Mixed fortunes; highs and lows

[linda9389]

12k on the plan for this morning, a new distance for me. Decided to get in the car and go somewhere different - settled on Dorney Lake (the 2016 Olympic rowing venue). I've never been before and it looked nice and flat and scenic for a longer run.

Set off this morning excited and nervous (I'm a nervous Nancy by nature ). Found it OK and it looked perfect. Took me at least half an hour to figure out how to pay for parking - and when I say figure out, I still have no idea whether I paid once, twice or not at all! I've messaged them cos I don't want an expensive parking ticket The run was flat and pretty. I ran round the lake, I wandered off for a while on a shady trail through the trees then finished my distance around the lake. 12k done. What's not to like? Only it didn't feel good. The last km was tough, the last half km very tough. My feet were sore (in my new shoes too, even though they had been previously broken in on a shorter run). I was out of breath and tired and didn't feel I could do any more. To cap it all I felt dizzy and faint going back to the car. Today it feels like trying to get to 16k for the Great South run is going to be an enormous challenge, and the half marathon in March nigh on impossible.

Ho hum. A bottle of water and the other half of the banana picked me up again for the drive home. I know there's plenty of time, I know I can slow it down a bit, I know I can start carrying water and even some of these infamous jelly babies (this is the first time I have felt in need of energy/hydration immediately after a run). But I went out excited for the treat of running in a new place and for a new distance, and came home feeling really disappointed.

The day did turn around a bit though when my elderly neighbour - quite possibly 90 years old by now - asked me if he had seen my daughter the other day, outside our back gate, she said hello .... oh no I said, beaming, that was me just back from a run! I'm taking that as a huge compliment (she's 23, I'm 57!) - he may be 90 and says he didn't have his glasses on, but it's plenty good enough for me

[LittleNell83]

Don't be disappointed. You are going out and doing it. Next time you run there you will be more confident having done it once and the car park will be sussed.

I find that I need rehydration tablets to reduce the bleaurgh feeling I sometimes get. Although today I had a bowl of chips after my run as was feeling odd.

Keep going and, I hope you have a delayed good feeling about the run x

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to LittleNell83]

I'm going to try some hydration tablets in a water bottle while running my next long run. I do feel better now. Focusing on how good my thigh is feeling after weeks of being troublesome! I'm also remembering running across a cattle grid this morning without thinking, and luckily getting away with it - it could all have been so much worse really

[LittleNell83 in reply to linda9389]

I use the SiS tablets, as they are available in my local supermarket. Often a bit after a 'bad' run I feel better an hour or more later x

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to LittleNell83]

Ok thanks that sounds nice and easy. I may get some of those as well as the Hi5 Zero ones recommended by Annie below - try a few flavours out!

[AnnieW55]

Well done - you did good 👏😀

If you’re not used to running over an hour then that would account for feeling odd towards the end of your run, especially if it was on the warm side. You did go a good pace too! Sometimes we get away with it and sometimes we don’t.

Personally I would take a look at hydration for your longer runs. Hi5 Zero tablets are good for replacing electrolytes too, just pop 1/4 or 1/2 or even a full tab in a water bottle - you’d need to work out what to use. Or alternatively a pinch of salt, some orange juice and fill up the bottle with water would do as well.

Don’t worry, your goals are do-able, it’s just that with longer runs a bit of planning is needed.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to AnnieW55]

I've just looked those up. It's a whole new world to me ...electrolytes, carbohydrates, caffeine, energy gels, powders ..... thank you for being so specific - it gives me a great start point and sounds like a really good idea

[AnnieW55 in reply to linda9389]

😀

Running is just one foot in front of the other. Nice and simple - at first!😄. As with life, as you get further into it it becomes a lot more ‘interesting’. It’s also where these brilliant forums come in handy to help point the way as can Google, You Tube and magazines. Don’t forget there’s another forum to enjoy - the marathon and race support. Another badge to add to the collection once you have done your HM.

