TailChaser’s HM Training Diary - Week 1

[TailChaser]

My aim, as part of my plan, is to write a weekly entry on here. That’s the aim anyway...real life may kick in at any point! Fingers crossed!

Well, Week 1 of 21 is over already. It was fairly gentle but I crammed in 25km which I thought wasn’t too bad. The weather was kind to me and I’d love it to continue like that but I think I have to be realistic!!! Highlights included reaching my 1000km for the year and the start of breaking in a new pair of Ghost 12s.

- Run 1: 40 mins - JogRunSprint intervals - 10 minute warm up, 3 sets of 5 x 30sec jog, 5x20sec run and 5x10sec sprints with 2 minute light jogs in between sets, then a 10 minute cool down. I normally hate JRS runs but I limited the sprint more to 95% rather than full pelt, run was about 80% and jog was a gentle <10km sort of pace. It worked well except that my phone decided to die during the first set so I had to rely on my watch and there was no entertainment in my ears. Last time I did this I had a FitBit but my Garmin is much more user friendly to time things with thank fully. Came in at exactly 6km.

- Run 2: 60 mins - Long Steady Run. I did this with Katnap and I was a bit naughty as I made it more difficult by putting hills into it. We did take it very slow as I wanted to try and run more slowly and I find the slower runs more tiring, so that combined with the hills, made it quite a challenge. Nearly 8.5km covered in 60 minutes.

- Run 3: 20 mins - easy run (optional). This was my shoe breaking in run so there was no way I wasn’t going to do it! It was great fun. I had to pop to the shops to get some stamps so I just did a couple of loops near the shop and just got gradually faster. Lots of schadenfreude as I kept running past the same cars stuck in heavy traffic. Just over 3km covered.

- Run 4: Parkrun. We had opted for a lie in for once rather than pre-setup volunteering, but the cat was having none of that and made sure we were awake at 4:30am 😱😾. So by the time we got to Parkrun I was similar to the living dead 🧟‍♀️. Thankfully once I got going things kicked in but it definitely made a difference to my legs and recovery time as I was shattered on the way home. Official time 27:54 which I was happy with all things considered but it would have been nice to push it a bit more on such a perfect weather day.

Yesterday it was a gym session which included one circuit of roseabi ’s strength routine. I’ve been doing Yoga with Adriene YouTube videos the last few weeks and they are great! Can highly recommend giving them a go. Funnily enough, this week’s Runners World podcast is about Yoga for Runners, I can recommend that too!

Have a fun week everyone! 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏿‍♂️🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Well done TC, some nice training runs there. 👏👏👏

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thanks cheeky, it went ok but it was a fairly easy week to start with. Once Christmas is over, that’s when it will get interesting for all of us I think 🤔

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Oh yes, all systems go after Christmas! 😀

[R4inbow Ultramarathon]

Thanks for sharing this and look forward to reading more updates as the weeks go by! Looks like you've had a great week 1.

I really like yoga with Adriene, but I've slacked off the last few months and I can notice the difference in my back and my knees. I'm not running tonight as I'm shattered, so some yoga instead is a great idea.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to R4inbow]

Thank you R4inbow 😀. Yeah, I’ve been doing the 30 day challenge that she put up at the start of last year. I think I’m going to carry on doing it each day when it comes to an end shortly as I can feel my arms strengthening (all those planks and downward dogs).

Enjoy your session. I’m just psyching myself up to go out for my next interval run...it’s dark...it’s cold...bring it on???!

[R4inbow Ultramarathon in reply to TailChaser]

Enjoy your run!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to R4inbow]

Thank you! Still psyching! 😁

[R4inbow Ultramarathon in reply to TailChaser]

Hope you got out on your run!

I did my yoga, realised how unflexiable and without core strength I am at the moment. So you've inspired me to start the 30 day challenge myself.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to R4inbow]

Great R4inbow! Well done! It’s worth doing. Can’t say I’ve got any more flexible but it does teach you about your limits and how far you can push yourself, and she is very kind in that respect. Core strength has definitely improved though. And I did get out on my run, it was dark, cold but well worth it! 😀

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

That all sounds really good, a great mix. Well done for that time after so little sleep. Living dead must really suit you 🙀😂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

😂🧟‍♀️😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Doesn't sound like that easy a week to me TC!!! Great start by the sound of it😍

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to linda9389]

It was fun though Linda, which is what I hoped. Long may it stay that way 😀👍x

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Lovely new shoes. Take it nice and easy over the next few weeks TC, plenty of time for serious training after silly season.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

You’re very right Dexy, and I will try... It’s all starting to ramp up but the running is also therapy, and I’m spotting some fantastically decorated houses on the evening runs!

[Oldfloss Administrator]

So organised.. so super.... you are going to rock this HM.... could you please come and look after me ? x

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Floss 😍 I wish I could but you are doing pretty amazingly by the looks of things 🤗x

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to TailChaser]

Thank you xxx Just doing it as it comes

[Oldgirlruns 10 Miles]

I’m exhausted just reading that lot Tailchaser! Sounds as if you’ve got it all organised though and I hope it all goes well!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Hope so OG, it probably sounds worse than it was though. I learned a lot from my last attempt so I’m really going for it this time! Thank you 😊 x

[Katnap Marathon]

Still meeting targets so you should be happy with the plan so far 😁

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Katnap]

Yes I am. Got to keep it going because at some point it probably won’t go to plan!

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon]

Great start TC 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I still don’t really have a fixed plan but am doing 2x 30 min upper body and 2x30 min lower body body weight workouts a week and last week I did 2 x 5k runs, including a nice fast parkrun and 2 x 20k bike rides. Trying to plan for a longer run when it isn’t so wet and windy 😂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Blimey Sandie, you’re doing loads!! But aren’t you supposed to go out for runs when it’s wet and windy as it’s easier than windy/wet bike rides??! Have to say I’m not overly looking forward to a wet and windy long run tomorrow but we’ve done them before haven’t we!! 😁

I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about Sandie 👍

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

After my wet ‘n’ windy bike ride on Friday, I’m not overly keen on either! Haven’t run much over 5k for a little while though, so must be time 😬