Bluesquare wrote: » Grand - thanks for asking. Have been a bit unmotivated last few weeks - heavy legs and lack of real race motivation z One of the kids turned off my strava feed which I’ve just figured out after a few people enquired on my injury status ! Still running albeit a bit poorly and was avoiding motivated folk cause feeling sorry for myself . But I’m back now in motivated mode ( I think) and going to try and start working off a plan . Looking at the boards graduate one .
skyblue46 wrote: » Haha...it was actually the lack of activity on Strava that caught my eye not your absence from here. I wondered if those steps in Drogheda had come back to haunt you. Glad you're getting a bit of mojo....I hear there's nothing better than a 1 mile TT to focus the mind
Being a longtime baby!
Decided to start the log again – in the hope it will keep me motivated and accountable.
The last two years of been a blur of running nothingness. I managed to keep some sort of consistent running just topping 1000 miles in 2020/2021. Some months were better than others.
If your reading this and cant cope with women talking about their hormones look away now! On and off over the last few years , my energy levels would go up and down causing some basket case race results. I would go to the doctor thinking my iron levels were off or my thyroid meds needed tweaking – but mostly they wouldn’t. Then it would right itself and I would be grand. Nothing major and probably nothing you would notice unless you were running 30 miles a week.
I gained weight during first lock down from good living. I tried to loose weight thereafter and was very active running obviously and walking at least 5k a day (covid dog) – my diet was very good , ate protein levels required , love a good carb etc but the weight refused to budge. I had persistent muscle pains that never went away but never got worse, spent a fortune at the physio. They were never bad enough to stop me running though and I was beginning to think I was making them up. Other issues as well which aren’t running related so not relevant really to the log. Well my sleep was a bit dodgy – about 5 nights a month I was sleeping really badly . I was taking “all” the vitamins – rattling around like a pill box!
The summer of 2021 was a write off. From January to June despite the fact I was carrying the covid stone I had gotten myself rather fit – well I knocked 2 secs off my 5k pb. So I was pretty pleased with myself . Two days after this I got my covid vaccine and all of my issues completely flared up. At the time I didn’t relate the two. By the time was jabbed for a second time I could barely run 5k without stopping. Running became an horrific ordeal to be endured which I just couldn’t do. When the hot flushes started the penny dropped with me what was going on . Perimenopause – symptoms can be exactly like an underactive thyroid or indeed low iron . I sleepwalked through the summer – I’m not sure I woke up at all . I still tried to run now and again but I couldn’t handle the heat at all. I’m not a big sweater normally and actually love the heat and running in it so this was all a big shock to me. ( I have learned since lots of my buddies etc had hormonal flares after the vaccine – apparently it’s a normal immune response)
Anyways not one to sit around and endure stuff that I don’t have to – I went to my GP and she prescribed HRT. I have been taking it since September and tweaking the dose. Honestly I can say I have energy I had forgotten you were supposed to have – mentally and physically . I have been back running 25 ish miles a week and really enjoying it. A minor set back after the booster- but nothing extreme.
I just wanted to log this in case anybody else is going through this and might recognise the symptoms etc. I’d say I have probably been perimenopausal for a while – retrospectively I have had some races were I could barely run let alone PB. Certain folk were like you just should have ran through the pain – They didn’t understand you were putting all of your reserves into moving at your normal “easy” pace.
Anyways I still have the extra stone – as my diet has slipped – I think I’m very special to exercise as much as I do and still put on weight. Quite an achievement.
So running wise – I haven’t been doing much in the way of speed work. Maybe a session every two weeks , no long runs, and odd 4-5k run with my 13 year old which hurts a lot. Did 2 park runs (2ndand 3rd ones ever and loved them) . First one was 26:15 and the second one 25:20
In November I did a 10k race (ish) . Hadn’t’ planned on racing per se. Decided on the day I had to keep up with some folk ( I would never hear the end of it if they beat me). They started a bit faster that I expected – 5:15 -5:20 pace. I settled in to it and by the 5th Km I couldn’t resist the urge to pass them even though I knew I would pay for it later when the coastal wind hit. Few nice fast Km before the wind put a stop to my triumphant return . A 52:30 finish wasn’t bad all things considered and passing those people was a great buzz – well passing a lot of people in the second half was nice.
