Sunday long run 😊

[Jools2020]

I had planned to do this run yesterday. My son called on Friday evening and wanted me to go and visit yesterday morning. “The children are asking for you”, he says. What’s a grandma to do? “We’re going to Bracknell, come with us and check it out!” So of course, I did 😊. I enjoyed looking round the town and it was good to see what it’s like as I shall soon be house hunting in the area.

So, run postponed until this morning. No gremlins, cuppa, dressed and out the door. Struggled to get a satellite signal, so synced the app and watch and tried again. Signal obtained and off I go!

For the last 2 long runs, I ran for 75 minutes, so I was looking to extend that today if it felt right to. I had 90 minutes in my head. With a slow run, I also imagined that I would be hitting 10K at that time, although it wasn’t my main aim.

I started easy, listening to one of my playlists. As the kilometres flew by, I tried to keep in heart rate zone 3, but that was proving difficult today, I’m not sure why. It was warm and humid which didn’t help. My effort was definitely more than usual, confirmed by Strava afterwards!

I was briefly tempted to repeat last Saturday’s 75 minute run, but forced myself to head back up towards the village second time around. I got to 75 minutes and calculated I was 15 minutes from ‘home’. Perfect!

I check my watch and see that if I don’t dilly dally, I’ll get the 10K just before the 90 minutes. So I pull out a few stops and fly down the hill. Yessss I was right! I can’t always work out the maths towards the end of a run, but today I did. I got to 10K and ran on for the 90 minutes. Strava robbed me of a few seconds, but I don’t mind 😬

Back for stretches and coffee and no-one is up yet! I suppose it is Sunday. I sit outside to drink my coffee and listen to the kites 😊

[SkiMonday Graduate10]

Nice one Jools!

Yea, I sometimes struggle with calculations whilst running (since when has half of 21 been 15)?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SkiMonday]

My most hilarious mistake was stopping for a breather near the end of one of my runs. I was most upset to see that nothing was working on my watch, except the timer. “Why isn’t it showing my pace and why is the distance covered not moving?” I asked myself as I stood there 😂

Anyway, thanks. I’m trying to get back to previous fitness and starting to see progress. Even with my mental arithmetic! 👍😊

[SkiMonday Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

😄 that's a good one!

[nowster Graduate10]

Well done! The Jools of old is back. 👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Thanks, nowster! Getting there, for sure. Last 3K were harder work that I expected, but it was warm and humid.

[sparky66 Graduate10]

Awe how lovely to spend the day yesterday with your family 🥰Fantastic run Jools2020 well done on your 10K 👏👏👏

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to sparky66]

Thanks, Sparky 🥰

[RunWillie Graduate10]

Well done Jools2020 ❤️🏃‍♀️

I love running to time not distance although I do have a minimum weekly, monthly and annual target by distance 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Thanks! Yes, I like running to time for my long run. Unfortunate my competitive instinct creeps in, especially if I see a milestone possibility like 10K. I did better keeping it slow on the 75 minute runs 😂

[RunWillie Graduate10]

Ha ha 🤣Just keep getting out there. You’re doing great ❤️🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Thanks RunWillie I’ll do my best 😊🥰🏃‍♀️

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Brilliant 10km, well done for continuing for that extra 15 minutes when it would have been so easy to stop. Happy running 🤗

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Thanks Grannyhugs and you, too! 😊👍

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Excellent 10K run for you today Jools2020, hope you enjoyed it, I am sure you did, maths can be something to avoid at all costs, well done 😀 🏃🏾

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Haha, you are so right! Thank you AlMorr , might have to have a little snooze this afternoon 😴 💤

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I am looking after Holly the dog as my neighbour is taking his family away for the weekend, yesterday I went a 6K walk with Holly, this morning I managed to get a 26 Kilometre bike ride, when I came home and after lunch I took Holly the dog another walk, so like you I have been pretty active this weekend.

[Frenc Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Ah what a great run! I know what you mean about maths, distance, and the end of the run, it all gets a bit muddled sometimes 😃. It must have been lovely to see your grandchildren and then to wake up to no gremlins is success all round! Well done on a fab 90 min run 🏃‍♀️😊🏃‍♀️.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Frenc]

I know! Nothing makes sense 😂. It was wonderful to see the grandchildren. My youngest is 3 and he always opens the door to me with a chuckle and a beaming smile, jumping up and down with excitement. Nothing like it! The older two (8 and 6) have a list of things to show me and tell me about 🥰

I knew I had to run today, there simply was no time for gremlins!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Well done Jools on your 10km!! 👏🎉 I see that it is, if I am correct about a month since you last 10km. My last 10km was 18 months ago! I shall have to watch you zoom off in the distance, while I stay in the slow lane and nurse my Achilles tendon. I ran 8km yesterday morning as planned. My knee was fine, my tendon continues to need attention. Our pace was very similar with mine at 8mins 59sec/km. I spent my run playing 'avoid the fields where the paths are so narrow and the grass long so that my shoes and legs will be wet and cold'. Perhaps next week I shall be able to run the route that I had planned for yesterday. I wonder what your next running plans are. Perhaps 'see' you on Tuesday. 😊🏃🏻‍♀️Lovely to read of your happy time with your grandchildren. Was that Bracknell in Berkshire that you visited?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Yes, Bracknell in Berkshire. My younger son and his family live in Maidenhead.

