After the wet Junior Parkrun yesterday we went home and I did the classic parent trick of falling asleep on the sofa... for three hours. My child took the opportunity to grab the remote control and quietly watch movies. He went for The Secret Life of Pets and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It could have been worse, but he woke me up with a lot of questions about why a lady would wear metal pants you needed to get a key to unlock... 🙄
Finally, a sunny day and everything is sparking again. I still feel a bit sluggish but I can’t sleep forever, so I got dressed, changed my mind about what to wear, got dressed again, couldn’t decide if I had too many layers, shed a layer, tried to squeeze it into the bag, took it back out, put it back on... you get the picture.
My plan today was to run to my mum’s house. I wasn’t sure how far it was... I thought maybe 4k? I also planned to use the Garmin to run in Heart Rate Zone 2... or maybe 3. Well, to try and keep the beats below 140 anyway. I put on Coach Bennett’s ‘Thank you’ Run because I like it. Apparently Coach Bennett cooks really good spaghetti and meatballs... I think he has replaced Michael Jordan in my affections... 🤭
I went off slow and kept trying to slow down, but my pesky heart just wouldn’t slow down. I knew I should have been in slow jogging mode if I truly wanted to drop my heart rate, but I was on a narrow road with lots of fast cars, a couple of joggers, barking dogs, hills... I gave up on the heart rate and just settled into what felt an easy, comfortable pace. I say easy. There was a steep hill that stretched over a km! I don’t really understand the elevation stats - the Garmin says min/max 42m/70m; gain/loss 39m/34m. There isn’t a simple linear graph that I can see that shows me how long and steep the hill is...
Anyway, I digress. 5.27k later and I got to my mums. She gave me some water, a coffee and an air kiss as I was pretty sweaty. We had a nice chat about rapists, personal alarms and there being a far higher probability of getting run over before I got on my way.
I figured I may as well run the last bit as it was probably only about 1.5k... as I turned into the road home my legs were feeling a little tired, but mostly my arms were heavy... I guess we don’t usually keep our arms at that angle for that long... I glanced at my watch and realised I had done another 1.9k, so figured I’d better walk the final few minutes home...
😊
Written by
ktsok
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Yay well done that’s brilliant! It’s the sort of conversation I would have with my sister just before walking somewhere in the dark or talking about a car crash just before I go on a long journey 😊😊 You already know more about your Garmin than I know about mine 😃😃 I had to look up what cadence meant the other day as people keep talking about it and I’m still not really any the wiser 🤣🤣
Haha thanks Bridget. Maybe there is some sort of weird psychology going on of ‘if I mention it, it won’t happen’?!
I am sure you do know what cadence is now but I’ll show off and share anyway: it’s how many steps you take per minute. Apparently this is a useful tool to use when you want to improve your speed and style; running at a higher cadence implies a shorter, faster stride with your foot under you, landing less forcefully... 🙂
Fantastic ktsok! Faffage is inevitable in this weather - too hot, too cold, might it rain? Too many possibilities!
Nice that you can run to your mum’s - a nice distance too. 🏃♀️
My Garmin confused me today too. My heart rate dropped to almost non-existent during the final 3k of my run today ..... I know I slowed a fair amount, as I was doing a leisurely 10k and my legs were feeling it - but I’m pretty sure I was still alive 🤔 Tech boggles me sometimes (often!)
Thanks Cheeky! I felt quite intrepid... even though I was going to my mums 😆
So much faffage! It was -2 when I did the school run. About 4 when I got back... sunny but ‘fresh’ when the wind hit. I haven’t quite got the confidence to strip off enough yet! That isn’t so much about being body conscious as to worrying about finding myself several miles away from home, tired and cold!
With the Fitbit I had to tighten it a notch during runs... not sure if the Garmin is the same? I also read that we are meant to wipe the sensors with cold water after sweaty runs... 🙂
I know how it feels being caught at the end of a run with a vest top and no jacket in the rain! I finished a run diametrically as far away as possible from my car last summer and had to slog back whilst cooling down rather too fast! 🙄 I was getting “what on earth does she think she’s wearing in this weather” looks from dog walkers!
Yes, maybe my Garmin was a bit loose, although it didn’t feel like it was. I’ll do it up a bit tighter next time. Thanks! 😀👍
Mums! I don’t think mine felt reassured by my telling her I was more likely to get nobbled by a car. Sounds like your mum wouldn’t appreciate that either 😝
Tell her you are GaJelle and can outrun any baddies.
I really like the Garmin 🙂
Although the elevation stats aren’t giving me what I want, which is a pretty picture showing the long steep hill that I ran all the way up! Also the parameters of the graphs for pace and heart rate are so wide that they look flat. On the Nike Run Club App you can see the elevation and pace as you scroll across the timeline. I think I may be missing a trick somewhere - I can’t believe a free app shows a better graphic than an expensive sports watch... 🧐
I get some elevation information on my phone, and I may be being a bit thick, but I can't understand how the total ascent and descent never match up, even though I run out, turn round and run back. 🤣
I am sure that you will discover more functions in time. If only you could pick the best features out of various bits of technology to create the perfect item.
Your mum sounds just like a mum should. So lovely you can run to her house as well. Mums always worry. Mine thinks I am becoming obsessed with running. I tell her about my VR friends who are far more obsessed than me 😂. And what a Great run and great time. I won’t say anything technical as I have no idea about watches or elevation !!! I will stick to muttering ‘ oh that was a big hill’ when I eventually get to the top. I am stupidly excited as finally found a head band that stays on and keeps my fringe from flapping about ( I am growing fringe out and have fringe issues at the mo). And Saturday naps are good for you. I had to have one after being traumatised by ritual of Saturday morning Tesco food. shop.... such an exciting life I lead. 😀
I totally understand your excitement over a head band! Three times now I have had to stuff my hat down my jacket as a) it gets too hot and b) keeps falling over my eyes. My hair works loose and starts flopping about. I was thinking today whilst running that I need to experiment with headbands 🙂
Talking with enthusiasm and detail about a hobby is best reserved for fellow hobbyists! Just think about a golfer dissecting his 18 hole round shot by shot... or a new mother talking about her baby’s sleeping and poo habits... been there done both, btw 😉
Believe it or not it’s the last place you would look for one... GAPfit headbands. They are currently on sale too so I had to buy 2. I was sceptical after spending so much money on damned headbands but seriously these are a fabulous star find. It didn’t move at all!!!!! Not at all!!! Fringe ? What fringe. It was serious bliss. 😀. They are possibly not the most fashionable item I own but I don’t care 😂
I know. The postage was a killer but so worth it. I have spent a fortune on ones costing twice as much and they’ve been rubbish. But you know where to go now....
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