December mileage wasn’t great – 120k. Got my booster on the 17th and had a 5k race on the 19thso wrote it off before it started really. I decided if I had it in my legs I’d go with it but if the effort was too much for the resulting pace id sit back and enjoy. I started out with my husband and son. My son has been running about 8 k a week for a while – is very fit but very lazy and hates pushing himself. So we were trying to get him to at least go faster than 25 mins (totally able for much more). So my husband paced for a slow start hoping for a fast finish as that how they normally run anyway. I kept with them and was feeling good – so I thought id keep motoring until I ran out of fuel. It was an out and back race so we reached half way in about 12:40 mins. There were a few tight sections were you couldn’t over pass and the hubby was getting impatient ( his first ever 5k) . At half way he suggested the two of them speed up and go for it but the young lad was like no I’m not going any faster I’m staying with Mum. So your man ran off leaving me with the moany teenager. Are we there yet – what km are we at now, what’s the distance now , this is so boring, why aren’t you talking back etc etc . Obviously had a lot of energy left. Anyways it was a local race and like you know you got to save a bit of face- so naturally I spotted a few folk I just had to pass -and say big hellos to! I was pushing hard at this stage and only grunting to the kid at his whining. With 1k to go I tried to motivate him to leave me and go for it – but he told me my inspirational speech didn’t work – and he wasn’t bothered pushing. We got onto the track – he ran about 10 meters ahead of me and kept looking around to make sure I wasting speeding up . Sadly I don’t have much of a kick – would love to have made him speed up.
Anways we just nipped in under 25. (5:02, 5:11, 500, 4:51, 4:46) Delighted with that . Not sure if his whining motivated me or held me back lol. So that’s were my fitness is at . As a side note the hubby went on to finish in 23 mins . He did 2.5 k at a 4:00 min k . I tried to engage him then in running talk – and showing him my book collection but no interest . Won’t even wear a watch. Drives me insane. I did sneakily buy him speeds for Xmas so he’s wearing shoe tech without even knowing.
So I have signed up for the Trim 10 mile race in Feb and the Bohermeen half. Really like both of them and have a hit and miss record racing them. I also fancy a few more 5 kms as reckon that’s the most likely place to see a PB topple. (23:43). I think I am in a good place. Bring on 2022!
Good for you R. You've had a tough couple of years but you've hung in well and managed to come out in a good position. Not everyone would have achieved that, you are still running well, not a million miles away off your PBs and those PB times will come back to you and fall as you build back up now. Great attitude to it all too. I'm delighted to see you back logging and no harm to bring women's issue to the fore either, we cope with a lot, and in silence most of the time. Are you going to follow a plan for Bohermeen or what you thinking for the next while?
Great to see this log going again. Might see you in Trim.
Lovely to see you back logging. Sounds like a really tough couple of years, especially when you didn't know what was going on most of the time, not to mention the pandemic stress on top of that. I can relate on the carrying extra weight part - I used chocolate therapeutically while injured 🤣 and haven't lost it yet. Best of luck with the races, the only way is up from here!
Cheers -I have a plan - I have used it before it’s an old club plan. Unfortunately I haven’t did any long runs in about six months so have to build distance again . The plan has one work out a week using HMP which builds up as weeks go by , first few week adds easy run with hills whilst increasing long run then after a while adds a bit of V02 max as a second workout . So eases you in gently . 4 days a week with an option to run an extra run on Wednesdays .
I have decided my half marathon pace is 5:10 which is fantasy based on current fitness - but it does mean I’m getting weekly LT threshold runs which build up fitness anyway . I plan to add a few park runs and a few local 5ks as well . I’ll decide closer to time what target should be I suppose.
