W7R3 - Invasion of the Supermen

[Katie204]

Slogged my way through R3 this evening. I'm finding that I have aching quad muscles after running - whether due to my flat-footed running style or to hard surfaces, I'm not sure. I did some yogalates yesterday to stretch out my muscles, and that seemed to help a bit.

Today, when I got to Canary Wharf, I was surrounded by what looked like the world's fittest people - crowds of men pounding along the pavements, and cyclists swooping past me. I don't know whether there was some sort of event on or whether this is just how these people make their way home from work, but I was amazed at their Olympian level of fitness compared to my wobbly self.

[poppypug Graduate]

Ah Katie, you were out running too , I bet you fitted in perfectly ! xxx

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to poppypug]

That's so sweet of you to say so, Poppypug - but I think I resemble them only in my dreams!

[yatesco Graduate]

I like to think the only difference between them and us is time, that's all - they have been training longer. I realise it is in reality a bit more than that, but that is quite an encouraging thought!

Imagine yourself in a year's time running past you as you are now - what would the 'now' you see and how impressed would the 'now' you be :-).

[poppypug Graduate]

Yes , I agree yatesco , really good point , well said xxx

[Hidden]

This post looked only 1/2 finished to me...so in the spirit of a posh wine sommelier, can I suggest Madam adds the following...."However, I was out there and I'm proud of myself so they can all jog on and climb into the F*ck it bucket" :o)

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

[poppypug Graduate]

Ha ha ! xxx

[Returning2Run Graduate]

It's hard not to compare ourselves to other people but what you're doing is about you, not them. Confessions of an Unlikely Runner really helped me value my back of pack status and put it in perspective for me.

Have you thought of doing strengthening exercises for your feet? I've been doing some for a couple of months from videos I've seen on YouTube and I'm actually getting arches and am a lot better balanced- not as much walking into walls!

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to Returning2Run]

Hi - I don't have actual flat feet or dropped arches, but I seem to have quite a heavy-footed running style - at least when I am doing the C25K timed runs. I try to let my foot "rock" along the ground and push me off for each new stride, as this seems to take less energy.

I've heard of something called "chi running", which is supposed to be an energy-efficient way of running; since I already do tai chi I might look into that a bit further.

[Returning2Run Graduate in reply to Katie204]

Ah okay, I got the wrong end of the stick I haven't looked at the chi method but I've read it's similar to the Pose method which I'm learning about just now. I can definitely see how it is energy efficient, I just can't get my head around it yet!

[bulgarianlily Graduate]

I used to do a lot of juggling. One of the fun things to do if you are a juggler is go to a juggler's convention, hundreds of people dressed colourfully, with the air full of flying objects! One day soon after I started I was struggling with a simple trick and found that next to me was practising a top Las Vagas world famous juggler. He smiled at me and said 'you and I are at the same level of juggling!'. I thought he was taking the piss, and I must have looked like that, as he went on to explain 'as long as we are both trying to get 'the next trick' right, it doesn't matter how hard or easy that trick is, we are both at the same point.' This has stayed with me all my life.

I think running is the same.

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to bulgarianlily]

What a brilliant point! Thank you for that new way of looking at things

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate]

Oh no those oh so professional looking runners. They do my head in too. They all started somewhere too Katie. I have some people I often see who are training for the marathon. When they overtake me, as they invariably do, with their chiseled calves and looking absolutely relaxed, I just say to myself, that'll be me one day.

[Maxiscot Graduate]

Ha ha I know the feeling. I went on my Royal parks tour the other day. Round Battersea park, across the Thames, up to Buckingham Palace, through Hyde Park and finishing in Kensington Palace Gardens. Total 8 km! I did this with a rucksack on my back so by the time I got into Hyde Park all the gazelles were sprinting past! Me I was chugging along like an old stream train but i genuinely didn't care. This time six months ago I would have never even considered running for 10 mins never mind an epic, tourist dodging tour of Royal parks. Don't look at other people particularly in Canary Wharf/the City. I worked in the city for 20 years and they are hyper competitive.

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to Maxiscot]

You're right about the Canary Wharfers, Maxiscot - they really are not as other folk.

I have to say I was quite pleased with my "two tunnels" run - from the Blackwall Tunnel approach to the start of the Limehouse Tunnel. I find the best bit about running, for me, is to find exciting new places to explore - running is just a quicker way of getting there than walking!

[Maxiscot Graduate]

Cool, next you could go through the greenwich foot tunnel then round greenwich park - will sort any hill issues you may have lol!

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to Maxiscot]

Sounds like a plan! I suspect the couple of hundred stairs between the ground surface and the tunnel would really sort out the men from the boys...

[Maxiscot Graduate]

Indeed and then you could run up to Blackheath, up the lovely Crooms Hill!

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to Maxiscot]

Crooms Hill is indeed lovely. It is also quite steep so should give me the ultimate workout!

[secan Graduate]

Ok but... where were they during the dark, cold evenings of February? You call them "supermen" but sometimes, when I feel a bit caustic, I cannot avoid to think to them as "mushroommen"; they appear only when the sun shines after the rain... XP

[Katie204 Graduate in reply to secan]

Hmm - I suspect these characters were ploughing through the miles in the pre-dawn darkness, running shirtless in the winter chill.

In fact, they were probably doing their winter training in the Arctic Circle, and biting through icebergs with their teeth.