Two Sheps Behind - Consolidation Running

[Jancanrunagain]

Well it's been rubbish here, I am blaming El Niño because I've never known such an awful Spring.

Yesterday was meant to be my running day - looked out of the window and couldn't see the village due to the fog. The hounds were baying to be let out, they got to the edge of the portico put their snouts out, got them wet and high tailed it back indoors.

We did virtual and actual weather checks on the hour - it was utter rubbish all day. Looked at the forecast for the rest of the week - all was doom and gloom. It's Easter, it's a late Easter, Yankee is open therefore it should be warm. We've mothballed the woodpile and fireplace in a misplaced sense of optimism.

This morning was no better, the hounds needed walking, so we managed that and escaped with a spit spot of rain - Phew.

Re-set your plan JCR run in the afternoon, except I hate afternoon running, I prefer to do it first thing to get to feel that runner's smugness all day.

Today was a treat day - had a facial, got told off for sun damage - personally I think it's rust not sun damage - dressed to run complete with hat, to protect me from either sun damage or rain damage whichever occurred.

Alongside my two fellow graduates  sheps and  MintT I'm trying to consolidate. For my first week I went off piste and came up with my own gentle plan, and I think this is where I have gone completely and utterly wrong.

I now believe that my phone and Jo Cool are monitoring me in a kind of freaky AI eavesdropping way and Jo has decided that if I do my own thing then she's not going to do her thing.

Last time out she froze and I just ran without knowing what this mythical first consolidation run with Jo was meant to be like.

Aha, today I've cracked it - I'm in no hurry, I'm running more or less on the flat, the weather has been cool and it's spitting with rain. All pretty much a perfect recipe for Jo and I to commune on the consolidation run.

Except she didn't play ball - I was listening to my weather playlist - Prince started me off with Thunder and I was running on a very open road, mmm no shade to be had and the temperature was getting warmer. Which for wearing a base layer and sweatshirt over long legged leggings was a bit of a mistake, especially with the sun/rain hat keeping my head very warm.

 sheps has said she enjoyed the first one and the opportunity to do a sprint at the end. All I got was to the self same point as last time when Jo told me to keep shoulders down and head up, engaging my core. I haven't actually got a core, definitely a birth omission - I've looked for it many times and there isn't one where everyone else's is. I do seem to have a 'cor - how podgy is that' area somewhere in the middling bit. Not sure how one engages a bit of podge?

Anyway to the run, it was getting increasingly warm and the sweatshirt was off and tied round the 'cor podge' bit. I was running in an unfamiliar area and darted past an old guy in a Cinq who was gesticulating wildly at me. Not a Scooby who he was, so on I continued, not realising that Jo had left me in the lurch again. Map My Run Mechanical Voice Lady told me I'd been running for about twenty minutes and then I found the reason why the man in the cinq had been gesturing with such vigour. It's a dead end road, oh well back to the drawing board. Retracing my steps, I was really over-heating - this route has no shade at all to talk of, save for the occasional olive tree by the side of the road.

I found myself running back along the main road from the dual carriageway to/from Fano, not ideal as there are big lorries etc going into the mini industrial estates nearby.

Eminem was now asking me if the real Slim Shady would please stand up, but the real Podge Sunny was sweating and in no position to answer him. With an incredible sense of irony I've seen I was running near the Rio Secco - which I guess is the dried river - secco for sure is dry, Rio I'm not so sure because rivers are called Fiumi here.

I reckon I did my consolidation run in reverse, as I have no blooming idea what this run is like because Jo Cool keeps on dumping me - my MMR says my first period was my fastest and my last run my slowest.

What's a girl to do when her coach keeps on going awol?

 sheps please tell me what is the actual run like for the first one? I fear I will never find out and end up always being two sheps behind rather than one step beyond....

The pic shows where Jo dumped me

Who knew mechanical Voice Lady would be preferable? She said I did 5.32km in 47.15 minutes

Ho hum

[Yesletsgo Administrator]

This sounds like one of those runs where conditions aren't ideal and the technology glitches are just the icing on the cake...mmm icing 🍰

I digress. I agree with you, the weather in southern Europe this last month has been disappointing. We were in Greece and it was cardigan weather most of the time. Driving back last week it actually got warmer the further north we got. The night before we left Greece the temperatures were in single figures, four days later in Venice it was low to mid 20s (once we got to France normal service was resumed and it went back to damp and rainy).

I thought about popping you a DM as we must have passed Fano on our drive from Brindisi, but my husband and son were with me and we had so many miles to cover. Another time maybe? That route along the Adriatic Coast is probably the loveliest I've ever done.

Back to running: have you tried the Nike Run Club app for your guided runs? It's free and you don't need to buy Nike gear to use it. There is a huge selection of guided runs of all sorts - timed, distance runs, intervals, tempo runs, fartleks, mindfulness. A lot of us are big fans though Coach Bennett seems to polarise us. It sometimes just stops, usually when you expecting 30 seconds flat out and find you've been running for several minutes, though it doesn't happen too often. It works in Italy too, and most of the European countries I've visited.

Rest assured, things will soon be back to normal with your weather being better than ours

[Jancanrunagain Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Yes I’d have been happy to have had a DM running is just not such a thing here - cycling of any type takes precedence. The weather has been utterly depressing and deflates one’s mood no matter how hard you try to keep smiling. Our house is restored old but it doesn’t stop the damp unfortunately. I will definitely look at the Nike app because at this stage I know I need guidance. In time I’ll run free style but I know I will be better prepped if someone or something is guiding me there. Today’s run not a waste it’s just a bit frustrating when Jo goes awol - because if I stop to restart her I’ve failed the run challenge. I thought it was because I put my phone in my bra - but I’ve changed to legging pocket with the screen facing outwards so there can be no accidental rubbing of the screen. Never mind I’ll give it another go Thursday and if Jo decides she’s leaving me I’ll look to Nike. Thanks for that advice

[Yesletsgo Administrator in reply to Jancanrunagain]

Definitely not a wasted run, those ones where it doesn't go to plan are where we test our metal and learn to keep at it regardless.

Once the weather lifts your mood and the damp will definitely improve. Italy isn't really designed for gloom, not like here, the light is different

[Jancanrunagain Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

You know you’re right about the light all my Italian friends always say when it’s raining it’s like London and I have to politely correct them and say it rains more here than London oh and it’s colder in Winter too!

Onwards and upwards