Sorry your tendon needs attention, it’s really holding you back having to be so careful.

Yes, my last 10K was about a month ago. I don’t generally zoom anywhere 😂. Our pace is indeed much the same! I’m planning a run on Tuesday, maybe 4 or 5K and I’ll probably Jeff it.

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hi Jools, I didn't really mean that you would zoom in terms of pace, more in terms of distance. As you had been mentioning building up your fitness, I had thought that your last 10km would have ben longer ago. I could easily spend too long reading about folks running journeys, but I have lots of other pulls on my time.

Happy injury free running to you. 😊🏃🏻‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

My last 10K was very tough! This one was definitely easier. I see what you mean about distance. 😊 Working up to another 10 miler in the coming weeks 😀. No rush.

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

My average heart rate on Saturday was 132bpm and Mr Garmin put my VO2 down to 40 from 41. Ah well. 😊 It had only been at 41 for one run, which the best it has been for ages. I am glad that your recent 10km was much easier than your previous one. My longest distance was 13km which was forever ago, well it feels like that. Actually, I just looked it up and see that it was 16/1/2020. 10 miles seems a great distance to aim for, but obviously I shall have to see if I can sort my Achilles problems. Feeling that I may have been unwise, as I could have taken a much sooner appointment with a different physio, but thought that I would wait for one of the two who helped me make excellent progress after my knee injury. I have a very informative NHS Oxford Hospital leaflet which I have printed off, the link was from this forum. I am endeavouring to following the advice which gives a progression of exercises for when you can cope with the earlier exercises. The leaflet encourages relative rest, which I am interpreting to mean no sprinting and basically to continue running in ways that doesn't give too much pain. The leaflet is really long and it is about time I really studied the finer details!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

The leaflet sounds helpful, but I’m not sure about your interpretation of relative rest without asking for further advice, as I would take that to mean ‘no running’. Yes, check out the finer details, but do take care.

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Yes Mummy! 😂 No being serious, I have just collected the leaflet 15 A4 pages long! No wonder I have yet to take all the information on board fully. The question can I still run during my rehabilitation phase is covered. The answer says that there is no evidence that you will do yourself further harm if you return to running. You can run, providing you have little discomfort. There is more, but that's the part I am taking notice of for the moment. The level of pain when I wore the support was clearly too much and of course I am not wearing it now and I shall keep monitoring the discomfort.It is nearly a year since my knee injury and oh how I didn't want back to back problems. I took things so slowly to develop my knee. I have no idea why this tendon problem came. I would like to do intervals 30-20-10, but I didn't to look after my knee. similarly with hills, I checked with my physio first.

I shall take things slowly, may have to drop my distance down again, rather than build it up. I shall listen to my body as my physio always said and look forward to appointment on the 17th. 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

I just love reading about your runs Jools, i’ve been at work today and come home tired so no run, the next best thing is to read others, no gremlins at the beginning (wonder where you left them) and kites at the end (how lovely) then all that inbetween with some maths thrown in for good measure, Enjoy the rest of the day and think about yesterday with the grands 😀

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you, Sola 😊 Getting my hair done today as well for an extra boost!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Oh nice! Having hair done is a lovely boost, enjoy

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

What a nice 10k in the bag Jools , well done 🙂👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks, Ian! Much slower, but I’ll keep putting the miles on my legs before I try and speed up! 😊

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Yes, miles are worth more than pace 👍

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Well done Julia 👏👏👏That was a really good run for you - about the same pace as my 10k, but with much better control than I had.

Are you sure you didn't have 10k in your mind when you set out?

Glad you had a lovely Saturday with the grandkids - and hope you enjoyed your Sunday

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane. My focus was 90 minutes and I didn’t really know what distance I would cover, but I thought that 10K might be on the cards! I didn’t really want to go beyond 90 minutes on this run, though. Keeping to the plan. I think running on the roads possibly makes it easier to control the runs, although I know you prefer trail running.

I had an ok Sunday, thank you!

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Fantastic run for you Jools! 90 mins and 10k is a good combo. It sounds like you're really back on it now.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Thank you, yes - I hope so! 😊

[Hidden]

Congrats, very well done!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you ! 😊

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

Sounds perfect Jools2020 …well done 👏🏻

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Mummycav]

Thanks! Love my longer runs and running early (ish) means it doesn’t take up so much of the day 😊

[LottieMW Ambassador]

A little late here…but well done! 90 minutes/10 k…sounds like my kind of speed 🥰👍🐌🏃🏻‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

And mine, LottieMW 😊 I ❤️ long, slow runs.

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to Jools2020]

👍🥰