First session :
2k warm up , 8*3 mins @ 5:10 with 60 secs jog break , 2k cool down . Hit pace fairly nicely , recovered grand in the 60 secs so first session went well.
Thanks - honestly wasn’t that bad apart from last summer . I got rid of a 3 hour commute so that’s a great plus . I always talk a good talk about races but then never do them . So hopefully this year will be different - didn’t realise how much I liked them and depended on them for motivation until they were gone .
Hope you are recovering well and finished isolation - what rotten luck.
I see you started your log back up, nice one.
You're going great.
I'll have a good read over the weekend when I have some time to myself.
Great to see a positive result from the HRT! I wasn't aware about the vaccine/hormone reaction, very interesting. I'm noticing a positive benefit too but way way behind you in terms of getting back to normal. Best of luck with Trim and Bohermeen, two fantastic races. I like the sound of that plan too.
I hope things get back to normal for you as well as soon as possible . I think the rate at which symptoms clear and which ones clear first is different for everyone.
I really like those two races - though Bohermeen won’t be the same without the cakes and chats in the clubhouse after !
First week of HM training
Tuesday : 10k with 8*3 mins @ 5:10 aka fantasy HMP with 1 min jog recovery with W/u and c/d circa 6:20
Comment : Enjoyed this session despite the biting cold wind . I found it ok to find the pace and recover to go again . My training partner struggled -( didn’t have the fancy foot wear 🤣) . Anyways she claimed couldn’t do the pace at all although she was trying . I am like that happens it’s a just a bad day . Seemingly normally If she has a bad day she can still do the pace it just hurts more . Obviously we have different ideas of bad days! Anyways this is not a good development as she’s now not happy with the plan and thinks should be a handier build up . I will struggle to do sessions by myself if it comes to it . Fingers crossed back to normal tomorrow .
My other 3 runs were 8k,10k and 12k easy - pace averaging about 6:20.
The first one was nice and handy no drama , the second one - was bitter cold and we got caught in wicked hailstones for last 1k , and the last one felt hard although heart rate wasn’t elevated / we stopped several times to chat to other runners on route but I felt weak after and a little shakey. A blip
Total 40k which was right on target !
Second week of HM training ;
Tuesday :
2k warm up : 6:44, 6:31 ( min k), 2.7k cool down : 6:42,6:19,6:03
pyramid @hmp with half time jog recovery
1,2,3,4,4 3,2,1 ( measures in mins )
paces ( 5:07,5:07,5:11,5:07,5:03,5:02,5:07,4:59)
This felt harder than last week despite the fact it was an easier work out.
Thursday : 10k with 5k steady tempo
6:21,6:24,5:25,5:34,5:28,5:25,5:29,5:49,5:57,6:15
I forgot to pace properly for the cool down - too busy chatting so wasn’t paying attention to the watch . The tempo pacing was particularly bad as well - it was supposed to MP ( circa 5:35) but just can’t seem to get that pace in my legs . Pace felt ok - was still chatting a bit .
Saturday : 9k easy @ 6:19. Finding it hard to get easy pace right - usually it comes naturally but first solo run in a while !
Sunday : LSR 14k @ 6:02.
Another pacing disaster - one person in my running group just can’t get her head around the meaning of easy . To be honest I wasn’t bothered on Sunday constantly with the shouting to slow as mileage still low enough that this pace won’t make a big difference . Next week she can scoot off !
Total distance : 43k
Slowly building the mileage . Energy levels weren’t great last week I have to admit - and had a lot at aching after each run . Hoping it was a blip and this week will be the job !
Not a very exciting update - the most interesting thing was a delivery of a new pair of speeds and a pair of runners harmony inserts to stop holes appearing !
I also booked flights today for my holiday ( booked in 2019) - I’m now wondering will I be long running in Spain once more …….
Nice week there! I always think it's harder to stick to a pace when you are in a group & chatting, doing the easy pace will stand to you.
Always nice getting new runners, I have a fair few miles on my speeds but find myself reaching for them a lot, great runner!
Nice to have something to look forward too😊
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