I couldn’t run yesterday. I fell off my bike on Friday and hurt my knee - fortunately it’s just bruised and is fine now. A change in technique with my bike riding should now mean fewer falls! Don’t even ask 😂
So I checked the weather forecast for this morning and no wind! No rain! Heavy cloud/mist. All ok - but air quality poor. No one with asthma wants to see that, even though my asthma is mild.
I decide on a 10K, but go prepared to run longer. A few minutes into the first kilometre is enough to know that it won’t be longer! The air is really heavy and my heart rate shoots up into Zone 4 as soon as I start running.
The Head Starts guided run with Coach Bennett is excellent. He makes a number of statements for you to consider during the run.
I’m running my 8K loop with 2K tagged on at the start. My run begins on a single track road by the river, where there are a couple of fisherman spaced out on the river bank. I’m running slowly enough to be able to chat to them both in turn as I run past. I do like to be fair 😀. A quick chat with a resident walking his Cocker Spaniel.
I arrive at the gate at the end of the lane and touch it before I turn round to run back, because that’s what you do 😊! My breathing isn’t brilliant as I cross the main road at 2K. I ease off a little as I remember that I’m going to let my running ebb and flow. I won’t be chasing PBs on this run, I run past my house and that distance demon 😈 tries to get me to go home! What? After 2K? I don’t think so!
I carry on with my circular route. Once warmed up at around 3K, I allow myself to speed up a little, but it’s not long before I have to pull back because of my breathing. The run continues in this way, speeding up, holding that pace for a while, then easing off and slowing down. I take regular walking breaks for 3 or 4 seconds to drink some of my Tailwind drink. I can’t manage to drink while running, it would be like a scene from ‘Airplane’, but it’s real progress to do so while walking. I used to have to stop completely!
Coming back into the village I decide not to finish strong today. It’s been hard work! But Coach Bennett has other ideas as he likens the end of the run to a relay race, where you pass the baton in a stronger position than when you received it. OK Coach! I’ll do my best! And I pull out a few stops and manage to run my best km at the end! Another 10K in the bag, although this one was tough!
Negative splits achieved to my surprise!
First km 8:49
Last km 7:41
Written by
Jools2020
Graduate10
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Woweeee Jools2020 what an eventful run packed full and I felt I was running also 👍. Just please try to keep upright on that bike, interested to hear about your new technique for not falling off though, 🤨
I was trying to set off and stop like I did on my childhood bike - while seated on the saddle; but on my new bike (a gravel bike) my toes are barely touching the ground. Stopping was precarious, hence the falling off! While I was riding, I was constantly worrying about stopping. Then I watched some YouTube videos and realised I had to start with both feet on the ground, astride the bike and not seated. One foot on the pedal ready to set off - launch and start pedalling, sitting on the saddle in one fluid movement! Stopping by coming out of the saddle first while braking, then putting the other foot on the ground. Can’t believe I made such a basic mistake 😂
That sounds like the perfect run; not pushing too hard, interesting environment, plus negative splits. All that is needed to top it off is a flat white and triple chocolate brownie😋😋😋; sorry got a bit carried away there! I have got into the habit of testing my peak flow pre run and if things seem a bit tight I use ventolin. I am sure that it knocks 5bpm off my average heart rate on a run. One of my allergies is connected to Christmas trees, and most of my running is through woodland, so it makes sense to keep an eye on things. Well done on an excellent morning’s work.👍
Spooky. I read your message as I’m waiting in a Costa car park for my friend to bring me a flat white and a cake! We’ve parked our cars Cagney and Lacey style for a socially distanced coffee 😀. Thanks for hints about asthma, I should have taken ventolin before I went out 👍
Awesome run and good time, given that your air quality is poor.Hopefully that’s going to be the rough time I’ll be trying to aim for next year. Please share your anti falling off your bike technique as @Imc50 asks. I could certainly do with it!! Did manage one yesterday without event🤣. Happy running and cycling 🏃♀️🚴.
Jools, love your posts! I know exactly what you mean by touching the gate post...because that IS what we do😆Must try Nike runs - and Coach Bennett! Enjoy rest... of the day!😉
Great run Julia - especially considering your knee, and the poor air quality.
