A lovely picture of a pheasant for this week, because I bump into these guys quite a lot when I am out and about. I love that on paper they are not really built for running at all but it makes no odds, because look at them go! Fancy feather finery streaming behind them and quite the speed too. Pheasants just don't care for conventional wisdom.
Sometimes we don't feel like putting a whole post up but just want to share something small, so this is a great place for doing that during the week. Please join in the discussion 😊
If you're new or a lurker this is a great place to say a little hi without the pressure of a full post.
Happy running, gang!
Ju-Ju, Sqkr, and roseabi
XXX
Written by
Sqkr
Half Marathon
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Oh no it hasn't! Honestly, I try and will a cold away. I pretend it's not happening. Mind over matter sorta thing. I just hope you don't feel the full effects and it'll be gone very soon. Fingers crossed!
Not nice! You have my sympathy - I was starting with a cold on Saturday. Thankfully it wasn't too bad for the race yesterday (though I notice I have tissue to nose in at least two photos ) and I daresay it will be gone before my HM. I'm glad it's now and not later too
Thanks Linda. HM not til 3rd March, so it should be fine. Just want to make sure I get my runs in between now and then. I hate missing runs, especially at this stage.
Bleurgh! Hope you've managed to wrestle it out of your system! Hot toddies all the way. I like mine with additional amaretto, because amaretto is the most delicious drink known to man.
Love him!!! 😊😊😊 I was thinking he looks quite a lot like Roadrunner, and wondered if the two birds are related, but it turns out that a roadrunner is a type of "ground cuckoo" which I find rather pleasing 😄
I had a relatively large number of runs last week (3!), and they all went very well, apart from the speed run being followed by a migraine. I actually waited until dusk to do "Abi's Assault on the Prom" yesterday, to avoid the bright, mirage-inducing sunlight. So it wasn't very much like an official race at all! Except I had to climb over several hundred Brighton & Hoveites out for their evening constitutional, which did rather remind me of the 10K race I ran in Milton Keynes a couple of years ago. And I got a PB!! 😏💥
HM again tomorrow (Tues ) treating myself to a visit to an indoor arena again to avoid the sheet ice on all the paths. This week I'm planning a HM, 10k and Parkrun provided not cancelled yet again. Got this sneaky feeling I may run farther than the planned HM if all feels good tomorrow, maybe 23-24k, as I'd like to begin this season's wind-up to marathon distance already. Finding out about all the weekly club DIY half and full marathons has given me a whole new perspective on races etc. I'd always assumed it was bye bye to 50-60€ to enter one of the big organised runs to get bling and an official time! Being able to rock-up at the indoor arena and run a weekly event on a Tues, Thurs or Sun is cosmic! (and cheap - just the indoor track fee of 12€). Some of the old school at the arena run a marathon every week! Yikes!
Edit - Forgot to mention last week's HM indoor track run was a PB. Knocked 4 minutues off old time and only 5 mins over the 2 hours even with 4km water/snack breaks, so I'm hopeful over getting well under 2 hours this year when fitter and running in a bigger race environment.
Espoo Indoor DIY Marathon - Ha! Just received the email listing all the DIY Marathon/HM runners for tomorrow, 13 marathoners and 1 half marathoner (me!). Feeling like a bit of a noob!
Well done on the pb! 😀 sounds like a really good venue to get you through winter. Hope tomorrow goes well. Not sure I could do a weekly hm against the clock - Ok as a long run but if I push it I need a couple of weeks to fully recover I think.
Run went well and just short of the 2hr barrier at 02:00:14! I watched the Kipchoge "Breaking2" last night on Chris Allen's recommendation on b210k forum and it must have inspired me! Kipchoge is NOT twice as fast as me anymore! That sounds sad or cosmic whichever end of the telescope you want to use!
I was hoping it might be... ! Shifted at least ten barrows full of soil and two of lawn sods...! After two days with small one tomorrow and Wednesday..my upper body strength, ought to be incredible! Ha ha!
10k race successfully out of the way yesterday, so now all my focus is on building some confidence for my first HM in just 34 sleeps - eek! Two runs planned for this week - 13k pace and 22k long easy on Saturday. It's the long one that's key and my goal is to run it all, barring water breaks every 5k. Rules in place beforehand so no chatter in my head during the run! Fingers crossed 🙂. Have a good week all x
I've been grumpy today as my best laid plans keep getting scuppered. When I plan a run, a scud gets dropped right in the middle of it. Grrrrr. I am running tomorrow come what may!
I had a vile run today. I was so tired I wanted to quit. It just happened to be a long run, wouldn't you know! Runkeeper cocked up and lost 1.7 km of the run so I had to run it again It was no good quitting as I was still miles from home so i kept going I had to walk the dog when I got back. I just got his lead on and took him. He cheered me up bless im!
I had two slices of wholemeal buttered toast with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Followed by the hottest bath imagineable.
Last week’s track session was awful due to black ice so had to give up and do an equivalent interval session the following day. So mileage was down a bit last week but parkrun was good with a hilly course pb, and a nice gentle 21k yesterday for my long run. Finally had a decent track session today without ice! First time this year maybe!?
