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Running the red line

  • 15-02-2011 10:42pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭


    OK. Going to try this again now.

    A bit of background: I'm 35 years old, 6ft 5, 14 stone. Oh, and male, not a freakishly tall woman. You would think that long legs would help, but I found progress very slow when I tried jogging in the past. It took me two months to be able to do 5k without walking breaks, and the time never got much below 30 minutes.

    I see a cardiologist once a year for a small electrical anomaly in my heart that's never given me any issues. I take blood pressure meds for an unrelated reason, but doctors have told me there's no reason I can't exercise. In the back of my mind though I wonder if any of this is holding me back, mentally or physically.

    I have a plan to help me get started and stay motivated: I'll put it down here so that the Internet can keep me honest.

    I work near the Naas Rd in Dublin 12 and I live in the city centre. I'm going to leave work in the evening and head for the Luas, and run beside the tracks. Like Superman racing alongside the train in the first Superman movie, but, ehm, incredibly slowly.

    I'm only going to make it to the first or second stop, and then I'll hop on the next Luas and continue homewards. Eventually though I should be able to extend the distance. Each stop on the line will be a milestone of improvement. If I ever get to be able to jog the whole distance, it will be approximately 10k. I have set out the route here

    Not in work tomorrow, so might start this on Thursday.


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,830 ✭✭✭catweazle


    Good luck Lionel, certainly one of the more unusual ways of monitoring running progress

    Are we going to have the ipod music of choice listed as well this year?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    catweazle wrote: »
    Good luck Lionel, certainly one of the more unusual ways of monitoring running progress

    Are we going to have the ipod music of choice listed as well this year?

    Ha, no. Instead I'm going to provide lists of my favourite breakfast cereals. The same list, each post.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 1: 3.2km / 21 mins, from the office to the Luas stop at Bluebell.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 2: Same again, 3.2km to the Bluebell Luas stop in 21 minutes.

    My legs took a few days to recover after Thursday. Hopefully that was just because it was the first time out. The plan now is to do this on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and only increase the distance gradually.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 3: 3.9km to the Black Horse Luas stop, 27 minutes, but with a few short walking breaks.

    Had a backpack today with a pair of shoes and a light jacket in it. I'll use that as my excuse for the slower pace.

    I wonder is it a coincidence that 4 of the stops on the line have colours in them - Red Cow, Bluebell, Black Horse, Golden Bridge. These 4 colours are also on an archery target. Just though I'd mention it in case you're ever in a pub quiz.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 4: 3.9km to the Black Horse Luas stop, 26 minutes, no walking breaks.

    Avoided starting off too fast today so no need for walking breaks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 5: 3.9km to the Black Horse Luas stop, 25 minutes; about 4 short walking breaks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 6: was last Wednesday. Took a half day from work because I was heading down to Dingle and jogged to BlackHorse Luas stop with a full backpack. Plenty of walking. I was in a very distracted state. My mind was racing from rushing to finish work early. I have been reading something in the meantime about meditation during everyday activities, and being mindful of breathing, so I will try this next time.

    Day 7: was Friday morning. Jogged for 10 minutes downhill to a beach near the house in Dingle. Spent a couple of minutes looking at the waves and then tried to jog back again. The return trip was 50% walking. Uphill is very hard on the calves.

    Day 8: was Saturday morning. Same as Friday, more or less. 2km downhill to the town, and then attempted to jog back, but the uphill was as much walking as jogging.

    Today, Monday, my left thigh hurts when I lift my foot off the ground. This evening its less noticeable though. Will give it a rest until Wednesday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 9: 3.9km to the Black Horse Luas stop, 24 minutes, no walking breaks. Light backpack.

    Didn't run last week due to various things cropping during the evenings. Tonight felt much easier though for some reason. No tightness in the calves, no overheating & breathing was ok. Just plodded along like a metronome for the whole distance.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 10: 3.9km to the Black Horse Luas stop, 25 minutes, a few micro-walking breaks. I could feel it in my legs more than on Monday.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭thirstywork2


    Well done on starting up the training log again and a great idea to build up luas stops.
    I think though you will need to start varying your runs soon as you might get stale.
    Also try run on the grass once a week if you can.
    Have you set yourself any short term and long term targets?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Well done on starting up the training log again and a great idea to build up luas stops.
    I think though you will need to start varying your runs soon as you might get stale.
    Also try run on the grass once a week if you can.
    Have you set yourself any short term and long term targets?

    Thanks Thirsty, I'll think about the grass alright. My short term target and my long term target are the same; to be able to run the 10k home from work 3 or 4 days a week. If I'm able to increase the distance by 10% per week I should be doing that by the end of May. Once I can do that I'll be happy.

