All the gear ... No idea

Monday 28 March (Really not long until K2B Day)

Well it has been 2 weeks since I last ran, bad times.  I've managed 2 spinning sessions and played football twice in that period too.  I haven't been feeling too chipper so I decided to give running a miss until I felt a bit betterer.  Like I need much of an excuse to duck out of training!  I have the will power of a blamange!

Anyway I thought I'd get back on the horse (figuratively speaking) this evening and ease my way back in with about a 4 miler.  Those 2 weeks off didn't half tell.  I had 2 stitches from almost step one!  I was running for the first time ipod-less.  My headphones are what are technically termed kaput!  I don't know how and why but I find running so much easier when listening to it.  Anyway I managed to bully myself round.  I was racing a lasagna too.

I had to smile to myself (through the pain) as I was running along, a fellow runner coming in the opposite gave me a big thumbs up as we passed.  I thought that kind of solidarity only existed between white van men, long distance lorry drivers and VW campervan owners.  Awesome!

I finally had to take a look in the mirror (well reflection in a bus stop) and admit that all the clobber in the world won't a runner make of me!  There I was in my sweat wicking (what is wicking by the way) t shirt, cushioned running socks with concealed seams to reduce blisters and my brand spanking new pair of running pumps (check these bad boys out!)

And I had to accept the fact unless I get my sorry bum out doing the hard miles I am going to have to resign myself to walking all the way and no amount of flash gear or gadgets is going to change that - I got myself all excited about Lidl selling heart rate monitors for £14.99.  What do I need a heart rate monitor for?  I'm not training that seriously (yet)  Also, a friend offered to lend me a Garmin or something - I have no idea what one is but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make me run any further!

On the plus side, a couple of people have actually admitted to reading my inane babblings on here and for that I thank them and anyone else who reads.  It does help motivate me to go and run so I've something to moan about.

Well off work for a couple of days so I hope to try and get at least 1 more run in before going back to work on Thursday.

TTFN
Otts





First Open Water Swim!!

Thursday 17 March (too scared to actually work out how long until K2B but I know it isn't long!)

Well, I promised to post on Sunday and it is now Thursday, pretty average Otto time keeping! 

I've had a mixed week in terms of training, the good the bad and the ugly really.  It has consisted of;

Saturday - 90minutes of football
This blog isn't about football so I won't dwell on this, needless to say that due to unforeseen cry offs (or Millom -itis) I was pressed into action in goal.  Not the first time I've donned the gloves this season though not a preferred position.  We won and due to my relative (thankfully) inactivity I felt good enough to train on Sunday.

Sunday - 3.5 miles round Barrow Park
This was the first time I'd ran laps of anywhere.  Handily the Park has a perimeter path which measures 1 mile, incorporating a short but steep climb up to the cenotaph.  I was interested to see that I was lapping in 9 minutes - interested but don't know whether this is good bad or indifferent.  I would have ran further, but I was limited for time as we were going out for Sunday dinner for Lianne's grandparents Golden Wedding.

Monday - 30min Spinning Class and an aborted run - planned 11 miles, bailed out after about 4.
Spinning was a sweat drenching, thigh burning thoroughly enjoyable 30 minutes of hard work which set me up to go out and have a good run in the evening.  However, as the day progressed, especially after I got in from work, I started to feel a bit achy and shivery.  Putting it to the back of my mind I set out on my carefully planned run that would see me visit Ormsgill, Hindpool, Barrow Island, Holbeck and Hawcoat!  Things started ok but as I ran past BAE's iconic DDH building on Barrow Island I noticed my right calf begin to tighten, ignoring it I carried on only for my right knee and right hip begin to throb.  I was still determined to push on with my aim of running 10miles for the first time, but when I misjudged a kerb and jarred my already sore right leg, I was looking for an easy out.  Fortunately for me I wasn't far from my sister's so I hobbled up there and begged a lift home.  Things got worse when I got out of the bath at home.  I started to shiver and didn't stop for the next couple of days.  This blog is starting to sound like an outlet for me moaning about one thing or the other, I'm pretty sure anyone daft enough to actually read this won't exactly be inspired to join me on a training run.

Thursday - 3 miles (stop and start)

This is where the title of this post came from.  As normal on a Thursday morning, I was accompanied by the mother in law's springer spaniel, Seth.  I haven't ran with him for a couple of weeks, my body is just too shocked to work properly when it comes to running in the morning so I've just walked him recently.  I decided to run this morning.  I thought that lapping the Park would be a good idea, mainly because there are plenty of bins in which to deposit the you know what!  Anyway, we were going along quite nicely until we ran alongside the lake.  I was in my own little world when suddenly Seth shot across the path in the direction of the lake in hot pursuit of a duck!  I just and so managed to haul him in before we both went head long into said lake!  Which would have been nice.  I only managed a lap and a half of the park before heading for home.  I didn't fancy the potential of a dip in the lake and I did have to get to work and the climb up to the cenotaph nearly did for me.

Anyway, that's enough for now.  I will report back in due course with more tails of woe no doubt!

Otts out.

Frustration

How hard can it actually be to pick, and run a route that is over 10 miles?  The reason I ask, friends, is on my last training run (the only one I've done since my last post) I was convinced that I'd busted a good 10 miles and other than, what are starting to become my customary, blisters (well the beginnings of blisters, not actually full blown bad boys but "hotspots" I believe the proper term is) I felt pretty good.  So feeling somewhat pleased with my self - bordering on smug to be honest - I visited runningmap.com to measure how far I'd covered in the 1 hour 11 mins I'd literally been running round Barrow.  To my dismay the distance came back as 8 miles!  GUTTED. 

Putting things in perspective, it is still pretty good for me.  I was just disappointed that after basically doing a lap of the town I didn't hit double figures.  Never the less, taking the positives from it, I felt pretty good all the way round.  I pushed myself - every time I had the option to either turn for home or push it a further, I pushed it.  I maintained some pretty reasonable form throughout.  Basically, I wasn't rocking and rolling all over the place blowing out of my arse!  My core strength must be improving.

I need to try and find another a couple of miles from somewhere - it is looking like I'm either going to have to run up the bypass or get my passport out and trot over the bridge to Walney.  OH MY GOD CROUCH HAS JUST MISSED A SITTER!!  Sorry I've got the Champions League tie between AC Milan and Spurs on ITV+1.

So what other training have I done?  Nothing in terms of running.  I do however still go spinning twice a week which if nothing else has helped strengthen my legs and core, plus made me sweat buckets and my lungs burn.  That and football related activities basically.  I do find it hard to make the time to get out and run.

So we are Wednesday night now.  I intend blogging again on Sunday so if nothing else I'll be able to tell you how I got on playing football on Saturday.  I am going to try and get out for a few miles on Sunday but if I feel anything like I did last Sunday I'll be lucky to get out of bed!

Just a quick question to those experienced runners out there, should I be looking to do 1 big run a week, ie 10-12 miles (that's big in my book) and be happy with the spinning and football training for the rest of the time or should I be looking to get as many miles in as I can?  Answers on the back of a postcard ...

Hopefully my next musing won't be so waffley!

Otts