3 runs under my belt last week, some heLth issues but I plodded on. Ran9,6 and 9 miles in preparation for a 10 mile race this Saturday. Wish me luck guys
Still on a running hiatus while we're away skiing and snowmobiling for the week but looking forward to getting back to running next week and trying to get back on track. It's been way too long since I had a nice long run. Will likely just go out and see what feels ok and try to figure out where to restart on my plan. I'd still like to reach HM by April/May so I have lots of time to work on building up the hills before my race in Sept.
Not much to report. Trying to get longer runs in each week, but the weather skews what is possible most weeks. Did a group run on Saturday where 4 or 5 of us took headers on the ice (I was the first 😊) Wound up running part of it on the snowbanks along the roadside. That was a good run but Mon and Tues were not great. This left shin/ankle issue shows up in these short runs and slows me. Esp the indoor track ones it seems. I think it is the consistent surface and repetitive track banking. Other days it is fine. Go figure.
I found roads with a significant camber were a killer for my calf niggle last year, so I imagine a banked track must be really tough! Didn't matter which direction I went in either, it seemed to be the general imbalance that upset my leg.
Yes, it is such a small track that to do any serious distance you are doing over 100 loops x 4 banks in one direction, putting stress on one side. I’m starting to think the track might be aggravating the issue. Outdoor 12k today was much easier on the leg.
That darn ice! Spring (summer 🙏🏻) can’t come fast enough. Snowbank running is hard work! Good on you! You could try changing direction after every few laps to see if that may help with the niggles while running on track and maybe change up the pace a bit (fartlek training perhaps?).
Yeah today the paths were plowed and dry so the going was much easier and the leg felt good again. Some drivers took issue with the snowbank running, honking us, but there was not much choice in some places. Wish we could change direction on the track, but they have one direction set per day. It would also mean chaos since some walkers can’t seem to stay in their lane going one way, but I digress... 😊
Maybe your weather will continue to stay clear and dry for a while so you can avoid the track for a while. It's nice to have the track but tough for the distances you're running now.
Yeah I hope so, but we just had freezing rain so good that tomorrow is a rest day. Friday I am offsite for the day, so hoping Sat will be a nice one. Yeah its mostly just me and another triathlete that do the longer distances indoors. Its a little ridiculous doing 200 laps. Maybe save it for the short ones
It's all over the map. It looks like the deep freeze has ended for now but looks like it could be returning by the time we get home. I'm getting really tired of the cold. My poor fingers seem overly sensitive to it now. Even with my heated handlebars on my snowmobile on high my thumb was tingling despite temps in the mid teens. We've still enjoyed our winter activities this winter despite the crazy temps but I'm definitely ready for some warmer weather. I'll be getting out for a run this weekend though, come hell or high water (or another deep freeze ). I really need to get back to running.
Its such a hard time of the year out there. Hoping the temps will get better soon and you can finally have some comfortable runs. We are getting another blast of freezing rain tonight, which is why I did not join the group intervals run, and went out earlier. Good luck this weekend!
Thanks. I’m not sure which is worse - freezing rain or deathly cold. Both make running outside more challenging that it should be. Smart idea skipping the intervals. No point slipping and getting hurt. Soon we’ll be complaining about the heat and bugs - can’t wait 🦟☀️
I've got the hump, because this part of the year is meant to be quiet for me, yet it turns out that it is not quiet at all 😡 Nevertheless, I finally got a long run in last weekend and am going out for boring but necessary runs every now and then at lunchtime, so I think the half marathon in a week and a bit will be alright. Doing 18.6k the other day was fine, though I did ache a bit for the following couple of days. No wonder, I've not done a run that long since September 😂 I might not be crossing the finish line in a blaze of glory, but it's good to know I can pull the distance out of the bag when I need to.
I am marathon training and thought I was doing ever so well-- but then over the past month we have had a heat wave which ruined a 20K run for me ( too hot, too humid, too fast) and now that I am ready to do a 22k, I get hit by a bout of diverticulitis and looks like we will get a cyclone landing on the coast in my vicinity this coming weekend!!!
Your pic of a pheasant reminded my of my enjoyment of driving around Britain - we were always excited to see them in the rural areas. We do have pheasants here in Australia - but they are not as colourful as yours en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheas...
Well my mid week long run was only 15k. My hm is week after next but I held back a bit as I have running club track session tomorrow (going with the easy group) and a gentle hill run for sat morn so dont want to burn out. Tapering down for next week....really looking forward to this one. Feel good in mind and body. Fed up with healthy food though. Go going for a burger chips and a gallon of brewdog after 😜🤣🤣🤣
Had a nice surprise this evening when my daughter suddenly expressed an interest in C25k out of the blue! C25k phone app and Strava downloaded and we were off! She's 18 so young enough to still be "almost fit without really trying " (remember those days?) Well it went really well and we even had a sporty sprint finish at the end! (trying to whack Dad of course) Hopefully she'll carry on with the programme!
Edit - Just checked the run data and our sprint finish was 20 km/hr 12 mph! or Kipchoge WR marathon speed! I think Jnr will be leaving me for dust by C25k W5! Or sooner!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
) and I daresay it will be gone before my HM. I'm glad it's now and not later too 
Hopefully she'll carry on with the programme! 
