Once more from the top...

Tuesday: cross-training in the gym

Wednesday: was supposed to be 3 easy miles, but felt so exhausted that I just pottered around for a mile and gave up. Went for a long walk with a friend instead. Don't know what the hell has happened my body

Thursday + Friday: Rest and pre-hydration

Saturday: Actually felt okay about the 10-mile race, I felt I had done everything right, I'd covered the distance (and more) before and I felt I would do all my training justice.

I was wrong. The heat killed me, and by mile 2 I was finding it hard. By mile 2 of the 5-mile race I was practically dancing with happiness/excitement! I was aiming for sub-90, my pace-keeping (looking back) was cat. I wanted to build up a few spare seconds for the hilly miles but I probably went out too fast. Mentally I fell apart at mile 2. I was finding it so tough that I knew the sub-90 was going to be a struggle and from then on it all fell apart. Kept a decent pace up for the first 5 miles, but hated every one of them. I was absolutely freezing, my arms were in goosebumps. But my head felt overheated Around mile 6 I had to walk a bit for some dry retching, then I turned my watch off at mile 7. That actually felt like some of the pressure was lifted from me, I just told myself "it's a training run now, just finish it". I kept going okay over the first of the hills, then the last 2 miles were pure hell, with lots of walking. Finished just under 95 minutes, and given the brutal last 4 miles I think that means the first 5-6 were too fast.

I was absolutely gutted. I've done 10 miles faster in training, and over a tougher, hillier course. I've never before walked during a run. My body and my mind really let me down on the day when it really mattered. Tobe honest, they've been letting me down the last week or so too, everything really fell apart. I felt similar in my 8-mile run last Saturday, but managed to keep going.

I'm not sure where to go from here in terms of training for the half, I'm obviously doing something very wrong. All I know is that I couldn't face another race like that.

On holidays now for a week - I'm packing some gear but I'm not sure if I'll use it.

Emer911 wrote: »

Fair dues for getting the miles in on Hols. From recent experience I know how tough that is:p.

Thanks Emer, unfortunately I wasn't away anywhere sunny, just in the UK, so didn't have any temperature problems! There is no way in hell I'd manage it somewhere hot!

Wednesday: Cross-training session in the gym, which was surprisingly enjoyable!

Thursday: Session with the club. I really enjoyed it - my legs felt fresh and I even got some speed-work in! Think I covered approx 5 miles

Friday: Rest day

Saturday: 10 miles. My aim for the day was that I'd run it, enjoy it, and no stopping. After 4.5 miles my plan fell apart when I wiped away a drip from my nose and discovered a massive nose bleed. All I had to clean myself was my t-shirt but I was only 0.5miles from my parent's house so I ran down there to clean myself up. Needless to say I had to stop for the chat and to reassure my Mam that I wasn't going to bleed to death or keel over! So my run was very much split in two; for the second half I got soaked to the skin and I was feeling weary and hungry by the time I got home!

Plenty of cross-training this week also in the form of painting and decorating, so getting a nice upper-body work-out!

So that's pretty much the last of the long runs til the half marathon, will probably do 8 miles or so next weekend. I can't believe how quickly it's coming up!

Sunday: The legs felt a little tired but headed out for a planned 3 mile slow run. Ran into a friend during it and ended up doing 4 miles instead; 4.08 miles, 40:21

Monday: Strength training in the gym

Tuesday: Pilates, followed by 4 miles in the park (38:40). I started well but the wind was unreal, it was very slow progress running into it! Looking at my route on the garmin is funny as normally doing laps like that I follow the exact same course and it looks like 1 line going around the map, but tonight you can differentiate each line and it looks very scraggly! I must have been blown off course a fair bit!

Only 1 more run before the half marathon on Saturday. I'm feeling okay about it, my main aim now is to avoid illness until after the race! A number of my colleagues are coughing and sneezing with a horrible cold/flu and I'm being very anti-social and keeping to myself these days!

Well I'm back - sort of! Still very sore on my lower back where I must've hit it when I fell but hopefully the bruising will heal up over the next week or so.

Monday: Strength training in the gym

Tuesday: Pilates. Then a 4-mile run with a mini-hill session (which really hurt the back). It felt pretty okay, especially after my 2 attempted sessions last week which were short, slow, and still felt impossible. My body must have needed the break. 4 miles in 37:32, including 4 small hill repeats.

