Here I am again after a 10 day break from running. Life has got in the way, lately! My poor Dad, who’s 94, was just starting to recover from his broken hip. He was transferred to a different hospital to continue with his occupational therapy. He caught Covid in there. My blood ran cold when we were told. Thank God, he has been doing really well and all the signs are good that he is recovering, after being transferred to yet another hospital, onto a Covid ward. They have already restarted his physio and he’s been coping with it very well. The staff love him and he is now being well looked after. How he managed to catch Covid in a side ward, with his own toilet facilities is a matter for conjecture! He was only allowed 2 nominated visitors, my brother and sister, who both tested negative. Of course, he can’t have any visitors until he is transferred from the Covid ward, but we have been taking treats in for him.
So today I thought I would go for a run. This was just a ‘see what happens’ run, with no pressure. As I started, I thought I would keep my heart rate down and do a Zone 3 run. It was mild and overcast, air quality excellent. The slopes and inclines on my run were perfectly reflected in my heart rate, so I had to slow down on all of the upward slopes (which basically was the second and third kilometres in my run), whenever I encroached into Zone 4. I struggled in the third km, but persevered and my heart rate did come down without actually needing to walk or stop. There were a few people about, mainly dog walkers and I occasionally ran in the road to avoid them. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic! I didn’t hear any Red Kites this morning, maybe they were having a lie-in. The village was strangely empty of runners apart from two young boys running and chatting.
As the 4th km rolled round on my watch, I decided that it would be my last km today (left at the T junction). I allowed myself to pick up the pace and go into Zone 4. It wasn’t the flat out sprint that I sometimes do, but a gradual increase, just enough to give me the satisfaction of finishing strong, yet still enough to give me a bit of a workout!
Run over, I head to the steps and sync my watch. Yes, pretty slow but I enjoyed it! No negative splits today, but speeding up for the last km always gives me a sense of achievement! Back home for coffee ☕️
Splits:
8:52, 9:01, 9:38, 7:19
Written by
Jools2020
Graduate10
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That sounds like one of the best types of runs when we just go with what feels right and can't disappoint us by not reaching a certain target. We'll done Jules, after a break it's a good distance to know you can still do it.Your Dad has been in the wars, and how inspiring at his age he is still making good progress and gets on well with those around him. It makes a lot of difference when you have a loving family around you, so you and family are all doing a grand job.
Thanks. Dad is certainly an inspiration. We’ve no idea when he will come home, he still has a few hoops to jump through!
I always feel better after a run, so why, oh why have I just not been able to get out there!? At least I did today and it was good. I even rewarded myself with a big bowl of porridge and seeds, with a banana thrown in. Delicious! 😊
My guess is ventilation, or a lack of it. The virus is airborne. I've noticed that there's hardly any perceptible air movement in most hospital wards. Unless you have Clean Room type airlocks people going in and out of rooms are inevitably going to be wafting in air from corridors and other rooms.
Well done for getting out this morning with all the other stuff happening round you. 👍
I think you’re right about the ventilation. Plus, my brother told the staff he thought Dad might have Covid, but they brushed his fears aside. It was another 4 days before the routine test which returned positive. No wonder it’s spreading in hospitals! Trying to focus on the positive right now. They are saying Dad is recovering from Covid after 10 days - we think it’s 14, so that’s even better! He’s well enough for physio. He’s a hero - a broken hip and Covid at 94. Go, Dad!
I've been wondering how things were with you. I can imagine the emotions, shock, upset, anger,frustration, worry. At least it sounds like he's doing OK now. I know how stressful it is not being able to visit too.
That lovely run this morning gave you some well deserved and needed headspace I'm sure. Very nicely run Julia 🏃♀️ 👌
Good to hear from you Jools, You have been in my thoughts. Your dad sounds like a star and is lucky to have a great family around him. That run must have felt good after your break and great for the soul. 😀
Thank you runninggirl 😊. It really did feel good! Running always calms me and today was no exception. Running and Santana through the headphones. Wonderful!
That’s what happens when you get a watch 😂. I was running not so long ago on a final km and checked my heart rate - it was 105% of maximum - thought I was about to keel over! Decided that the maximum heart rate setting was inaccurate so I changed it!