    Cycled in and out of work today, seen as the buses were disrupted and the traffic was light. Will probably not do anything the next couple of days and then do the St. Patrick's 5k run on Sunday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 11: St Patrick's 5k run, no walking breaks, 31:25. Used a Garmin 305 to keep an eye on my pace. It was a beautiful day, like last year.

    Next out on Tuesday or Wednesday evening, will add another Luas stop.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 12: 4.5km to the Drimnagh Luas station, 29 minutes. A couple of micro-walking breaks because I had a slight ache in my right calf. I will try stretching properly next time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 13: 4.8km to the GoldenBridge Luas station, 31 minutes. Again a few micro-walking breaks because of aches in my both calves. I didn't really stretch beforehand - I just bounced up and down a bit when putting on my runners.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Took a different route today. Rather than taking the Nangor Road and Naas Road, I jogged the canal path from Parkwest to Inchicore and joined the Luas tracks there. Its a nicer run and there's no traffic.

    5.5k brought me to the Rialto Luas stop, with no walking breaks, in 36 minutes.

    I was concentrating on keeping my feet & calves loose so that I'd strike the ground better and not push off from my toes. I think it helped because I had only a little tension in the calves and it wasn't nearly enough to make me want to walk. Pace was slower, but it will be worth it for now if I can leave the walking breaks behind.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 15: Canal again: 5km to Suir Road/South Circular Road, 31 minutes, no walking breaks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 16: Just did 3.3km in 20 minutes today because I had a shinsplint in my left leg all yesterday and some of today, and something up with my stomach as well. Forgot the Garmin so couldn't pace myself today - had intended to go slightly slower.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 17: 5.5k along the canal from Parkwest to the back gate of James's hospital, 34 minutes. 2 full minutes faster than the same distance last Monday. I had been intending to increase the distance by 10% each week but I am now wondering if increasing the speed some weeks would be just as good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 18: 6k to James's, 38:22. Nice warm evening: I think I will have to face up to the prospect of leaving the office in a pair of shorts soon enough. 5th run in a row with no walking breaks, I think they are behind me now.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 19: 6k from UCD to Ringsend. 39:33. Beautiful weather.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 20: 6k from Parkwest to St James's, 39:04. The last two runs haven't fell great. A few dull twinges in the legs yesterday and today. Not muscular twinges but something else I think. Will not increase the distance this week unless the 6k starts to feel a bit more comfortable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 21: 6.7k from Beaumont to Clontarf to Drumcondra, via Griffith Avenue. 43 minutes. Felt fine - I could have kept going at the end.

    Was focussing on letting my arms move like pendulums rather than pistons - I think it was better because they were more in sync with my leg movements. Edit: Actually that's a bad description: I think that I was previously slightly resisting the natural movement of my arms, but today I just let them swing in counterbalance to my legs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Day 22: No backpack today. 7km from Mountjoy Square through Fairview and along Collins Avenue, 44 minutes. I was looking for Griffith Avenue so needless to say I was lost. Encountered some unexpected hills between Fairview park and Collins Avenue which meant that I could feel the effort in the last 2k.

    When I was finished, I was 3.6k from home so I walked back along Grace Park Road. Once I get up to 10k next month and maintain it for a little bit, I am going to include that hill in a run. Between Richmond Road, Griffith Avenue and Collins Avenue it is a fairly steep sustained climb up Grace Park Rd.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Just couldn't do it this evening. I barely made it 2 kilometres. I tried jogging for short stretches to see if I could pinpoint what the problem is, and I think its my right upper leg. I also had a slight pain about 3 inches above my right knee yesterday and today so maybe I did something to it on Saturday. Will give it a rest until Wednesday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    Right. I had another aborted run a few days after the last entry, above. Then a cold. Then laziness. Its easy to miss one week and then suddenly have missed 3 weeks.
    Did 3.5k this evening to get back into it. Thought it was 4k but I had made a mistake with the Garmin. 22 minutes, plenty of downhill at the start.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    2.2k, 13'30".


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭brownian


    2.2k, 13'30".

    Welcome back:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,842 ✭✭✭Micilin Muc


    Welcome back too!

    It's hard to get back into running after a break, but I think it takes a few weeks of consistent training to get your running mojo back! Keep at it!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    3k this evening, 17'47".

    Legs are quite sore during, between and after runs this week. Not sure if its the jogging, or because I've being trying to meditate and my body isn't flexible enough to sit cross-legged. Probably a mixture of both.


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