I'm back on the concrete now for the winter, which sucks. It's too dark for the park

Thanks Shazkea - my back is fine now!

Jeepers I've really got out of the habit of keeping this up to date! I also haven't plugged in my Garmin since last week so I'll try to remember what I did!

Wednesday: Cross training in the gym
Thursday: I think I did just under 5 miles, tried to keep with someone a bit pacier than me for the first couple of miles and then dropped back to a more comfortable pace for the rest of it!
Friday: A couple of hours dragging bags around a shopping centre
Saturday: 6 miles, and very enjoyable it was too. I tried to keep it nice and slow and it felt quite easy
Sunday: Novice XC - 3k, plus a bit of a warm-up/cool-down. I achieved my main aim which was "not coming last" but I wasn't far off it either. I need some speed! I'm being coaxed into the intermediates next weekend and if I give in it is pretty much inevitable that I will come last, so not sure if I should go it since it won't be good for the confidence!
Monday: Life got in the way. Sometimes you just have to let it. So nothing.

So I'm still no further in my plan for getting faster, have been picking a few brains and have a 5mile goal race for Jan 2011 so hopefully I'll get a plan of some sort over the next week. If anyone has any tips I'd be grateful

Sigh... I'm out of the habit of keeping this log up to date. I hadn't plugged my garmin in for ages either until tonight! Anyway, I've been running buts and pieces but have missed a few sessions and was generally lacking any motivation as I wasn't aiming for anything. But I've a new aim now (thanks RubyK!) and a plan and I'm rearing to go again. Had a great run on Sunday followed by watching the marathon on Monday so I'm inspired and ready to go!

No point in going back over the past few weeks so:

Wednesday 27/10/10: 40min tempo run. 4.5miles, 40 minutes. Haven't quite got the hang of the gradual pace increase/decrease but I got up to 5k pace for a decent few minutes in the middle so that's the main thing I guess??!

Monday 1/11/2010: 20 minutes cross-training in the gym, and a few weights

Tuesday 2/11/2010: Pilates, followed by 8x400m @ 5k pace. The run wasn't great - the driving wind and rain made the pacing difficult. I didn't do much of a warm up or cool down either (was hoping to get an extra couple of miles in) as I was eager to get out of the wind. So I covered just over 5k in the end. An unsatisfying run but job done anyway!

Wednesday 03/11/2010: Plan was 3m run + strength. This was a new one for me - a way to get an extra run in the week without losing out on a gym session. The plan was to run the long way (approx 2.5 miles) to the gym, do a strength session, then run the short way (1 mile) home. Starting out my legs felt so tired, but after a few minutes I started to get into it. I arrived at the gym nicely warmed up, and did a short enough strength and core session. Then it was back out - any my legs did not want to start moving again! They were actually in pain for the first 20 seconds or so! However it was actually my quickest mile back, it's downhill at least! Total 3.76miles, 36.48 minutes.

Thursday 04/11/2010: Plan was a 5 mile run. I managed to get out with the club tonight so it ended up being a bit pacier than I had planned for, so I reckon I got 3.5 miles at least at half-marathon pace with a slow warm-up and cool down. With that in mind I think I'm going to change sundays run to just a 4 mile at a slower pace, since I'll probably be tired after my LSR anyway. Total for a windy Thursday night: 5.88miles in 55:21

Friday 05/11/2010: Rest day! Woo!

RubyK wrote: »

Hope the ankle is just one of those niggley things that disappears as quick as it appears

Thanks, the ankle is still a bit niggly but doesn't seem to get any worse. It's sore when I first start running and then disappears. It's also sore when walking downstairs - but apart from that it's fine

Emer911 wrote: »

It'll probably just take you time a practice with the drinks. I find it hard to take sports drinks while I'm running too - they're usually OK before, and sometimes after, but they're just hard going on the run (so to speak).
Keep at it, it'll come good eventually. At least you have some nice new gear to try out...

Thanks you've just convinced me to give the drinks another go this weekend! I was seriously thinking of giving up on the idea - talk about no patience!