I definitely feel like it's harder to breathe on some runs, especially when there's is anything in the air like wood smoke, or fog. I had asthma as a child but grew out of it and haven't actually had an inhaler since my late teens/early twenties. I wonder..
I haven't managed to get out there this weekend. Errands yesterday, and a weeks poor sleep finally caught up with me this morning. Going for a walk with Mr B now instead.
I'm intrigued about you anti-falling-off technique too!
Thanks, Diane. My asthma is only mild now, fortunately. I had a bad spell about 20 years ago, but it settled down. I’ve answered the bike technique question above 😊
I also meant to say - I did the 10k Head Starts for my Magic Plan graduation run and Vitality 10,000. I thought it was good and I remember some of the comments really resonated at the time
Great run report Jools as always- I did this run earlier in the week and will be using it again- hope you recover from your hurt knee- flat white and cake ought to help 😁👍
Well done for running after your bike accident! A great run for you today. I admire your consistency!Haven't run since Tuesday! Oh dear, well, it's just been a difficult week.
Thank you, Roxdog. Before this week I had only managed 2 runs a week for the previous 2 weeks. Life got too much. Hopefully, I’ll be back to 3 again, but I’m going to be kind to myself and if I have to, I’ll get the scissors ✂️ out to cut myself some slack! 😃 you should do the same and I’m sorry you’ve had a difficult week.
I’m so sorry about your dog being unwell. I’m a dog lover myself and used to have 2. Now both gone to the rainbow bridge. I know what it’s like to have a poorly dog. 🤞
You fell off your bike? trying to do fancy starts and stops? goodness me you sound like my grandson Your poor knee though, at least it didn’t stop you running today, shame the air quality is so poor lately, with less traffic it should be better but isn’t
I read in one of your previous posts that you had given up smoking, That, in itself, is a real achievement and worth putting on a few pounds for! Well done!
Thanks, i’m still slightly obsessed with the fact that I gave up, and ottemptedto smoke at all The best bit is I haven’t actually gained any more weight over the last 3 months so at least it’s not still going up
You can soon lose it if you want to. Seems to me that once you decide to do something, you do it! I dropped 1.5 stone when my husband left me and I’m just starting to put a few pounds back on and not look so gaunt. I’m eating very healthily now, so not so concerned.
I dropped weight when my marriage ended, then 8 months later met Willow and started to gain again, I was at my heaviest ever when I gave up smoking, I have so many clothes that done fit now but we eat very healthy food but don’t eat before noon or after 8pm 😀
Sorry you feel off your bike and hurt your knee, glad it is better now.
Well done on running another 10km run, 🏅🏅🏅(do you run a 10km each week?) gosh especially impressive when the air quality was poor 💪💪. Fantastic that you kicked that distance demon into touch. Well done on your Negative splits and very strong finish ⭐️⭐️⭐️👏👏👏
Very impressive that you can hold a conversation whilst running, apart from a quick hello I have not managed that!!!
Thank you, Rebecca, fortunately my knee is just a bit bruised. I think I was lucky! I was limping all day Friday so postponed my usual Saturday run.
No, I don’t run a 10K every week. Occasionally it’s 10 miles 😂. It’s usually a long run for at least 10K. I wanted to do 12K today, but it wasn’t to be.
I wouldn’t even be able to hold a conversation with myself if I ran as fast as you do! It’s only because I run at ‘easy conversational pace’ that I’ve been able to get to 10 miles at all. I just pootle along and look at the scenery! It’s only for the last few kms that I try and speed up a bit. Sometimes! 😊 that’s the joy of having my own plan, I can change the rules!
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂10k once again is a super marker. Good time on your feet but even better was that 'in the run' movement. This is where each experience gives you more armour for the next. I take 2 puffs of my inhaler before I go in conditions like that and it reassures me all the more. Good run, great 'in the run.'
Thanks, Ian! All ok with me, just a bruised knee. The bike chain slipped in the fall. I am so clueless, I googled it to see how it all worked. Hooked it up to the bike stand and sorted it out 😀. All seemed fine when I rode it again on Friday. I think the air quality was to blame for the tough run yesterday, but I still managed ok.
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