(Sorry I'm late, I wrote it all yesterday during work but today has been a mare!! 🙈🤣)
So, we're over halfway into the year! Yes, really! I know the recent bout of awful weather has made it feel like we're stuck in winter but time is ticking by! 🤣
By this point I expected to be nearly ready to tackle my 50k goal 🤔 well I've smashed that already, identified a new goal and completed my jog leader course which only really became a fully fledged idea in Spring. On the downside my seasonal asthma is worse than it's been in a long time leaving me coughing and croaky like Janis Joplin (yes, I'm flattering myself, I'm quite sure the cyclist trying to pass yesterday whilst I was croaking out "Bobby McGee" did not agree) 🤣
How are you doing with your goals? What's going well, and what isn't? Are you able to adjust or accommodate the negatives somehow? If not, what is keeping you positive?
As always, if you're new here, or just browsing through the community posts, this is a great place to introduce yourself and let us know how you are doing. You’ll find plenty of support and knowledge from your fellow runners here.
Have a great week, everyone!!!
The Marathon Team xxx
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GoGo_JoJo
Ultramarathon
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What an absolutely wonderful pic!!!! 😍😍😍 You are a superstar, well done!!
I am triathlon-ing pretty hard at the moment, it's so much fun!!! I got a 35k bike and 5k run in before 9am today, didn't quiiiiiiiiite beat the heat, but it was lovely to be out so early 😊😊😊
Lolz! I am actually feeling the "I might be last" fear about the triathlon! And I looked at the participant list for my ultra and there's only about 100 people on it - gulp 😂
I was almost last yesterday: 65 out of 67 runners. However, only nine women took part, and I was the oldest of them by 10 or 11 years. Almost all the guys were younger than me too, I think two were born in the same year as me and one the year before!
Congratulations Roseabi on that 35K bike 🚲 ride then straight onto a 5K 🏃🏾 run, well done 😀 🚲 🏃🏾, all before 9 am to avoid the heat of later in the day. 👍
O by the way Roseabi I got a text from my friend who graduated from C25K with me running with him last Friday, I told him to run at least 4/30 minute consolidation runs before thinking of running a full 5K, guess what, he said he ran 5K this morning in a time of 39.40 and was very proud of himself, before I ran a full 5K I did what graduates should do which was 4/30 minute runs over a period of 2 weeks, I congratulated him but the next time I see him, which will be on Thursday I'll tell him that he SHOULD have ran at least 4/30 minute runs before that 5K he ran today.
Ah, don't rain on his parade too much Al! Just suggest that he reins it back a bit for the next couple of weeks to start building a steady running habit 😊😊😊
I'm plodding on with my maratrail plan, hugely thankful that I gave myself loads of extra time to get through it!
As posted elsewhere, I did my first race yesterday. Can't really count it as a goal though, since I only decided to enter the day before. I'm hoping the maratrail route isn't quite as crazy, and that not everyone's as wildly competitive, as I'm not entirely sure how I'll manage if so.
I can deal with elevation, I can deal with streams/tree roots/stupidly steep uphills and downhills/grass/brambles/nettles/mud/big stones/gravel/large pebbles/rutted tracks (yep, did all of that yesterday!) but doing it in race conditions, being timed and competing against others, really isn't my thing.
I didn't only stop to walk yesterday because I was struggling to run, I also stopped to look at the views and to take a photo, to say hello to people, and to exchange a few words with some of the marshals. I may be competitive with myself, but I'm clearly not made for races.
I am with you on the "racing" front. My motto is "Smiles over miles" not pace or timings. I think it will be quite an experience though and hopefully you'll find the route and competitors a bit more easy going. Often the longer the route the more laid back (or so I hear!)
Thanks GoGo_JoJo , that reassures me. I've just got back from running in the forest behind our house. So much nicer being able to mess around, talk to the trees, listen to the birds, splatter about in the mud and get my feet soaked, without obsessing about time and finishing.
Also, I must apologise: in my previous post I completely forgot to say that you look amazing, that's such a glorious, joyous photo. Much sympathy re the asthma though, hope it calms down soon. Happy running!
Sorry to hear about your asthma, though. That must be horrible and I hope it improves.
My training is going OK. Less than two weeks to the LLHM and just wishing it would cool down a bit. Or a lot, in fact. Very tricky to run serious distances in this sort of heat.