Plan for the week:
Mon: Strength + cross
Tue: 40min tempo
Wed: 3mile run + strength
Thur: 5 mile run
Fri: Rest
Sat: 10 mile run
Sun: 5 mile pace

Monday 08/11/2010: 1 hour pilates. Not really according to plan but I'm working away next week so I was catching up on a class in advance

Tuesday 09/11/2010: Another hour of pilates. Then I hit the gym for my tempo session on the treadmill. I HATE the treadmill and I must be the only person around that finds it harder than the roads. It must be psychological but I find it so difficult! Anyway, controlling the speed for the tempo kept me a bit distracted, and I watched xpose too. I've never seen that show before, generally being on my way home from work when it's on. I'm not missing much. Some eejit flirting with Jon Bon Jovi followed by a 10-minute segment on false eyelashes! Unfortunately you don't get a choice on what to watch in the gym as the TVs are on the wall in front and are controlled centrally.

I digress - the end result was 6.89km in 40 minutes and I was glad to get it done. I will continue to avoid the gym except in extreme weather like last night - hailstones and gale-force winds are not a good combination!

Saturday 13/11/2010: I was up and out the door at 8.30am for my LSR. I forced myself to take this one slow and try to enjoy it, and the result was that it went much better than last week. I felt very comfortable up until the last 2 miles, when I felt really low on energy. I'm going to try to take some carbs on board next week. On the plus side I managed to get a full dose of dioralyte into me which was better than last week! I went on quite a hilly route (see attached) but am feeling fine now, I also took 2 nurofen last night and my ankle seems to be cured

Overall I'm happy enough with that. 12 miles, 1:59:34

I need to go pack my case now as I'm heading away for work tomorrow for a few days. I'm hoping to get out in the morning though and then my next few runs will be done in the hotel gym - not looking forward to it at all...

Thursday 18/11/2010: I really wasn't feeling up to this one - the first mile was hard going as my legs felt sore and tired. However from there it actually went well - until my strange diet from the previous few days caught up with me and I had to make a hasty retreat home. But 5 pace miles done so was delighted! 5 miles 45:35

Friday 19/11/2010: Rest!

Saturday 20/11/2010: LSR day! Up early again and headed out the same route as last week. I was feeling okay up until 4 miles, when I suddenly felt very light-headed. I stopped, had some water and dioralyte, removed a layer of clothing and went onwards. I managed to keep going but I wasn't quite "with it". I sipped some lucozade sport and even ate some jelly beans and I think they really helped, as I didn't fade much more. Was shattered when I got home after 14 miles (!) and my sick stomach hit again so I spent the rest of the day doing very little. 14miles 2:18:50

Sunday 21/11/2010: I couldn't get out for my morning run as I had guests staying, and then I had to spend a couple of hours marshalling a xc and I was frozen by the end. When I got home the last thing I felt like doing was heading back out but the OH was still out hiking and I had little else to be doing so I forced myself out. I think it was a bad move as my legs were wrecked and didn't loosen out at all, plus I developed a strain at the back of my knee. So I cut it short and hopped into a bath. Feeling sore and sorry for myself and well in need of a rest tomorrow. 4 miles approx 40ish minutes

So the weeks training wasn't quite perfect but hopefully next week will be better (assuming all injuries clear up)!

Aaah things are not going well! I took an unplanned rest on Wednesday in the hope of giving my legs a new lease of life and got up and out early yesterday for a "catch-up" 5-miler. I could only manage 3 slow miles, my legs were aching. Then yesterday evening it felt like my hip/pelvis (SI) was on it's way out again and I was once again walking like someone who was 9 months pregnant. Combined with the tightness behind my knee it sent me into a panic and I was texting the physio for an appointment today, did loads of stretches, then 2 nurofen and off to bed.

This morning I don't seem to have much pain in my legs but a bit of shoulder pain has appeared - I've been getting that for years and while uncomfortable I know it will only last a day or two.

SO I'm not sure where to go from here. I feel I'm on the brink of an injury for some reason - training was going great too I have a 5k next weekend, a half marathon (maybe) the weekend after, and another 5k the following week. The worst thing that could happen at the moment is that my SI joint gets locked up again, the second worst is that my hamstring goes. Or maybe a brand new injury, who knows! But on the other hand with only 2 weeks to my second attempt at a half marathon it's not a great time to let the training slip...

Wednesday 24/11/2010: Nowt

Thursday 25/11/2010: 3 slow and painful miles

Today: ??? not sure what to do...