, the support was brilliant and the first 10-12 miles before the knee pain kicked in were close to euphoric. But...my knee injury kind of took away from the experience. I probably shouldn't have ran it.
After the marathon I ended up getting a slow-burning pneumonia which resulted in me being admitted into hospital. Fun!

It took me probably about three months to feel properly better from the onset of the pneumonia (which presented itself as a bad headache at first) to finally being admitted, to taking a second round of antibiotics, to resting fully and feeling 'myself again.

When I finally got back to running again, around February of this year, my left knee was now injured. Very annoying!! So after being on holiday for a month, taking up pilates to help improve posture and strength, going back to the physio, taking a couple of months off running completely, and doing my Physio exercises (albeit not consistenly enough) I have finally come back to running this week! 3 runs in and I am feeling SO out of shape it's shameful.

I think I need a couple more weeks of running consistently and doing my Physio exercises to see where I am at pysically. At that point I will make some goals, with the main theme being consistnency as I feel that over the years any gains in fitness I make are always quickly lost due to a lack of commintment.
If you have read through all that fair play! Hope to read everyone's logs and provide support where/if I can!

ontothenextrun

This week I ran three times. Untimed, extremely slow, sluggish runs on grass, approx. 4k each. Those runs we have to endure when trying to regain fitness. It was a reality check and made me realise just how far I have to go.

I was at a wedding the last couple of days and overdid it, wish I could have ate and drank more mindfully but i didn't. It is what it is and I'll try to handle those situations better in future.
On to my next run tomorrow!

Goal for week Sunday 21st - Saturday 27th June

4 runs this week, aiming for 4k each
Physio exercises 4 times a week.
Stick to my sensible diet plan

Thinking of joining a gym soon to get some cross training and treadmill action in the mix!