So winter is really on its way. 4 degrees this morning, a frosty but beautiful run. The dark seems extra dark but the moon and stars seem newly polished.
What winter challenges will you set yourself, or will you allow yourself to rest a little more on these short days?
Following my yoga retreat in Wales where I did a little "wild swimming" in an incredibly cold lake I was determined it wouldn't be a one off, so I've linked up with a swimming group in Worthing and jumped in the sea Saturday. It was really not very cold at all and now I'm determined to stick with it through winter, a few days a month... let's see if I can!
Wild swimming! Wow, good for you. It’s said to be very good for you, but I’m afraid I’m a wuss. The yoga retreat sounds more my style, lovely and cosy. 🧘♀️ 🙏🏻
Well my running has taken another hit courtesy of a rather heavy cold (not that other thing which shall remain nameless), and I haven’t been out since Thursday. I even missed PR (😳) That in itself isn’t a big deal, but I’m meant to be doing the vHUHM next Sunday and I haven’t run more than 7k since the GSR last month. 🥺🙄 My plan was to do an experimental Jeffing HM just because I’ve never tried it before, and now it looks like I’ll need to switch the ratios around to make it mostly walking as I don’t see myself getting out before midweek at the earliest. Oh well!
I hope everyone is having better luck at running than I am currently! 😅
Aw that's a shame. There are so many (ordinary) winter bugs doing the rounds at the moment, same as every year I guess but my don't they pick their moments!?
The retreat was amazing, more mantra/relaxation yoga than flow or bendy yoga. I might not have gone if I knew exactly what it would entail, but I'm very glad I did and it was a fantastic experience 💞
It is supposed to be great for your immune and circulation systems, and to be honest I thought I'd be far more wussy about it than I was. I was so lucky my roommate in Wales was up for it too so it was easier with a buddy. She's done cold water therapy for sciatica so knew what to expect. The waves were bigger in the sea than I expected but you know, it was just jolly good fun! 🤣🤪
Just see how you feel. As you know, the "winner" is not the fastest so you could even still end up with the magic time with a walk run walk strategy. The main thing as always is to enjoy it! 👍🏻😁
I bet you had a blast JoJo, and yes, a buddy/partner in crime is just what you need in situations like that! 😅
I’ll definitely enjoy my HM. I’m relieved I’d already decided it would be a Jeffing experiment even before the cold hit, so the fact I’ll need to walk more than I’d planned isn’t too disappointing. It takes the pressure off I guess! 😀
Jumped in the sea in Worthing? 😮 Ive been in in October just along the road from you but never as late as November, total respect 😀Enjoy your winter swims and running along the seafront.
Running for us has tailed off somewhat, an outbreak at work, booster jab and now a cold has seen me not running for a week….. hopefully tomorrow
Continuing with C25k part deux with Mrs Lordi (who reports no aches or strains and seems to have sailed-though to Week 7 a lot easier than I did the first time around). Then hopefully it's B210k around Xmas time and 10k-HM by the end of spring. Well, that's the plan.
Wild swimming! Better you than me Jo 😁. We are having a patch of Autumn warmth so I’m trying to take advantage of it. Saturday’s run pic attached here. I don’t have a hard plan for winter yet, but I have been running without pace checks for 3-6 months now, which has been lovely and allowed me to better embrace the hill training. I may switch to a speed block, or just keep my easy pace runs going once the snow begins. Also researching a 2022 race goal at the moment.
You've had some fabulous days of late. You're right, got to enjoy them whenever possible!
Have you been tempted to run without your watch. I'd like to but even though I don't refer to it much when out, only the odd distance or time check, I'm just too addicted! It is nice to run with minimal pressures and we do put way too much on ourselves!
I look forward to seeing what you find for next year 👍🏻😁 how about the Itidarod? 🤣🙈
I am getting better with gauging pace without my watch but I still rely on it for my distance if I am meandering. I may be too addicted as well to both my watch and my Strava. I may try to defer my uploads to Strava to weekly vs daily and see how my brain feels about that!
