I have posted often about not enjoying running so much in the summer 😕 - I have always preferred the colder, wetter months (yes, I am a little strange, I know). So since everything has started to cool down, I have slipped back in to a much better routine with my running and seem to have become much more organised and disciplined about my runs. I am training up for the Great South Run again so a little discipline was called for to hopefully get me ready! After a good 13k last weekend (road and trail), I have followed up with an easy 5k and a fartleking 5k on Friday, which has brought me back under 30 mins for that distance - where I wanted to be.🙂. Today was an 'easy' 10k on the roads. I tend to do my longer runs on a mix of terrain as I love the trails but want to make sure that my legs are happy and ready for 10 miles on the road later next month. All ok, although it is quite warm again here, which resulted in a bit more huffing and puffing than I was expecting!
What I am loving most of all, is making sure I mix up my routes, terrain, pace and...elevation ( yes, hills have to be run sometimes!😮). I think all these factors help keep running interesting and motivating. ..plus I have found a local 10k to run a fortnight before GSR, which is all off- road! Perfect! Happy running this week to everyone.🏃🏽♀️🏃🏻🙂
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Sandraj39
Graduate10
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Such a good feeling when it all falls into place. I do tend to be a bit 'samey' with my running - partly for fear of more injury and partly because there isn't much variety outside my front door. I'm still away and have really enjoyed the new routes and very different surroundings, but soon it will be back home and I will need to be a bit more creative I think, especially to keep the longer distances interesting 🙂
I think mixing it up makes it more interesting too. I do this and it stops any boredom. Like you I also prefer the weather in the autumn, winter. I love drama in the weather when I’m out running.
Lovely Sandraj39 , it’s good to mix things up from time to time, I love running on the canal but I’ve done it so much lately that this week I am planning a couple of new routes and I am incorporating a HILL!! I avoid them but am starting to feel guilty that I’m not pushing myself as much as I should & when there’s a hill to be run up it has to be run down too so that’s a bonus! Looking forward to getting back out there this week after my dodgy Achilles pain of last week so it will be steady away for me, happy running to you too 😉
I have avoided hills in the past too, so you are not alone! There is one on my favourite trail route that I now make sure I run EVERY time I am on that run (usually once a week) - and I do kind of love it now! (It's a tough and cruel kind of love though!😉) Go steady on your achilles, good luck🙂
I think it’s the Anglosaxon in us 😀 possibly! I’m happier in cooler, and dare I say wetter weather (noticed a huge flood across a road just in time to miss being drenched by the solitary passing car who wouldn’t move over this morning 😮😣). Mixing it up is a key to training - and keeping off boredom when using the same routes. Sounds like you’ve got it sussed.
Good luck with your preps for the GSR in our part of the world Sandra. If you've done it before you'll know about the cobblestones in the historic dockyard, which come as a shock to some. We'll be cheering you on somewhere along the homeward route.
Thank you🙂. No issues with the cobblestones, they come quite early in the race if I remember? I love the Historic Dockyard and we made great use of the discount voucher in the goody bag a couple of years ago! In fact I spent my post-run afternoon clambering up and down the steps of various vessels, including HMS Victory❤️ - my favourite...(as if I wasn't quite tired enough!😮)
Yep me too! and thanks for the cobbles heads up Dexy5 ! Postponed my long run tody on account of a. heavy, heavy rain and b. heavy, heavy drinking with late night last night
That sounds like a good plan Linda. Hydrate before that long run. I’m way behind you on juju’s plan and cannot imagine doing the GSR myself. But then I didn’t think I’d run 5k at this time last year.
Doesn’t sound strange to me at all, Sandra...I’ve found starting to run in the heat of this summer pretty stifling, and am looking forward to more lovely cooler runs! Mixing thing up to add interest sounds a great plan. Good luck for your GSR plans! 😃🏃♀️❤️
No!!... just like many on here - returned to running at 49 and fell in love with it❤! There have been a couple of injuries along the way but I keep on getting back out there and plodding on!😁
I agree, Autumnal runs are great! Although up here on the NW coast of Scotland we can have wet and windy weather all year round 😬. Well done on achieving 30min 5k 😀. I am struggling to improve my pace after injury but happy to be running continuously for 30 mins, even though it is very slow 😉
It is so hard sometimes after injury - my pace is still slower than it was before sciatica damaged a nerve in leg but I am getting there! Like you, just building up my running again was the goal! Take care.🙂
Hi you....I am not sure why I missed this... This is brilliant... and I think quite a few of us feel like this, Just finding the runs and the routes and let things just evolve sometimes, setting out and then allowing it to change, without getting bothered by it
Loving these Autumn runs too...you are right.. the chillier mornings, the crisper starts to come and even the wind!!!
As ever , my friend .. an inspiration for so, so many of us
...and your wonderful words are always an inspiration to me, Oldfloss! I am planning a 10k today but as I sit here typing after a very busy and emotionally tiring week, I do not know where the energy is going to come from! I am going to just trust in the run - that whatever the distanceor the pace, it will be the run I need!!xx
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Mixing up the Magic Plan - alternating time & distance
My truly easy hard run! 🏃♀️ 💪 
