2012 was just my warm up!!

The Wise Owl

Looking back on 2012 I'm surprised at how active I really was.
Here is what I competed in.....
All 3 urban trails, 8km, 8km, 9.5km
Operation Transformation 5km
Pieta House from dark to light, 5km
Marlay Park!/Energise 5km
Womens mini marathon 10km
Irish Runners 5 mile
RambleAid, 2 races, 5km
Rathfarnham 5km
Simon community 5 mile
parkrun Malahide, 5m
Jingle Bell, 5km

Stemming from all this I also joined a running club late in the year
. When I see my achievement listed like that I'm glad I managed to finish them all. My best 5km time is now sub 25. My 5 mile time is 42.xx.
Having joined a club now I am running more regularly and with more structure.

Some goals are already in place for 2013:
Signed up for Raheny 5mile and my biggest hurdle/challenge will be the Kildare half marathon in May, which I will also be looking for advice about seeing as it will be my first. But hopefully not my last.

So here's to 2012, my warm up lap, coming to a close, and to 2013, a lap of honour!!

The Wise Owl

As Tuesday is usually my running day with my club I think I'll do the goal mile. Do you just run one mile or can you do more? Now I dont plan on doing 5, but maybe a few extra!

The Wise Owl

So I managed a mile! It was better than nothing! I prob should do some more tomorrow too. Never in my life would I have imagined that I would consider exercising on Christmas Day, but I did!! It took a few minutes out of my busy day to help a worthy cause. Wonder will I do any running tomorrow? Right now, I'm thinking yes but it could be a different story on the morning!

The Wise Owl

The holiday is well and truly OVER!!
I'm just heading to bed feeling very sick, thats down to the sick amount of eating I did today. But when your mother in law hands you icecream and christmas pudding after she's made you a massive turkey curry it'd be rude not to eat it!
The alarm is set for the morning, i'll just do a few kms I think, ease myself in gently.
I'll report back afterwards, provided I havent keeled over somewhere!

The Wise Owl

So I did it! A little later than planned but I did it! Oh and I also died! Well I thought I was dying! Found it hard to catch my breath for the first km but I trudged on.
I managed to do 4.2 miles and an average pace of 9.07.
Yes I am a bit slow coach and I'd say ppl who were out walking their dogs were looking at me and thinking, jeez that girl is hardly moving at all! But I did as much as I could. Even with the wind holding me back!!
I definately think the effects of alcohol and so much food has had a negative impact on any sort of training that i've been doing. But sure i had permission, it was Christmas!
The serious work starts again in Jan, back with my club with the Raheny 5mile as the next target. All that was going through my head today was, that if i felt terrible just doing that running by myself, how will I ever get to the finish line in Raheny?!

RayCun

are you in Bros Pearse?

The Wise Owl

The Wise Owl would never reveal that sort of information, for fear that someone could work out who this crazy bird is with the head of an owl.....but the body of a snail!!

The Wise Owl

So I got back on the proverbial horse today! Intended to go out this morning, but failed! Ended up having a massive late lunch then feeling so guilty that I hadnt gone out. So at 8 o'clock tonight I headed out aiming to do 3 miles. The area I live isnt the safest at night so I only really have a 3 mile loop, not sure what i'll do when I want to go further! Anyway, off I trotted. Going ok, tried to get my breathing under control, and kept powering on. I got to about 1.77 miles and suddenly felt my lunch was about to reappear!! I had to stop and walk for about 4 mins. But then I picked up again and made 3.2 miles.

So i looked at Hal Higdon's 5mile plan and i counted back from the weekend of the Raheny 5 mile, I have planned what I should be doing until then. Right now I just cant imagine myself being able to cover more than my usual 3 miles. I feel stuck!!! How do I get over that hump to the next mile without feeling like I want to give up altogether?!

The Wise Owl

I DID IT!

I ran 5miles this morning on my own! So proud! Following Hal Hig's 5mile plan, and counting back from Raheny, today was 4.5miles. The only reason I did the extra half mile was because I wasnt home yet and I didnt wanna start walking or that would take me longer to get home. Now what I'm wondering is, that is Sunday on the plan supposed to be run slowly?? Can someone help me with that? Because I definately ran it slowly today, av 9.5 miles, should I be going slower or faster? Just covering the distance made me feel great!