Running and swimming and boyfriends

[ktsok]

I have fallen into a pattern of running twice a week for the past three weeks. It’s better than not running at all... but it doesn’t feel quite enough to make improvements.

There is a pattern developing over time - in February and March I ran about 50km each month, then in April, 10km. May, June and July I did about 30km per month, then in August, 8km 😬. September looked healthier, back up to 40km. I might just get away with saying I am taking a planned rest break every three months... but we all know it isn’t that!

I was very pleased to run a nonstop 5k again. I can’t remember which Nike Run Club run I listened to, but it was good. There was something in there about trying to be in the moment. If you are thinking about the best time you ever ran, or how you felt running last week; if you are thinking about the end of your run, or the time you are going to do it in, then your head is occupied with the past or the future, not the now. I was giving it a good go, but was finding ‘the now’ quite uncomfortable and so found myself counting down the metres to the 5k finish line...

I tried to go a bit quicker on the next run and did manage to speed up, but suffered for it. I had to pause several times and felt pretty awful. It wasn’t helped by the fact there was a cross country race for local schools going on with queues of parents having to get their cars round this sweaty, red-faced woman plodding along. I think some weird warped sense of pride interfered with common sense and I found myself striding along, trying to maintain a pleasant poker face, then ducking behind a tree to gulp air, bent double. Ridiculous.

Tonight I went swimming and was very pleased to do 40 lengths of alternating crawl and breaststroke. I can’t quite decide which is harder; swimming or running! But my VO2 max has at last returned to ‘excellent’, which makes it all worth while.

Even more pleasing is that the boyfriend called me to tell me he ran the Ashton Court Parkrun route all by himself today. And get this - he said he ran all the way up the hill (2.5km of uphill!). He said he ran it a bit like the Japanese slow jogging man on YouTube but even so. I am dead impressed. And a bit worried - when we did the Parkrun together I pretended I was walking up the hill to keep him company, rather than walking because I had to! Thankfully he has a slightly dodgy hip so I should be able to take him on the downhill stretch.

😂

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

Can’t beat a bit of friendly rivalry... you’ll have him on the way down!

Twice a week should still give you progression... and while it was uncomfortable, you cracked 5k again so it’s a big win.

Excellent v02max is something to be proud of... I’m trying to get out of “fair” 🤣

[E27M14 Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Mine’s fair too and I’m pretty proud of that! It’s better than poor!!

[ktsok in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Haha. I think it is mistaken, personally, but you have to take the breaks where you can, right? You have an enviably low heart rate.

I am extremely competitive but there is absolutely no point applying that trait to running. So I thought... hmmm...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to ktsok]

You can be competitive with yourself sometimes and with others occasionally... reining it in is the difficult bit sometimes, which is why I’m not on Strava

[ktsok in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Well. It’s easier not to be competitive with stuff I’m no good at! Give me Connect 4, however...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10 in reply to ktsok]

Now that is serious stuff 🤣

[Couchpotato2]

Stop giving yourself a hard time!! That’s very naughty of you. You are excercising 3 times a week and that’s brilliant. Also you run a 5km, well done! I can understand how you feel, at the start we progress so fast and then it plateaus and feels like it forever but that’s the same for anything one learns (eg languages) and you are learning / progressing with realising it. Also now we run further it does take more time. So stop thinking about what you are not doing and focus on your achievements which are many (Yes, I can be bossy). There is an nrc podcast that says something like that, turn the negative phrases into positives. You are doing great and wow you swim fast!! Xx

[Deals1 Graduate10 in reply to Couchpotato2]

Very true

[ktsok in reply to Couchpotato2]

Thanks CP. I was more pleased than disappointed! I guess most people posting in Bridge are taking strides towards longer distances and faster times, so one feels it more when one is stagnating/regressing.

Not sure why one started talking like the Queen just there.

[Couchpotato2 in reply to ktsok]

Haha, well I’m on the couch so going nowhere. Need to find you this tedx i watched yesterday...

[Couchpotato2 in reply to Couchpotato2]

Here it is: youtu.be/Y6U728AZnV0(Not working as expected?)

[ktsok in reply to Couchpotato2]

I’ll have a watch tomorrow, thank you

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

If I swam 1000m, I wouldn’t be able to run for a month 🙃. Now it’s the season, I’ll be playing hockey every other Saturday instead of parkrunning - it’s all good 👍.

There are no rules, only suggestions. 2 runs and a swim each week will see KT OK 😀

[ktsok in reply to UpTheStanley]

Haha. At least no one is swishing a lethal stick around your ankles in a swimming pool! Cheers Stan, yup, tis all good 🙂

[Katnap Graduate10]

You are still persisting so you will get some improvement.

Like UNM, I am also stuck with a VO2 max of Fair so... Jealous of your Excellent 😄

[ktsok in reply to Katnap]

Thanks Katnap. I’m still bemused as to how it came to that conclusion 😆

[E27M14 Graduate10]

Well done for getting back into some sort of routine, twice a week is definitely better than none! I’m struggling at the moment with changing jobs and the changes that inflicts on the whole family, but we’re getting there!

[ktsok in reply to E27M14]

It takes a while to adjust to new routines, doesn’t it? I hope it settles soon. You said the new job means less travelling so hopefully that will leave more time for running, but it’s amazing how the hours fill up, especially at this time of year when the amount of daylight ones is shrinking!

[E27M14 Graduate10 in reply to ktsok]

The time thing doesn’t seem to be working out so far! Other things seem to have a way of absorbing my time. But once I’m through my probation I’ve able to work from home most days, so that means I’ll be able to run at lunch time and no-one will know I’m all sweaty after 😂

[ktsok in reply to E27M14]

Working from home sounds very very very good. Hopefully it’s a short probation!

[Couchpotato2 in reply to E27M14]

I work from home a lot too and having a break for a run is great. When I started my new job I could just do 10minute runs but I really enjoyed those.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate10]

You are keeping very active and maintaining a great level of fitness. Depending on what your long term goals are you don't really need to do any more if life and time works now.

Good luck with keeping him back now! 👍🏻🤣 I'm quite glad my husband hasn't taken up running 🤣, no extra pressure!

[ktsok in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

It’s a mixed blessing, to be sure! It was really nice doing a Parkrun together... when I could play the benevolent coach 😂

I suspect the so and so is going to be much better at running than I am 😖

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Sounds great to me! All relative and depends on what we are aiming for. 🎉VO2max =brill!

[ktsok in reply to over61andstilltrying]

I think it’s confused but I’ll take it 😉

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to ktsok]

Good idea!

[Jell6 Graduate10]

"I think some weird warped sense of pride interfered with common sense and I found myself striding along, trying to maintain a pleasant poker face, then ducking behind a tree to gulp air, bent double. Ridiculous."

I think of this as vanity running 🤣🤣

You are still doing well, and the swimming too!. I'm impressed 🤗

[ktsok in reply to Jell6]

Completely vanity running. I noticed when monitoring heart rate and pace that I work harder when an eye witness is in range.

Laboured running seems to be a bit like picking your nose or scratching your butt.