Beardys running log - Ct5k

[Jasmine]

Sorry intervals and before breakfast is just wrong Chris - unless breakfast is brunch of course

It might horrify you to know that I quite often do fasted hill intervals at 6.30am. Total distance is 9km, with 5.5km of proper hill intervals. It's fairly unpleasant when fasted. I had a few weeks of attempting speed intervals on a Monday night, followed by hill intervals on the Tuesday morning. That was a bit too unpleasant if the Monday was a hard session.

[chrisbainbridge]

Sorry intervals and before breakfast is just wrong Chris - unless breakfast is brunch of course

It might horrify you to know that I quite often do fasted hill intervals at 6.30am. Total distance is 9km, with 5.5km of proper hill intervals. It's fairly unpleasant when fasted. I had a few weeks of attempting speed intervals on a Monday night, followed by hill intervals on the Tuesday morning. That was a bit too unpleasant if the Monday was a hard session.

I knew my session was a bit wimpy but I had just done a long run the day before.  I know if I want to run faster I need to do the intervals BUT "The Run" has been mentally a God send over the last few months.  I am a little worried that if I add too many intervals in it will become like trainerroad sessions, a chore rather than a pleasure.

[Polar Bear]

Do you have a dynamic stretching program?  I am using a mix of an online Pilates stretching class which I find a bit quick and my own stretching from my in person Pilates.

My pilates instructor is ex ballerina and her introduction to Pilates stretching was " start your glute stretch, I will be back in 5 minutes!".  She says she then realised the difference between normal and Pilates!

I used to have a personal trainer when I started my road back to some sort of fitness in August 2018.  She set me up with a number of dynamic and static stretching and a load of ab exercises and bodyweight exercises to swap in and out of my routines.  I have been negligent with the abs and bodyweight stuff but I do at least 15 minutes of dynamic stretching before each run session.  What I have noticed is that I haven't had one injury since I have been stretching properly.

I also do an occasional yoga or pilates session in front of the TV but it is occasional.  I should do more.

[Polar Bear]

Oh, the intervals session went well too.  I started off feeling like I was made of lead but once I was into a rhythm it all just flowed.  🙂

[chrisbainbridge]

 

[sojournermike]

I should be a bit more precise - I don’t mind running or cycling fasted before breakfast, but I’m not a fan of running particularly early. Certainly not hard and early. It takes my legs a while to wake up and be happy in the morning, so steady is fine but I’m not going out looking for speed.

Otoh, I’m quite happy skipping breakfast and running at lunchtime then eating in the evening - although I find that easier when I can go to the office.

There’s a bit of research been published in the last couple of weeks that suggests afternoon/evening running is more effective at managing glucose metabolism than early morning, although that may be related to traditional meal sizes at different times. There’s also been a few (related?) papers recently pointing out that sitting all day and running/cycling at start or end of day is not healthy and we actually need to move regularly through the day - qu’elle surprise!!

Jasmine has my full respect - early morning hills!

[sojournermike]

Just been invited sent a marketing email for the Ultra North 55km ultra event. I find this stuff so dispiriting. £75 to enter, a long contract under Ts and Cs and mandatory equipment to be carried includes a fully charged mobile phone and debit/credit card.

It’s not really FRA or AUK - Nova International.

[chrisbainbridge]

I have been surreptitiously been looking at some ultra events. They seem somewhat akin to audax although more managed. I have not seen an equivalent to audax where the onus is on the participant to be self prepared.
I have also been looking at hiking some of our local long distance paths. The millennium path in Staffordshire goes from just outside  Burton to the welsh border and is about 60 miles. I could walk to the path from home and then hike it, Bivvying when necessary.
But then I want to do some longer solo rides as well.

[Polar Bear]

After intervals yesterday it is the zone 2 / 3 session today.   I am hoping for similar success to last week but the intervals went well yesterday so I must be due a hiccup somewhere, no?

Just thinking that makes me realise that my mindset is to expect failure.  I cannot fathom why I have such negative thoughts.  I see it in these pages:  I have a training dip and my world implodes.  Perhaps I need a way out of my apparently negative mindset.

[chrisbainbridge]

I have similar problems.  I friend at course once opened the course on Transactional Analysis with the statement  "How are you going to sabotage your attendance today?" which I have found helpful.

For me part of the running is about coping with the new pains and problems over shorter timescales to help my cycling coping mechanisms in the long events.  I have a long history of either not starting a ride or shortening rides due to "imaginary" problems

[mrcharly-YHT]

I get sabotaging thoughts all the time. Concern over dodgy ankle breaking down, heart attack, hit by car, getting lost; you name stupid concern, I get them.  When out paddling I get terrified of falling in and . . . Something. Hitting an unseen rock and falling out. Etc, etc.

So I spend a large portion of my mental energy during activities planning what I will do if <disaster> happens. It helps

[Polar Bear]

Well, that was a compete and total ...
...
...
...
...
...
success.  In the broadest sense.

The session went largely as expected.  It took me a little time to settle into a steady rhythm and pace which was below the max of set range but once I did I was able to keep running at that pace for over 2km before a walk was required. 

It was very muddy in places and I enjoyed myself.   Too early to know if it is making any substantial difference but just enjoying it makes it worthwhile.

[chrisbainbridge]

every run is a win!

[Polar Bear]

Absolutely.   