Oh! Nearly forgot, don’t you have a 10k graduate badge to request for here?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to AnnieW55]

Oh! I'm pretty sure I used to have the 10k badge. I hadn't noticed it disappear 😀 i will ask for it again, thanks 🙂

[AnnieW55 in reply to linda9389]

Sorry, grovelling apologies ☺️. I’d forgotten which forum we were on! (Bit of brain fuddle). Just looked - your 10k badge is still shining brightly on the 10k forum.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to AnnieW55]

Aha. I asked for it again and seemed to have it. But now I don't see it again! So does it only show if you are in that forum? You get stripped when you tentatively climb the ladder? I didn't realise that 🙂

[AnnieW55 in reply to linda9389]

Yes. You only have the graduate badge relating to that particular forum. I skip (hobble 😊) between the 3 and get confused as to where I am occasionally. You will have your 5k and 10k badges on those fora. And when you have done HM distance you can apply for that on here.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to AnnieW55]

Makes perfect sense 🙂. Amazing what I don't notice on a day to day basis 😂

[ancientrunner Half Marathon]

Well done -sounds to me like you are on track with your goals. I'm told it was very hot today (was at work so missed it) and that does look quite exposed, tho' lovely. Maybe try with some fluids along the way.

That's a real boost from the neighbour.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to ancientrunner]

It was much warmer than I expected and after all the car park faff I was quite a bit later than I had intended Fluids and hydration tablets will be my new best friend on my next long run and maybe I'll eat the whole banana before setting off too

[Lorijay]

Hey Linda you did great, brilliant !! Well done to you even with the challenges you had to deal with. where are you doing your half marathon in March? :)

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Lorijay]

Thanks. I just had the longest sleep for ages, maybe I was tired before I even started yesterday. I'm (hopefully) doing the london landmarks half marathon. I'm running it for MIND, so once I start fundraising I will have the added incentive to make it happen 🙂

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Hi Linda! Don't be disappointed - sometimes a new distance can be hard work the first time we run it. Also, I thought it was quite warm when I ran yesterday so this could also have had an impact. Definately a good idea to start thinking about hydration and fuel now that your runs are getting longer, too. I am hoping to do a similar run next weekend (maybe 11/11.5k) so you are further ahead in your training than me. I had a look at my runs from last time I did the GSR and I am a little behind where I was then.😮 Stay positive, you are doing so well...and clearly impressing the neighbours! Happy running☺.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Thanks. I feel more positive this morning. The dizziness wss new and a bit worrying. So many people have come back with the same solution that it already feels more 'normal'. Got to love this forum! Still disappointed about the blisters - I bought new shoes to try to avoid blisters as i increased distance. Had runderwear twin layer socks on too. May call the running shop and see what they suggest. Good luck with your distance increases.

[Sqkr Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

I've learnt lately that sometimes blisters may just be an inevitability! It's always worth investigating the options, but I seem to get a blister on the arch of my leading foot no matter which shoes or socks I wear, if I run for more than 15k. Taping it preemptively seems to help though. If you do continue to get blisters in the same place I'd recommend whacking a bit of sticky plaster tape on the area before you run. Needs to be the really sticky stuff though, or it will come off or wrinkle and make things worse!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

I'm just back from the supermarket, now the proud owner of some Compeed plasters to get me started. If it persists I will give sticky tape a try as it would be a whole lot cheaper than compeed! Maybe my feet will toughen up a bit with practice too 😀

[Sqkr Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Tell you what though, those compeeds are magical! A couple of days with one and you'd never know you ever had a blister in the first place. I think I might take one in my pocket for the GNR, just in case!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

Sounds like a plan. Not long now. Good luck and enjoy 😀

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

So one option was to check with the shop about the shoes - Up and Running in Oxford; I called them, really just looking for advice - should I have broken them in longer, could I lace them differently etc. The lovely guy said to bring them in and if necessary they would exchange them, but maybe try a couple of shorter runs first with different socks and see how they are. I didn't think there would be any hope of an exchange having worn them - I call that super service.

The shoes I bought (after gait analysis in the store) were the very readily available Brooks GTS18s. I paid full whack for them, but did that consciously in return for the analysis and personal service that a local shop can provide (sadly not quite local enough to be convenient though!). So glad I didn't come home empty-handed to order them off one of the well known discounting online stores

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Sorry to hear about the less-good run - it happens unfortunately. Next one will be better!

And what a lovely compliment!!