Ill.

So, i've had a nasty cold, and it's just about going away.
I think a combination of 'running too far too soon' and 'christmas excess' caused it. It's near enough to christmas to use that as an excuse.
Either way, I think I was quite run down, and some lurgy took hold.
Been keeping it quiet for the past week. It's started getting really cold round here too (-5C this morning!) so it's perhaps better i'm not out running.
I'd hate to ruin christmas by being ill, and that's the most important thing. :-)

Another cold...

All bunged up. Not good. Don't want to be ill for xmas, so i'll take it easy when it clears up a wee bit.

December 6th

Really big run, the opposite way to the other day. About 4.5 - 5 miles.

Felt a bit easier, although I did the steep part down first, then along, then up a longer but easier hill up. Still took near to an hour.

Knackered.

Busy week or two...

Had some friends down, all went crazy.

So, I went out Sunday afternoon - 25th November - and since it was light, I went through the woods. It was a really hilly route, started up a hill, down a slope for a mile, up another for two, down a steep bit (walked!) then up another two or so. Not good, was really knackered.

Then I went out on Tuesday 27th, and did my normal 'quick' route of 2.5 miles. Again, around the 15-20 minute mark, but working on the consistency.

I've also worked out that my right leg doesn't 'run' quite the same as my left. My right foot kind of falls flat, while my left rolls nicely. Now that i'm aware of it, i'll consciously stop 'plodding' and try to keep them consistent.

I think it's perhaps a long long ago remnant of when I tore my hamstrings in my right leg. Perhaps i'd developed this lazy gait since it hurt a lot.

Wednesday run

Another small Wednesday run, 3 miles; same route as the short one, but back along the er, long road, not the short one.

Bitingly cold. Need gloves, perhaps a hat. Perhaps that's why I managed to keep going without stopping for so long...

Medium run

Went out Wednesday night, on my previous short route.

I think the rather long run on Monday tired me out a little. I had a funny 'abs ache'; like they'd been exercised and ached. Not sure how you warm them down...

And it was really coled, so it was a short one. And rather quick too. 2.5 miles, 18 minutes, which puts me 95 mins. Hour and a half. Seems a rather rapid improvement. Will continue to measure.

Big run, cold night

So, it's Monday, and I was feeling energetic, despite the cold. It's probably the coldest day of the year so far, so cold that the heater in the land rover didn't catch up, and I drove to and from work with cold fingers.

Nevertheless, tackled the big one. I'd planned it out beforehand, as well as numerous other maps using google maps and the marvellous line tool. So I knew it was 4.5 miles. Well, I knew it last week when I mapped it. I forgot it by this evening. Going down the big hill was a quick start, coming back up lots of little hills was the slow finish.

Still, 48 minutes. Which works out as 2.4 hours for the half marathon.

Thursday run...

So, weather was nice, and I thought another run should be good. Felt a bit tired since nipper #2 woke me up several times last night.

Still, enough excuses. Did the same route as Tuesday, in the same time. 25 mins. Not sure why, felt it was a bit harder, but it seems i'm getting into a running 'routine' and can just run, without worrying about pace and breathing, just getting on with it.

It's also quite fun running in the dark. I took a head torch, but tonight got fed up with it and carried it instead. It was making my head throb. Perhaps it was too tight... I could see my surroundings for most of the way without it, and I suppose it's more for cars than anything. Not that I see many.

And it's maybe less boring.

Finally, another run.

Went a bit further than before, 2.25 miles, in 25 mins. Which puts 1/2 marathon time at 2.5 hours.

Before I worked that out, I was feeling quite chuffed with myself for going rather well. I suppose it's progress, of the slow sort. And i've only been out three times, to get my er, running legs.

I think i'm at the stage where I can run at a pace when I don't need to keep stopping. I'll stop and walk once or twice on a two mile run like that, and it's deliberate (not desperate...).

Now i'm better, i'll try to get out three times a week, perhaps Weds or Thurs.

New shoes, new troos...

So, finally bought some trainers and warm jogging bottoms (don't know why they're called that...)

Went swimming yesterday with my daughter, and that probably didn't help my cough. It was on the way out, but seems to be in it's final throes.

And it's really cold outside, so I may leave it for a bit.

Cough...

... of the chesty variety, no running...

Hopefully better by the weekend.

Got a cold...

sniff, snort, cough.

Not good for going for a run.

And neither is the rain. Add 'lightweight waterproof' to shopping list.

Run #2

It was a nice day yesterday then, so before tea, I went for another run.

I deliberately slowed down my pace, and I was clearly having to stop less, and covered more distance. By the look of it, it was about 2.4 miles, in less than 30 minutes. So, er, 30 / 2.4 * 13.2 = 2.75 hours. Better. Seems a tortoise / hare thing.

It's the stamina I think, maybe i'll have to upgrade to 1 hour runs at some time.

Still need to buy some shoes. And jogging bottoms. Will do that before I go running again.

A half marathon is 13.1 miles...

Ok, so my calcs were wrong, and I got the length wrong too.

If I did 1.8 miles in 30 minutes (say), it would take 3.64 hours to do the half marathon.

Which is even better. Hooray.

It all started because...

... a long while ago, my wife told me about her friend who'd completed the Bath Half Marathon.

I said something along the lines of "well done, although with all the training she did, it must have been fairly easy". I'm paraphrasing you understand...

My wife heard "it must be easy", so at the end of September, she registered me for the next event. All the details can be found on the Bath Half Marathon 2008 website.

I spend approximately one week thinking about the consequences (and benefits?) of this, and discussed it (over several beers) with my friends. Unfortunately, the conclusion drawn was that I should actually do it. My preferred option was taking £100 from my wallet and donating it to charity, without the hassle of buying trainers, tops, "running equipment" (whatever that may be), training, more training, even more training and then turning up and running around Bath (twice).

It seems that 4 hours is a worst case (I could probably walk it in that, i've got long legs and a fast walking pace). 2 hours would be fast. 2.5 hours is ok. So maybe a target of 3 hours is good. I'll consider this some more.

I had a quick look on the web to see what I should do first. Lots of sensible advice, some / most taken. I need a regime, take it slow, build it up over time, that kind of stuff.

So last night, as a tester session, I went for a run. I have some 'approach shoes' which are kind of like trainers, and I found some shorts and a t-shirt and off I went. From my house, down the hill, along the village (it's a long village) and back.

I reckon 3km (er, 1.8 miles). It took about 25 to 30 minutes I think (rule #1, time it, d'oh!). I stopped several times en route. I was rather breathless, although my legs were fine. I didn't ache this morning. Which would be, um... 4.5 hours at that rate. Not so bad. Apart from the stopping.

Next steps, buy some proper trainers. And some jogging trousers, or whatever they're called. And maybe a small woolly hat, all runners seem to wear them.