Hello new week! Hope everyone is happy and well (although that can sometimes seem a bit of a tall order these days).
Having spent the last two weeks on jury service I’m more than ready to move on to a new week! It has given me a whole new level of respect for all you awesome folk that juggle your running around a fixed hours, full time job 😱 By the time I discovered running I was self-employed and have been able to juggle work around my running ever since. Finding time to run this last two weeks was a whole new challenge – how on earth do you do it, especially when daylight hours are so short?
One morning I stupidly left my phone on the car dashboard and only realised 16 minutes before we were due in court!!! It would be a one mile round trip to retrieve it. Google reckoned 10 minutes walking each way and then there was security to get through to re-enter the court buildings (I set the machine off every single day and had to submit to manual scanning every time I came in🤷♀️ ). Could I make it? Five years ago the answer would have been a resounding NO WAY, but the new me decided to give it a go. Clad in a heavy coat and heeled boots I set out across the icy pavements (hmm, possibly frosty would be closer to the truth). Not a pretty sight I’m sure, but I made it back in time – indeed with a few minutes to spare. I walked into the courtroom positively glowing - and with a whole new level of appreciation for the engineers that have developed the running shoe technology we all enjoy today! Has your running prowess or improved fitness got you out of any sticky situations recently? Tell us in the comments below!
How’s your running going? Or are you resigned to exercising your patience from the injury couch for a while? Whatever you’re up to let us know in the comments, and we wish you a great week.
The Marathon Team xxx
🥳 If you have an event coming up or would like to find out what your VRBs are up to, take a look at the latest events post:
Hello all, I'm really finding the juggling tricky at the moment. I've started triathlon training now so finding time for all 3 disciplines (plus FT work and 2 young ones) is the biggest challenge of all, but I'm loving it! Wishing you all a good week of running and everything else 😊
Last week of school holidays for my gang so won’t be doing my early morning runs for much longer although saying that it’s still pretty hot here so maybe my runs will need to go even earlier to get back for my mum / school run duties 😳
Still maintaining my 40k a week just ticking over until it cools down.
I love the early mornings in the Summer but respect to those who get out there on those dark and cold mornings ❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
Yes, your juggling is quite a feat isn't it? The photos always look so gorgeous - it must be very special to have those moments of peace as you run first thing by the water; really set you up for the day ahead 😊
Great job on retrieving the phone Linda! I once had to run to catch a flight. Like you, I was wearing a winter coat and had heeled boots on and had a carry-on case. I made it and felt so smug 😇 Thank heavens for this running for both of us 🙂
I can generally juggle pretty well but then I’m retired so it’s much easier. The only time I find tricky is if I’m training and we have house guests. Depending on who they are I can usually find a way to continue the training but sometimes I do have to move things around just to get the balance right. I can’t very well say to someone I haven’t seen for six months, “oh I’m just off for a run now” 🤣
In running news, we heard last week that the Bath HM is postponed yet again until the end of May. So disappointing. The organisers are blaming the council and the council is blaming the organisers so who knows? Im still carrying on my training as I have a 10 mile race in February and then it’s a question of doing another HM in March or starting my quest to increase distance as I said I would after Bath……. Mmmnnnn still thinking this through.
But all is good. Here is a photo I took last week. She was watching me intently as I ran past and I thought she was so pretty I just had to take her photo 😍
Why is Bath postponed? Reasons given for them blaming each other for anything in particular? Cambridge is one week before and no hint (yet) that there's an issue.... it was one of the last mass events just before March 2020 lockdown, they went ahead then when other events were being cancelled so just hoping it does again this year...
Nothing to do with COVID. The organisers said it was to do with “pressures on the highway network” and the council said it was because the organisers wanted to change the route and there wasn’t enough time to get the necessary agreements.
This would be my fifth attempt to get to the start line of this race so I’m a bit philosophical about it all 🙄
Maybe the organisers wanted to change the route because of the council roadworks .... that way no one's lying per se ... but someone should've spotted it sooner for sure
I thought I made a lot of noise running in trainers - but it's a whole other level in heeled boots 🤣. I can't keep a pull along case upright when I'm walking so heavens knows how you managed it running 😱 - great job!For your guests you could always try 'would you like to come for a run with me?', make them feel included 😍
Hope you soon come up with a plan that suits Bath and the greater distance, and then you can stop worrying about it.
Hi Linda, well done for fitting in the runs around the jury service! I too am, and have been for years, home based/flexible mostly as to when I get my work done so have never had to run in the dark etc to fit in my runs, and have all admiration to those who do a day's work out of the home and either get up early or run after their working day. My other half used to run at lunch time before the whole working from home thing came he (he's only been to the office half a dozen times in two years!).
I had a bit of a sore back last week, so was taking it easy, shorter steadier runs, though it transpires that the sore back may not have had anything to do with running but instead a by product of a UTI!!! Who knew! So now I've completed a course of antibiotics, I am hoping that's behind me (pardon the pun) and can pick up the distance as it's six weeks til Half Day (6th March!) and I should have done 10 miles yesterday, but today instead have done 7.5 miles, so hoping for 10 next weekend.