[chrisbainbridge]

My day for not wanting to get out but forcing myself. A slow 10.5 this morning. Slightly pulled my left achilles bounding up a hilly bit so ibuprofen it is.

[Polar Bear]

Steady 8km in horrendously strong winds.  Bits of tree debris and fast food detritus flying all over the place.

That's week 2 of the new regime completed.  Also, two consecutive weeks of 30km plus and two consecutive weeks of 4 sessions in the week.  I haven't run this much since the mid nineties.

[Hot Flatus]

Still in my dressing gown

[Polar Bear]

Keep it done up then please.               

[sojournermike]

Quick update - first Chris for long events that aren't painfully commercial and not what running^TM is about at all you need the Fell Runners Association or the Long Distance Walkers Association. To be fair, I have a prticular dislike of all these 'accessible, safe...' events that cost a fortune to enter and are commercial enterprises. It came to a bit a of a head a few years ago when I was 'invited' to a trail/fell running experience around the lower slopes of a cumbrian fell with waymarked paths, water and fuel stations and bands on the way around a 5 or 6 mile circuit!

A reference guide to my views can be found here https://richardaskwith.co.uk/books/running-free/  

He's also written a decent book on fell running and the Bob Graham Round here https://richardaskwith.co.uk/books/feet-in-the-clouds/

There's been some controversy amongst the northern fell community that a 'southerner' should write about fell running, and do it well, but we can let bygones be bygones I think.


In other news, having failed to motoivvate myself to get out into the weather on Thursday evening - late finish at work and home stuff to do didn't help - I ran 5 miles early on Friday morning. Yes, mornings are slow, but I confess to enjoying it. Then i ran 10 miles last night to top off last week at 4 days.

All good and thanks for the inspriatoin

Mike


Edited to add that I've just noticed that Run&Become sell Feet in the Clouds, but don't list Running Free. Such is the power of corporate persuasion - can't sell something that might encourage people to stop buying...

[chrisbainbridge]

Thanks Mike

I am having a couple of rest days. Pushed hard bounding up a slope to stead of being sensible and left Achilles is complaining.
I really want to push myself and get out. I know I will not die and may even enjoy it but years of being careful have left an ingrained fear. I am very grateful that my wife supports me and has never actually said something sounds dangerous. I think that what I am looking for is routes but basically it is MY mind I need to organise.

[Cudzoziemiec]

A reference guide to my views can be found here https://richardaskwith.co.uk/books/running-free/  

It's probably a very good book and I'm even half tempted to buy it, or at least read it, but following the link to the article connected to it, it's full of contradictions. Most obviously, he's selling you a book that tells you not to buy things. And he doesn't use special running gear – so instead of trainers he uses those Vibram five-toe things. They might be very comfortable and good for you but they're definitely a bit more special than trainers (and I don't mean "special" in a pejorative sense, I mean specialised). Best was this though:

Yet the boom is also perplexing – because how, when you think about it, can running be an industry at all? Can you think of any other human activity, apart from eating, drinking, sex and defecating, that is so utterly natural as running? It’s as simple, spontaneous and life-enhancing as singing.

Yes, and all of those, including singing, have been turned into industries too.

[sojournermike]

A reference guide to my views can be found here https://richardaskwith.co.uk/books/running-free/  

It's probably a very good book and I'm even half tempted to buy it, or at least read it, but following the link to the article connected to it, it's full of contradictions. Most obviously, he's selling you a book that tells you not to buy things. And he doesn't use special running gear – so instead of trainers he uses those Vibram five-toe things. They might be very comfortable and good for you but they're definitely a bit more special than trainers (and I don't mean "special" in a pejorative sense, I mean specialised). Best was this though:

Yet the boom is also perplexing – because how, when you think about it, can running be an industry at all? Can you think of any other human activity, apart from eating, drinking, sex and defecating, that is so utterly natural as running? It’s as simple, spontaneous and life-enhancing as singing.

Yes, and all of those, including singing, have been turned into industries too.

Yep, a contradiction! He’s a writer, so that’s how he makes his living of course. The book is a good book, but no need to read in order not to buy stuff and most people shouldn’t rush into vibrams! Tbh, it’s all pretty obvious really and, as you say, there are businesses looking to make money out of every free and included part of life.

My frustration with running, and it’s  just one illustration of course, is that business will do anything to turn simple joys into money making opportunities and, in doing so, become thieves of joy.

[Hot Flatus]

Not run for a week now. Last week at work left me shattered. In fact I havent left the house all weekend. Arse.

[sojournermike]

Thanks Mike

I am having a couple of rest days. Pushed hard bounding up a slope to stead of being sensible and left Achilles is complaining.
I really want to push myself and get out. I know I will not die and may even enjoy it but years of being careful have left an ingrained fear. I am very grateful that my wife supports me and has never actually said something sounds dangerous. I think that what I am looking for is routes but basically it is MY mind I need to organise.

Rest is good. Surprised your Achilles complains from one slope - watch how it goes and ease up a bit if you need. They’re a bugger to fix if you get tendinopathy. I had a bout a few years ago and it took several months before I was able to run free again. I was perfectly able to ride the bike while it got sorted however.

[sojournermike]

Not run for a week now. Last week at work left me shattered. In fact I havent left the house all weekend. Arse.

I’m not running or cycling today, but I am about to walk the dog. Plus I wrestled a tubeless Challenge Paris Roubaix onto an Ambrosio P20 rim earlier - that counts as core and resistance work...