Jo, you look like an advertisement for multi-vitamins 🤗 very healthy and happy! Great photo 😍 Even before I knew it was you I still recognised a runner with those tan lines 🙂
All good here. My winter running is already planned. I’m currently training for a 10K in December (working on my speed) then two weeks of “free” running and then my Bath HM training starts. In Christmas week 🙄 Not ideal planning but it’ll help with all the mince pies and cheese just waiting to be consumed!
I really enjoyed my last HM plan and so I’ll do the same one again. Already looking forward to it 🙂 as my current plan doesn’t have any long runs in it and I miss those.
When I counted backwards from Bath I couldn’t believe the start would be Christmas week Munks! Hey ho, I think they’re all fairly short runs so it’ll be fine…..the tricky bit will be sneaking out with family around 🏃♀️😂
Aw thank you! I was feeling very happy that I'd followed through and not given in the various "no" excuses!
That will give you plenty of scope for extra Xmas treats!
Yes, I'm missing my longer runs, they really can make a difference 👍🏻😁
Dammit... I get cold just looking at that picture!
As for running, I have the (maybe a bit wild) plan to finally reach 10 miles in 3 weeks or so. I have run 13K as my max so far and my plan is to run 10K past weekend (I run minimum 10K every weekend), 12K next weekend, 14K the weekend after and then 16,1K the weekend of 27/28 November.
I had planned to reach 10 miles sooner, but a bit of sciatica prevented this from happening. So I hope I have not cursed myself by making my plans know 😜
Great news on the cold watter swimming! I'm sure it'll do you good. Don't drink any though, or it mightn't 🥴
Loving the idea of a yoga retreat. I did some yoga in my front room this week and it was lovely. Didn't ease my hip though - quite the reverse, so i stopped doing it.
🙄
I finally got out to run today, in my new Endorphin Speeds
🤗 Just a short run with Coach Bennett to test out my hip. So far so good.
Going to continue to take it steady til marathon day in a few weeks.
After that I have no plans whatsoever. It might be the best policy being as I have no idea if my hip will even hold up for 26 odd miles
I did get a small gobfull... I'd forgotten how bad seawater tastes! 🙈🤣
Well, check into Kundalini yoga which is the kind I went away for. It's not "bendy" or flow yoga. It's more breathwork, meditation and relaxation. It also has exercises which are more about stamina, you do small movements over and over, sometimes 12 to 30 mins to show you can do more than you think (bit like running!)
Good luck for the mara, I agree, get through that for now! 🤞🏻😁
I will! 🙂👍 I’ve been doing flow yoga (forget what it’s called) Not doing it at present though but can get back to it when my hip stops niggling. I like the small movements for back ache. I keep telling my husband, to no avail
I couldn’t sleep last night, so after a bit of reading, I settled down to sleep using yoga technique. This morning is my-weigh in day and my heart rate was 46 bpm. Crikey 😍 it was a surprise as I’d been faffing about, mopping up the bathroom floor after OH 😃
There are people up here who plunge into the North Sea regularly throughout the year; good luck to them! My weekly indoor swimming group is enough for me. Lots of swimming with fins and lovely warm water.
My left achilles has been playing up, with pain kicking in shortly after running. On Saturday I tried socks which only reached the bottom of the ankle bone; just in case the longer ones were causing irritation. The pain came back post run, but it wasn’t as bad or as prolonged as after the previous run. So today I tried something else( in addition to the cut off socks). As it was 11 degrees centigrade, nice and dry with a warmish SSW wind, I decided to dispense with my running tights (which have zips at the bottom of each leg and fit very snugly over the achilles)…..so it was shorts only. I ran 7k and my achilles feels fine. It may be coincidence, but I am going to stick with the sans culottes look for now, just in case it is helping.
My only plan for now is to build back up to 10k and get rid of all of these niggles in the process. I have definitely lost fitness post my October HM. Don’t tell anyone, but I took a 2.5 minute break mid run to settle down my breathing today….it worked. The last section of the run was steady but really comfortable. So, nothing exciting really; just trying to claw back a bit of form. Direction will come later.
I have seen the Bob and Brad video. They are a really good watch! I used their finger and thumb massage of the achilles last winter when I had a similar problem. The weather was really cold at the time; so maybe I was wearing similar gear. The jury is out, but I would rather let my legs face the elements than have a sore achilles.
