So I'm afraid I jinxed the weather last week, sorry about that. It's been rubbish ever since, and even my wee cat has caught a sniffle. But not to be dissuaded by a bit of drizzle, here is a nice picture of some runner ducks getting out and about! Look at that speed blur, these guys don't care about grey days. (Apparently the ducks run around at 9.45am every day at Stellenbosch, maybe DiveMonkey can verify!!)
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Happy running, awesome people!
Sqkr & roseabi
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Sqkr
Half Marathon
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I’ve not been getting too wet of late, so feeling rather fortunate. It was cold again this morning though. My hands were feeezing 🥶. I wore my long-sleeved merino too
Mostly scheduled “fast” 5k runs at the mo but I think next week there’ll be some 7k’s and 4K intervals.
Week after that i’m off ✈️ 🤢🤮 🙈. I have to get some running done as my race is just after I get back 🏃♀️
Thanks Sqkr beautiful foto! great running those ducks, we have something to learn
I spent last week balancing getting miles in and recovering from last Sunday. I decided to go for a quick interval training (8x400 in progressing from 1’26 to 1’20) on Thursday and I had to get my long run in today ( which made my 7 days from Sunday to Saturday a week with 82 miles!!!!) I felt strong enough today, and got in 5 miles at race pace and 2 miles at 7’30. Total of 21miles in 2h50.
I managed to close the week well, running as soon as I got here in North Carolina (the new hotel I am in is 0.5 miles away from a very nice trail) I went there and ran 11 mile, over 19 hours after I woke up and with at least 10 hours up in the air and probably 12 in planes.
So in total I managed a total of 72.5 miles this week (longest week), but if I consider the last 8 days (Sunday to Sunday) I have run 97.4 miles (almost 157 Km!!!). I feel strong with these in my legs, but I am not sure about risking the 3h15 pace, I might not.
I will spend the rest of the week here in the US, coming back on Thursday night. I might run a 10K race on Sunday, but I have not decided yet... Taper will start next week
Continuing in my quest to get faster I went Track Training last night for the first time in more than 6 months. It was shorter reps which I thought I'd find easier - it wasn't 🤣😂
Had to do 8 x 450m the first of which was OK but I got progressively slower rather than faster. Bar the very smallest children I would think I was the slowest there!
It was great fun though (in a masochistic sort of way!) and I ran faster than I've ever run before so I'll call it a success 😁
Love the ducks photo - is it in Stellenbosch? Lovely place
I am trying to recover after sunday's last LSR before London at 20 miles - planning a short run tomorrow and another on Thursday...Still trying to plan what I will do on the weekend - thinking of 10-ish miles in Bedgebury forest.
Any suggestions re taper would be more than welcome
I spent most of last week recovering from ATB. I did do around 16k on Saturday. On my shorter runs I’ve been trying to find trail bits, to prepare for the 25k trail run coming up. In fact there is a full 25k length orientation run this Saturday which I really don’t feel fully prepared for. Hoping it will be a bit slower than the actual race. 😁Also been watching our coach’s progress after he began his 875km run to Boston. He’s completed over 500km so far!! 60km+ per day every day since last Sat. It just blows my mind.
This week I was kind of recovered, just a bit swollen still so went and did the club 5k (not brave enough for the usual 10k). I fell over and re-trashed the same knee and demolished my arm as well. I'm not sure how it can have a lump on it that big and still function as an arm. I'm sure there must be a bit of bone trying to poke through.
I am determined to do Parkrun on Saturday in some shape or form though as it is their 6th birthday event.
Oh I hope you are ok. Maybe give yourself a few days to recover fully? I am no doctor but it sounds like your knee might need a scan just to ensure there is nothing seriously wrong inside before you run on it again. Don’t want to risk any long term damage
Still plodding through my plan with my second HM on Sunday. Have become rather obsessed with the climb at about 2.5 miles. I don't have much experience of 16% elevation grades and have left it too late really 😀. At least it's a pretty short climb. Sunday will be interesting - but not necessarily in a good way 😀
Have you run it before? I'm just wondering if tactically it's better to walk it so I don't wear my legs out too soon .... more likely I will give it a go though and I will have your words of encouragement ringing in my ears
No i’ve not run it before, but my recent HM had a couple of hills - one short and steep, the other was long and more gentle. I found just relaxing into them and slowing my pace but keeping running worked well. I did consider this HM but was unable to get there this year. I’m interested in what you think of it for future. I see they describe it as flat so it can’t be too bad 😉
Relatively dry here (thankfully) so far. Trying to balance long runs with shorter ones but the short ones just don't appeal in the same way.
I've done 2 HM distance within 10 days, am tempted to do another Saturday or at least 10 miles. Runs of less than 8 miles feel like I'm not really trying now and tend to be when I'm short on time.
I've a sports massage tomorrow so I'll be interested to hear what state she thinks I'm in before deciding on Saturdays' distance.
I've also got some Ijinji 5 toe socks on the way as I was getting some chafing on Sunday that I want to put a stop to 👍
I'm very lucky with the area around me, it doesn't really feel like the massive effort I expected. 1st was road running... that was boring but last two on the South Downs Way with a couple of pauses for pics and squats/lunges were good. I'm hitting steep hills on purpose to train my legs for the ups and downs. I'd rather run up a 16% incline than down! Far safer 👍
I'm in awe! Your legs must be amazing! I'll remember to take it easy on the way down - I certainly did today as there were all sorts of slippery bits on the pavement and I thought it would be too easy to go skittering down like something out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon
Yea, take it steady. I've only just started following trail running advice to lengthen stride and "bounce" down hill, arms wide for balance like we did as kids but boy does it take confidence! If unsure I do very small steps, same as uphill and just focus on where your foot needs to land over the next few steps.
I only do my distances for fun, nothing organised. It's more to prove that I can and for headspace.
Since my last HM I have been changed focus to my 5k training over the last couple of weeks. I have started proper weekly hill sessions with my club, in addition to a weekly track interval session. Surprisingly I really enjoy the hill training - especially when it’s on grass and finished!! 😀but it is tough! I’m hoping to keep my weekly long run around 20k also to maintain endurance before starting to build up to Marathon distance in a couple of months..
I'm having a rest from running this week, in the hope of easing my butt niggle. The sports massage didn't sort it out so I'm going back tomorrow for acupuncture on it 😬 Hope that sorts it out as I'm feeling a bit fed up, I don't want to book another race until it's better and I feel lost without a race lined up! Trying to keep up the strength and stretch exercises in the meanwhile, off to book a yoga class...
With today I am at 120 miles in 11 days streak, with a strong interval training yesterday, in which I did 10 miles (3 warm up, 4 X 0.8 miles in 4:30-4:20 + 0.2 miles recovery (2:00), and 3 miles cool down). This morning I was tired, but tonight I managed 8 miles.
Tomorrow I am planning to close the streak with 7 miles. I will travel back to Europe on Thursday night, Friday is rest day and Saturday I have an unexpected 10 K race (a friend of mine asked if I can join him and I said "why not..." not thinking about the fact that I am in a marathon training, with over 265 miles on my legs in the last 30 days and a transatlantic flight on Thursday...
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