My Turn ... Running Down A Dream
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So the Corona has killed it. Well, it's delayed it anyway. So what to do ...
Well I'm enjoying it at the moment, so I've decided to push on through (besides, loads of spare time at the moment to run!) and just do one myself. I know there are lot of runners in my area training for the marathon, so I might use some of the networks to allow for a social marathon on the 26th if social distancing restrictions have lifted enough to allow it by then.
I'm continuing to smash / break all prior records. After doing 190k in Feb, I'm already through 130k for March and will do another 7k tomorrow and then 30k on Saturday. This does seem quite heavy, but I'm in the semi-peaking part now. Where my longest pre-marathon run (33k) is two weeks away, then I taper for 3 weeks before the big one. So I am now right in the longest run zones. Records broken so far:
- 26k - Longest run (30 due on Saturday)
- 61k - Most km in a calendar week
- 77k - Most km in a 7 day period
- 190k- Most km in a calendar month (if no injury / sickness will be well north of 200k in March
- 1:47:27 - Fastest half marathon (beating previous PB by 10 mins)
- 49:01 - Fastest 10k
- 23:25 - Fastest 5k
Sorry this seems a bit of a blow-arse post, but hey, this is my running journey ((c) Mitchell, John) and I'm sharing it here ... if you don't like it, don't read it!
I do have a few running niggles (which you'd expect) but nothing I'm too unhappy about. I think my core strength is the best its' ever been too, as I do 8 minute abs on every single day I don't run, so these muscles get some real attention.
I'm WFH until further notice now, which means no 130 minutes per day commuting, and a bit more free time ... so will try and blog a bit more here ...
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@JK said in My Turn ... Running Down A Dream:
Keep sharing mate. Its awesome!
Im finding WFH pretty hard as feel so lethargic despite doing the same amount of exercise, so I'm having to do more! Its all that extra activity that you dont immediately recognise as actually being activity.
Yeah, I find these threads very motivating to get off my arse and stop making excuses.
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@JK said in My Turn ... Running Down A Dream:
Keep sharing mate. Its awesome!
Im finding WFH pretty hard as feel so lethargic despite doing the same amount of exercise, so I'm having to do more! Its all that extra activity that you dont immediately recognise as actually being activity.
Yeah, it's a very good point that. Im doing my best to reduce calorie intake as all the additional stuff I'd do now, a lot of it is defunct. As an example, in my commute there would be 2 5 min walks, and 2 12 minute bike rides. Then add in a 15-20 minutes walk at lunch, multiple walks to meeting rooms / other desks at work and the occasional client visit ... It's pretty rare my Garmin would be less than 6-7000 steps by the time I got hime (plus the bike rides).
As of right now (11am), I've done 114 steps in total. I started work at 7 and have taken one break.
Thats a colossal difference which I need to take into account.
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End of March update (no run tomorrow) ...
Now 30k (33k due Saturday) -> 26k - Longest run
Now 64k (66k scheduled this week( -> 61k - Most km in a calendar week
No change -> 77k - Most km in a 7 day period
Now 234k ... if wasn't a leap year would have been 260k! -> 190k- Most km in a calendar month
No change ... ran a 1:51:30 by myself tho which is my fastest non-compete by about 6 mins -> 1:47:27 - Fastest half marathon
No change -> 49:01 - Fastest 10k
No change -> 23:25 - Fastest 5kSo ... what to do now. With Covid, obviously everything has changed. I've been pushing on, although the diet has suffered a bit as mentality changes can only do so much. Not too bad, but having access to snacks all day certainly doesn't help.
The issues I'm facing these days are more mental. And they are proper first world issues to have (from a running perspective). Looking at the distance runs, I have to run on the mental fact that there is NO emergency services. This isn't necessarily true, but if I did need them it's then a) it's a poor use of their time right now b) they should rightly be pissed at me for using this resource un necessarily by pushing myself so hard and c) I'd likely need to go to a covid intense area putting myself at greater risk. It's a bit much I know, but these long distances are a real push on myself.
Secondly, is the increase anxiety around symptoms. It's Spring here now (although you wouldn't know it today, it's bloody freezing) which means hay fever season is starting. I get seasonal hay fever, and occasionally I need an inhaler. So I might hear a wheeze on my breathing, it immediately elevates concern and BOOM, I'm back at the previous paragraph again.
I have no solution at the moment. Just thought I'd write here to see what others thought, if anything. Maintaining fitness is extremely important to me, so stopping running isn't an option. It would be a mental health destroyer. This weekends 33k is the longest training run I have, with the next longest being on the 26th April, the full marathon. So comfortable with all other runs (awesome to be comfortable with a half!), we shall see.
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Two weeks to go til the Surrey marathon.
On the tapering part now, so "only" a half on the weekend. Although I managed to smash it out at 1:50:02 with comfort. So pretty happy with that. The longest run I've done now is 34km which was tough, although at the end of it I know that I could have done another 8.
This weekends long run is 16km for a total of around 35 km this week.
Overall stats now fairly decent. 670km run YTD and around 1100 km in training in total (commenced 1st October). Going to push for 2000km this year. Should be relatively straight forward as long as I don't get an injury. Body is creaking a bit in a few places, but as long as I take care of it this week the marathon should be ok. Then a few days downtime post it should do it a world of good.
Think going to try and maintain a strong half level of fitness through to October 4th for the London one. Then pick up the last 8 weeks of my current plan with perhaps an extra km or two on top of every run. The key thing is keeping the weight off. As when this lockdown ends, I expect there are going to be drinking sessions / socialising opportunities a plenty.
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Still a marathon.
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Still a marathon. Well done mate
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Awesome mahi bro! and still a bloody marathon as @antipodean said. No mean effort.
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Yeah, a marathon completion is an achievement regardless of times.
Nice work
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@MajorRage well done!
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@MajorRage That's really good, well done mate! When I started out running marathons I was doing them at around the 4:40 to 4:55 mark so you should be really happy. Will you continue running? I hear the London marathon could be restricted to elite runners similar to Tokyo?
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Any experience on here from people who have run marathons on how long to take off after it?
I've been walking 2 hours ish each day since the run, and I can still feel a few tight spots / niggles. I ran 10k on Saturday ( a week post the big one) and it was super difficult. 3-4 different areas of my legs felt like they were coming back from serious injury. Runners World tells me this is normal and to be expected. They recommend at least a week, and then building it back up slowly. Other sites recommend a month!
I feel I'm getting fat, so don't want to keep off it for long, but also don't want to do nothing. My mountain bike is on order, but is going to take a while unfortunately. All pools are closed so can't swim either. I'll do a 7-8k today to see how it goes, but interested in any thoughts out there.
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@MajorRage sure.
Rest. Massage. Start slowly again and build up incrementally. No intense sessions (no hills, no pace, no big distances).
Same old boring shit, but it works!
Until you get too old of course.
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@voodoo said in My Turn ... Running Down A Dream:
@MajorRage sure.
Rest. Massage. Start slowly again and build up incrementally. No intense sessions (no hills, no pace, no big distances).
Same old boring shit, but it works!
Until you get too old of course.
Cheers .. I'm fairly confident London marathon will be canned this year. Hope so now, as if I can do none of the above, then its' gonna be tough ....
