It's been a while since I last posted. I'm not much of a social media type really, and I didn't want to keep posting on here after every single run, but prompted by a lovely message from Hidden recently, I thought a post was probably long overdue, especially since I went out this morning, in the nearly-sunshine.
So what have I been up to then? Well I've determined that running 3 times a week during the winter period is just not going to happen, so I aim for once or twice a week, and I'm not trying to break any records, I'm just trying to maintain my fitness level, which I am managing... just, I think. I have been out at least once a week on average since graduation, even with snow on the ground. The problem I'm having is that my nice canal towpath summer route is a muddy quagmire, so I'm having to stick to road-based routes now, and roads aren't nice and flat like towpaths tend to be. Because of the local geography, there's no flat run anywhere near me, so I have to run uphill then down, which is a bit of a killer sometimes. But I'm still running, and still enjoying it for the most part, though today was maybe somewhat of a challenge!
Because of things various going on in real life, I hadn't been able to go for a run since last Wednesday. I set off this morning after a decent lie in, brekky and a cup of tea and an hour or so break to digest the food. OK Ok, 2 cups of tea maybe. Mugs, not cups! I digress...
So I set off up hill but doing the reverse of my usual route just for a change, as I think the hills are more gradual. No problem, but of course the second half of the run then was a gentle downhill, and according to my stats, I was at about 6 minutes / km, which is too fast for me. Yes Oldfloss I know!!! Normally if I notice I'm going too fast, I slow down, but then I remembered I was about to pass a cash machine, and I needed cash for a trip I'm going on tomorrow, so of course I came to a dead stop. And had to wait for about 5 or 6 minutes whilst 2 ladies had a full-on discussion in front of the thing whilst getting their cash out. During the wait I started to feel awful, really sick and light-headed. I don't normally feel like that on a run, and began to wonder if I was coming down with a stomach bug or something. I got my cash, and walked, very slowly, to the nearest park bench and had a rest for a few minutes, then managed to walk home, slowly!
After a cuppa and a shower I was feeling back to my normal self again, and I suspect what happened may have been due to the sudden stop without a warm down. I wasn't expecting to stop for longer than about 30 seconds.
I'm not at all sure I know what happened, but I'm certainly going to try and avoid sudden stops in the future. I know I can run, I enjoy running, this was just a minor setback. Not every run will be perfect.
That's enough of me for now, thanks for listening everyone!
Neil
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Yes, the sick dizzy thing has happened to me after one of my few treadmill/bad weather runs. Because i was in the house, I neglected to warm down properly and felt awful, faint, light headed and nauseous. Well done for the rest of the run, though, and for keeping up with the running
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Thanks Flick, I guess it’s something to do with the heart still racing and pumping the blood to the head or something? I dunno! Useful to know it’s not just me!
Okay, i'm not going to court controversy by criticising the Forum orthodoxy on the importance of the cooldown walk, but...
... there really is no science behind the need to cool down after exercise. Not for the muscles nor for the heart EXCEPT in the instance of people with certain heart conditions (for whom running probably isn't the best thing anyway).
I have rather given up arguing this point here as it is so firmly entrenched in the advice that must be given to Newb runners, however in this instance I feel it is important to be aware of. Do not dismiss your 'funny five minutes' as the inevitable consequence of not cooling down properly. It may well have been nothing sinister, or perhaps you are about to come down with a bug, but it was nothing to do with not cooling down and if it happens again you should investigate properly.
Well,, by some weird coincidence, it's happened to me every time I've just gone from running to stop. Not having seen the forum take on this, I googled it and found a number of articles explaining it's because of the heart going from full on to the body being suddenly immobile, causing a sudden drop in blood pressure. I was taught many years ago that you don't gallop a horse to the stable door, you come down gradually from full speed ahead but, hey, what do I know, I'm not an expert.
Well, I'm not going to get into the full debate as it will just get me told off, but no, tha isn;t really true, even if you were going 'full on' which presumably you are not during a 5k rather than a sprint.
Yes there are dozens of articles that repeat this old wives tale, but that doesn't mean there is any science behind it. Rugby players, Olympic sprinters, athletes of all stripes who perform at high intensity do not jog arond afterwards. Tour de Farnce cyclsts do not cycle gently round the block a few times. It is just not necessary. But whatever, it isnt going to do you any harm to 'cool down' so if thats what smokes your tyres, by all means go ahead.
What is dangerous however is to attribute actual real symptoms to some old myth, and thereby not investigate what might be a genuine problem.
as with everything else, opinions change. My heart rate can go pretty high because I'm basically hill running most of the time (except on the treadmill). I can only go by what I've experienced, which is that if I go from run to stationary, i experience the symptoms described. I told my GP who was seriously unworried, so no problems except that i have naturally low blood pressure. i had the same faintness and nausea after delivering my daughter.
You have low blood pressure. That is very sensitive to sudden increases and decreases in heart rate, changes in position during exercise etc. Orthostatic hypotension.
Hey all input much appreciated, seriously, and I suspect our bodies are all different, hence different results. Just because your experience disagrees with the accepted line, doesn’t mean you don’t have a valid point. Today was the first time this has happened to me, it may well be a one off thing. It’s certainly not going to stop me, put it that way!
Hello stranger who is still running! Well done for keeping at it, it is so hard at this time of year with crappy weather, the Christmas and holiday aftermath, oh and muddy places too. Glad you got out though and your funny 5 minutes, could just be one of those things. But take care of yourself and just make a note if it happens again, as there may be something that is causing it. Sometimes we ignore these little niggly things and we shouldn't.
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I’m still running Jan And I shall take care, dont worry. I’m happy actually, i noticed there was a working party of volunteers working on the towpath, so hopefully it will be less muddy soon! I did feel guilty for not volunteering though...
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Brilliant and great news on the towpath. Maybe you'll volunteer one day when you find the time. I am looking for the future at joining the good gym group. These guys run at the same time doing something for the community like clearing an old lady's garden that kind of thing. It sounds a great way of keeping strong and helping folk. But that is on my volunteering back-burner until next year, because this year is all about my Alzheimer's Challenge and I can't fit in both unfortunately.
Good to see you back Neil! I don’t post often also. At the moment I am trying to run 3 times a week in India! Running on a sloped beach with wild dogs and a cow isn’t very easy and also before the sun is burning hot. Only managing 3K before the exhaustion kicks in but it’s better than nothing with this humidity.
Thanks Debbie, I didn’t know you were in India! I’m getting used to the hills, but I can’t say I love them yet... very much looking forward to the towpath again!!
Will be glad to get back to West Yorkshire next week to run on the flat! It’s good to keep the running up even though I will be getting wet again!! Happy 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️ everybody 😎
Aw thanks Jan. Unintentional hill training really. It’s that or running in wellies! And I agree with you, running on the towpath will be great after this lol
Hi Neil, good to hear from you, I was wondering how you are. Well done for keeping running at this time of year- Spring on the tow path is on its way!! 😀
Don't know how I missed this as I have been keeping an eye out for you. Glad to see you getting out and about.
Hasn't it been crazy trying to get out, busyness and freezing ground and temperatures!
Fortunately working from home as I do I have been able to defer some of my runs to lunchtime when things have warmed up a bit.
I have switched from Canal towpath to streets for most of my run, my canal doesn’t sound as bad as yours but started trying to embrace the hill that leads into town.
Keep us posted how you are doing and watch out we don’t want you on the IC.
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Morning run didn't go to plan 
Old (ish) timer running! 
Week 8 Run 1
Week 3 Run 3 done.....
Week 8 run 1 done! 😃