Not this time >61. The tenderness is 3 or 4 inches above the ankle and on the outside of the tendon. It has been good since Monday’s run. Going to give it another try later today.
How utterly fabulous GoGo_JoJo , both the photo and the swimming! Bluetits, I take it?
As for winter challenges, just getting out of the door more often would be a good start. I feel I've done so little since the maratrail, though as I've signed up to the virtual HUHM and 10k that should help!
Getting better at more technical trails - and sorting out appropriate equipment - is also something I want to work on.
I'm also thinking of setting myself a target elevation or distance (or both?!) to reach by the end of 2021. However Strava's just gone down so I don't know the numbers!
Given that the weather's likely to prevent me from running outside at some point over the next few months, and treadmills and gyms are my idea of hell, I'm planning to restart yoga (YWA) again too. And/or maybe Pilates, or something dance-based.
My real priority, though, is to enjoy my running, so I regard all of the above as a moveable feast!
As someone who gets scared in a normal swimming pool, I’ve always admired people who can wild swim. Big kudos for you JoJo!
Btw, it’s good to see another pair of legs with tan marks like that - mine look exactly the same 😁
Meanwhile, back in dodgy ankle-ville… it was getting better, then I upped the mileage so I could get to my annual goal (1000miles) on my birthday. I did it but ankle/Achilles is really sore and my calf has started spasming. So I'm going to have to pull out of the HUHM I’m afraid 😢 Really sorry 😞
As I’ve reached all my goals for the year I think it’s time to properly rest it, otherwise I won’t get to do the Winter Series either, and I’ve got to get that hoody!!
So I’m going to start making the most of my gym membership and do a bit more cross training, low impact stuff. Booked in for a full hour yoga class tonight whilst youngest kitten is in the pool with kayaking. Hopefully Adriene has given me a good grounding and the calf behaves itself. Last time I did one they were all way beyond my skill set.
Maybe I’ll even give the pool a go…unlikely but maybe…
The swimming sounds both terrifying and wonderful. Here's hoping you have a great time over winter doing it.My winter plans are going to be based round a series of cross-country races (I say races but I won't be racing - just be pleased to get around). There's five events over the next three months of around 8-10k.
I had hoped to get to the HM stage in 2021 - but for one reason and another it was beyond me this year. So I'm going to use the cross-country runs as part of a plan to get to a HM in springtime 2022. I say "plan" but that makes it sound thought through (which it isn't). But if the cross-country weekends are mixed with longer road work then hopefully things will be roughly on track. Progress points will be a 12k in Nov, a 13/4k in Dec, and a 15/6K Jan and assuming that been Ok to then target a HM sometime in spring.
There's lots of uncertainties about my situation but I don''t want to give into the fears and depression around these, if things happen ... well they happen ... so positive thinking is the theme and onwards and forwards and and upwards and so on
That sounds quite exciting! If all goes well it should certainly get you on target for spring. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, distance achievements should be fun too. Positive thinking all the way!👍🏻😁
That is incredibly brave of you Jo 😮 There’s a group of swimmers I see every morning here, except when the waves are too high, and I wonder how on earth they can do it. Well done for trying it out and hopefully managing to do a few throughout winter too 🥶 👍My challenge is to get my ankle/calf finally sorted, join a gym and start some sprint training.
At the moment I’m sidelined with a bad cold and under strict instructions from the osteopath. 😢 Not sure I’ll be doing the HU 10k next week as I haven’t run that far since September.
Day-um! I have been trying to establish a habit of getting into the sea regularly!! Got thwarted by bad weather for a while, and now I'm finding it a bit awkward to fit in with my other activities. Must try harder...
This winter my challenge (other than getting in the sea) is to try and keep up with a training plan that has no specific goal! I have never succeeded at this before 😁
I'm hoping to keep swimming in the sea here, Suffolk, as long as possible after runs. It's a good way for me to cool down and reduces itchy skin fast! Plus, soooo much nicer than a cold shower. I'm building up to 10k again, still have a dodgy knee, can't kneel back on heels etc, but it doesn't seem to affect tennis or running thank goodness.
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Weekly chat: March 8th -15th 🌞🏃♀🏃♂