Good to read this run report, sounds like a great run and just the kind you needed today 🤗 it's horrifying to read about hospitals not testing for covid as a matter of course, especially when dealing with elderly and vulnerable patients. At least it sounds like your dad's a very tough cookie and he's going to be just fine and you'll get to see him soon. Sending lots of strength your way xx
Thanks BF 😊. They were testing - but just once a week, in spite of my brother voicing concerns that Dad had Covid. Hopefully we can see him soon. I did certainly need that run today!
Thanks, Ian. It’s always a good idea not to take high impact exercise after a vaccination, so you’ve done exactly the right thing! (I’m sure a walk is fine, though! 😊)
A fantastic run Jools what with everything that’s been going on. Your dad sounds like a complete trouper! I’m so glad you got out there to enjoy the air 😊.
Thanks, Frenc! I did enjoy the air, which was apparently ‘excellent quality’. I think I need to run at sunrise on a clear morning. Love those crisp, early autumn mornings!
I hope your dad gets better soon, sounds like he's out of the woods though 😊 Good plan to get out for a no pressure run. It's important to do things for ourselves.
Thanks, Roxdog. We definitely need to do things for ourselves! I’m so glad Dad is getting better, it has been a real worry, but he’s turned a corner. Just need to get him hopping and skipping now and he can come home 😊
So glad your dads recovering well, oh flipping Covid, a nurse i guess or cleaner or even a doctor, what I’ve learned this last week is you can be feeling a little rough and coughing and still test negative, my boss has been coughing more all week and testing negative every day, then Saturday her LFD showed positive and she is staying in bed for the weekend. A run that you enjoy 😊 is the best run out there, who really cares if we go faster than before or get negative splits? we all do when life is going smoothly but when life gives us lemons we run anyway and are better able to cope with that lemony life. (And if you don’t get all that don’t worry neither do i 😂)
You’re right - I enjoyed my run this morning, just took it really steady except for the last km. That’s the main thing, need to keep getting out there!
Luckily your dad is healing from the covid! I have heard it before though, people going into revalidation and catching covid there.
And well done on your run! I think you said it once, but can't remember. But how are your heart rate zones determined? Because I follow the Karvonen method for my zones, which also takes your rest HR into account. And where I used to be in zone 4 and sometimes slipped in 5 in the past in the usual zones, I am always in 2 and 3 with the Karvonen zones.
Yes, it’s a sad situation in hospitals. Many people catch it while in hospital already.
My heart rate zones are calculated in my Garmin. The default maximum heart rate was obviously inaccurate, so I did a bit of trial and error and settled on one which worked better. All the heart rate zones are then calculated automatically from this and I have a dial on my watch when I swipe up to show them in different colours! On the main screen of my watch, they are shown as a number, e,g. 2.5 would be halfway between Zone 2 and Zone 3. I’ve never heard of Karvonen; I’ll look it up!
My original zones were set by Garmin too. But according to sites and some people Karvonen is more accurate. And I like the fact I am no longer in zone 4 😁
Sorry to hear about your dad, he's really going through it at the moment, had the same with my mum while she was in the care home, testing possitive for covid, but had no symptoms. Not surprised you've not been running with all this going on, hope your dad picks up a bit soon.
Thanks, Peter. Dad has had symptoms and been on oxygen, but he’s improving now. Oh, I’m buying a house! Should be moving into it end of November/early December.
It’s good that your Dad is on the mend. Going out and running on hiw you feel is sometimes exactly what you need. Sounds like you enjoyed the run. 🏃🏻♀️🙂
Very belated best wishes to you and your family. I hope that, in the intervening days since you posted, your dad’s health has improvedAs ever, loved reading your post and hope you’ve found a bit more time since then to run… another ‘just see how it goes’.
Thank you so much. Dad has been discharged from the Covid ward to another ward in the same hospital, which is great news! He is not eating well, so as we’re allowed to take in food now, I’ll make a cottage pie for him and my brother and I can take it over to him.
I was looking forward to my next run, but had a tooth extracted on Wednesday. No running (or eating my favourite foods) until I think it’s all starting to heal. I will enjoy the next ‘see how it goes’ run for sure!
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First attempt at tempo running during a 4k
