Starting from scratch (again!)

villan1

First time posting on here but have enjoyed reading all your logs and feel that it might be a good way to keep myself motivated

Well as the title suggests I am pretty much starting from scratch with my running. By way of background, I am female, mid thirties and reasonably fit - would play a fair bit of team sport during the summer/autumn.

Last autumn I decided that I wanted to try give running a go - went out for a few runs (nothing major - 2 or 3 miles generally). Entered the Simon 5 mile run and finished it in 47 mins which I was happy enough with - given my lack or proper training and more critically lack of knowledge of the hill at the end which nearly wiped me out altogether!!

After that other things got in the way work etc and training sort of lapsed until after Christmas (hence the title of this log!) Decided as new years resolution that would give it a proper go this time.

At the moment my goals are as follows;

• Do the Raheny 5 next week - not too worried about time as only really will have had 3 weeks proper preparation but as a pretty competitive person would like to go better than my 47 mins for the Simon run
• After that (and this is where I have always stumbled on previous attempts) build up the mileage so I can comfortably run a half marathon by maybe May/June time.

Not really following any specific plan but what I have done to date (all continuous running)

Week beginning 5th Jan 3 x 2 mile runs and 1 x 2.5 mile run (8.5 miles in total)

Last week
Monday nothing (prob should say rest day - sounds a bit better!)
Tues 2.7 miles
Weds nothing
Thurs 5 miles (running with a group of friends - little bit of a walk after about a mile as one of the other runners got a bad stitch)
Fri 2 miles
Sat nothing
Today 4 miles (found it tough enough going with the wind but was pleased that I kept going and didn't stop)

Anyway, sorry that is so long winded but just wanted to get it down so that I can make a start. Any advice or tips welcome. Thanks

Krusty_Clown

Hi Villan, best of luck with the goal and the new log! Have you considered putting your name down for a half-marathon now, for June/July and telling a few people about your goal? Great way to keep the momentum and motivation up over the next few (cold and wet) months! Enjoy Raheny - I'm giving it a go too, but haven't done too much 5 mile specific training, so not taking it too seriously.

Odysseus

Welcome aboard, best of luck with your training. The Dublin half marathon is generally around Sept, though that might be a tad late for you.

Krusty_Clown

Isn't Achill around June/July? http://www.achillmarathon.com/
These days, alot of events are filling up rather quickly.

villan1

Thanks for the replies and encouragement! Yeah think you are right - as soon as Raheny is over will look into signing up for a half-marathon - hopefully a late Spring one. Have a vague recollection of a friend running one in West Cork before around one of the bank holidays? Would anyone know anything about that?

So anyway
Monday - rest day
Tuesday - was to go out with a friend and do 5 miles of a circuit but wasn't feeling too good in work and with the rain decided to give it a miss.
Today - 2.5 miles

Plan is to do 4 - 5 miles tomorrow, 3 miles on Friday, rest Saturday and Raheny 5 mile on Sunday.

Good luck to everyone running on Sunday

Slogger Jogger

Welcome aboard Villan and good luck with your running. Yep - half marathon in West Cork. Details here: www.westcorkrun.com Ran it last year. Nice route. Somewhat hilly but nice and scenic. Managed a PB there last year

hunnymonster

villan1 wrote: »

Have a vague recollection of a friend running one in West Cork before around one of the bank holidays? Would anyone know anything about that?

Could be this one?
http://www.bayrun.ie/

villan1

Thanks Hunnymonster and Slogger Jogger (sorry not sure how to quote!!) - I think it might be the one that you mentioned Hunnymonster - will check it out would be a good goal to aim at alright!

5 miles today - bout 9 minute mile pace - happy enough with that.

villan1

Raheny 5 today - finished in 44.20 pretty happy with time considering I only really started back first week in January.
Suffered a little in the last mile - had a bit of a stitch and felt a little nauseous but think I might have eaten a bit too close to the race. Kept going though and even managed a little sprint at the end

Well done to everyone else who ran - see some great times posted here.

Next goal is to build up the mileage with the aim of a half-marathon in May

Krusty_Clown

Great running Villan1, +3 mins better than your Simon time. Hopefully a big boost for you, on your road to the half-marathon.

villan1

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Great running Villan1, +3 mins better than your Simon time. Hopefully a big boost for you, on your road to the half-marathon.

Thanks Krusty - pretty happy with that all right

villan1

Two rest days since Raheny run on Sunday - first one was planned but the other was annoying as was due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances

Anyway - back out today - 3 miles (26 minutes), then had to call to collect something from a friend, 1 mile back from friends house in a mixture of sprinting, slow jogging and walking - felt really good afterwards

villan1

5 miles today - no real idea of time, neither myself nor my running partner had a watch!
Delighted that the rain held off for run, was watching the grey clouds gather all day and was convinced it was going to pelt down at any second (maybe it has by now but I am too comfortably ensconced on the couch to notice )

Have pretty much decided to enter the half-marathon in West Cork on the May bank holiday weekend so need to start upping the mileage from next week!

villan1

Well things have been quiet enough since last time I posted after 5 mile run on Thursday. Haven't really gotten out with the exception of a brisk 1.5 mile walk yesterday - problem is with my left calf have been having darting pain in it for the past few days so didn't want to risk running.

Seems to be improving a bit so might try to get in a 2 or 3 mile run tomorrow. I know there has been lots of debate about the whole merits of stretching but just wondering if anyone has any good calf stretches and whether you would recommend that I should try and stretch them before running?? (They can sometimes feel quite tight when I run) Maybe I'm just getting old

villan1

Hmm - not so good on the posting (or running!) front. Have been laid up sick for the past two weeks so haven't been able to run - got a bit of walking done but not really great.

Anyway going to hopefully get back on track tomorrow - planning to do 3ish miles - still not 100% - have a cough and cold that I just can't shake but just really want to get back running at this stage.

Have been reading all the logs and everyone is doing great with times, training etc. Fair play.

villan1

Well got back out this morning - did two miles rather than the three that I was planning. Didn't feel great towards the end so decided to stop which I wasn't that happy about.

But on the plus side, I managed to get out for the first time in over two weeks. I plan to try run maybe 5 days this week, even if only short two to three miles at a time just to get back into it. Then I will focus from next week on building up the mileage towards the half marathon.

It was a gorgeous morning for running though - really enjoyed that aspect of it, was trying to visualise how great it would be to be able to go for a long run in those conditions. Hopefully I will get there