Heat is certainly something we can't do much about, other than train in it to try to acclimatise... or learn a rain dance!! 🤣
It's not even real "asthma" it's just this annoying cough/vague tightness. No wheezing or actual shortness of breath. I am going through cough sweets in bulk! 🙈 steroids are starting to kick in though 🤞🏻
Fab photo - on top of the world. I've ditched all my goals and that seems to working quite well 🤣. Still nursing this hip/quad issue and hoping if I'm careful now, then I can hang on to the Oxford HM goal (which is the only one I've held on to). Fingers crossed. In the meantime I reckon there's no better weather for cycling!!!Hope your asthma clears soon and you're back to your best with the tunes to keep folk well entertained on the other side of the hedgerow 🙃
Hi JoJo; I am using my inhalers at present too. Fortunately they work quite well. I am actually feeling pretty happy with my running!! Shock I know after whining for 6 months solid (apologies!!) 13k scheduled for Saturday and legs behaving themselves; I am daring to think that I will make the GNR. Physio appointment booked for Monday for a sports massage/check up. I am keeping things pretty slow, and fitting in four runs per week. Wish my Garmin was performing as well as I am! It is all over the place; not transferring runs, designating a run as“other” ( I managed to fix the latter). 18 th August is my third anniversary of completing C25k…maybe a present to myself is in order!! Another problem of course; what do I get to replace my Forerunner 35….. lots of evaluation to do 🙂
Me too! Occasionally it sends me a message telling me I haven’t run in a while. No idea what that’s all about, because I completed it a while back 😆. And have run some since! 😊😊😊
That's great news!! 4 runs a week is really good! 👍🏻😁
Don't forget to regularly shut down and restart your garmin. Mine went through an awful phase which was cured with regular reboots. Tech is so fickle! 🤣
Hi JoJo! Yes that’s an epic photo! 💪 Your run with Mummycav sounded brilliant too. 🥰
I’m doing cool weather dances constantly at the moment. This heat is something else and I really felt it on my 8 mile run yesterday even though I was out before 7am. No shade, no wind and almost no water! 😩 I couldn’t get more than a drop each time I tried to drink from my handheld bottle, and at one point the top came off in my teeth and I spilt electrolyte filled sticky water all over my face and top! 😅 I must admit I uttered an unmentionable and was relieved that only my dog was around to hear!
Still I made it and ticked the run off my HM plan. Next long one is 15k and it had better be cooler or I’ll sulk! But hey, PR next weekend so that’ll be fun! 🏃♀️🏃♂️🎉
I'm having trouble doing anything more than 5km. Even 3km is hard going some days!
And I'm on the point of losing my first toenail (little toe, left foot). It's not one of the ones that have gone black, but it's only currently attached at the cuticle.
Oh dear, that's a shame. Anything is better than nothing though. Little toenails seem a bit superfluous to me... I'm sure it will return in time though.
The year still has time left, I bet you could still reach HM in time for Christmas...🤔
A HM in July seems totally unrealistic now, but there's always August.
I'll probably re-do 10 miles the weekend after next. This coming weekend will be my first real parkrun. I won't want to run a long run immediately after a "mildly competitive" 5K.
Despite my ultra plan being 50% contingency, I've used thay all up and then some! Coping by reverting to a "do what you can and see what happens" approach.
On a more positive note, as a result of the training that I have done, I've no worries about completing the marathon that's booked for October (barring injuries, another lockdown etc).
On a less positive note, just getting ready to go to sleep and someone's house alarm has gone off, mumble, grumble bloomin hurrumph etc...
That is such a great photo 😍 you look so happy JoJo.
I’m learning as a rookie runner that I have to revisit my goals constantly.
I’ve been pretty committed to low heart rate training but it’s taken awhile to work that out for me. I hit 1500km last week since graduating C25K last April. We’ve just come back from a holiday on Rottnest Island where I ditched my 80/20 running and just ran all holiday. So much fun exploring the island with my husband trail and road running. I don’t know whether it was the hills or the extended running at tempo pace but I’ve just managed 7miles in zone 2 no walking! That’s a goal to celebrate.
Thank you for all your amazing book recommendations GoGo_JoJo I read so many running books on holiday! (your pace or mine, running man, run the mile you’re in and a few more) It rained a lot 🤣
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