Running at lunchtime isn't as easy as it sounds! I had thought I may be able to do that in the court break, but (even ignoring the obvious difficulties around getting hot and sweaty that even the glass partitions wouldn't quite overcome 🤣) by the time you change in and out of running gear and throw down some lunch, there's no time left for the run itself!I'm guessing antibiotics may have fixed the UTI faster than a back sprain may have cleared! Hopefully by weekend you'll be raring to go for that 10 miles. Good luck and hope you're feeling much better too!
Running from work at lunch is doable but a bit of a pain. It takes military precision! And there’s never really enough time to stretch or enjoy the afterglow.
Lol the amount of times people think I’m not there, but I’m behind the desk on the floor, or people think I’m taking my time picking something up! I even have a foam roller at work, but half the time I forget it’s there 🤣.
Hello again - I think I am being a bit thick, but how do I view how many kms I've done this month on Strava? Went onto Progress and it requires a subscription to view my total kms???? Is that right? I've got a page which tells me what I've done this week but can't seem to find month/last month/year etc... any tips gratefully received!
For easy statistics I have my Garmin sync to MapMyRun in addition to strava - it makes it really easy to get your weekly/monthly/yearly mileage and you can filter which activities you want to count.
I confess I can't help thinking how easy it would be if I only had running and a full time job to worry about without the parenting on top!
Training wise it is definitely much easier in the summer when I can get out in the light evenings (it helps that our son falls asleep quite early!) In the winter, time when it's light enough to run and I'm neither working nor looking after our son is a precious commodity. This time last year due to lockdown and homeschooling I was basically only getting out after dark and that was really tough mentally.
Thankfully schools are now back, and my job is reasonably flexible and working from home means I can quite often take the time to go out for a run in the middle of the day. I've built up a repertoire of strength exercises which I can generally fit in at some point in the week, generally doing a 5-10 minute burst when I just can't face sitting still any longer and need to move. Long runs get done at the weekend when my husband and son are at tennis together, which gives me a solid 2 hour slot - though I will have to work out a different approach if I need to increase my distance further.
I'm now trying to work out how to fit in the occasional race that I want to do - with travel time and racing time it mostly seems to take most of a day which is tricky to fit in, particularly when they bunch up. I did a race on Sunday 16th while my husband was on duty, and am hoping to do one on the 6th Feb too, so decided doing yet another race on the 23rd would be a bit unreasonable so opted to stay at home instead.
Impressed by your courtroom dash Linda! I am always surprised by how uncomfortable it is to run when I have normal shoes and my office bag on. I have been wondering about getting a bigger running backpack so I can run part of my commute when we resume office working.
Oh, and the other way I cope in winter is running club, which gives me two evenings a week when I'm able to go out safely and have a group and a starting time to make sure I get my shoes on.
I'm sure a running club would really help both with motivation but also with pushing boundaries, but it's not something I've been brave enough to consider!
I've found my club full of people who are as friendly and supportive as my VRBs here, except they're all local and I can meet up with them to run easily! I really recommend giving your local one a try.
It's what everyone says! I automatically feel pressure when I run with someone else - even someone I know well - so I'm very unsure. I know that's daft and irrational, but ... Maybe I will try it one day 😊
Oh yes! My children were grown up enough for me not to have to worry about real parenting by the time I took up running too; that makes life a lot more restrictive doesn't it. Definitely need to stay on the right side of your husband!!!I left my bag at the court - not only less to carry but also a lot less time getting back in through security!
Well, according to David Goggins there's 168 hours in a week. I checked his math, and he seems to be right...
🤔 So after taking off 56 hrs for 8 hrs a night, an ave of 50hrs for work (I do 4 days week one and 5 on week 2), then 4.5hrs of getting to and from work, 4 hrs a week tesco/washing etc chores, 14 hrs to allow a couple of hrs a day with hubby, that don't always happen, and roughly 11hrs a week I'm already putting in (45 min workout daily, 35 min runs pre work and a couple more hours for longer ones)... it seems I'm wasting 28.5hrs a week, which is more than a full day, I think I'd better crack on and do more!!! 🤣🤣🤣 🤔🤔my sea swims do take a fair bit as its at least 2 hrs all in each one including travel so less 2 or 3 of those...
My modus seems to be "just get up earlier" I can't believe I get up at 4/4:30 and that's "normal" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🙈 but you know, I wouldn't change it now. 👍🏻😁
Oh Jo I feel exhausted and frazzled just reading that! Your drive is absolutely amazing! Your energy boundless!I find I am taking the opposite approach more and more these days. I don't want to fill every hour. I want time to savour what I'm doing and to take time to reflect between 'doings'. More and more I value time doing nothing but thinking and very consciously relaxing. Of course that only works when I also get my running and riding and stretching fixes in between; it's things like work that are being cut back to free up relaxation time 😍
He's right on the money. We fritter away so much time. He's big on regularly "auditing your life" to see what you can really fit in. Even before I'd heard of him I'd naturally cut back on TV time etc. I don't think I'll look back on my life and remember sofa hours over nature hours!
If I’m forced to do something that impinges on my running plans, I get really shirty ☹️ 😁. I’m retired now 🙏 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Running in boots with a wheely case is not ideal but it’s amazing what we can do when we have to 😀💪👍🏃♀️ I can picture you going hell for leather 😁🏃♀️
Apologies Linda I’m always late to reply! Good for you on your phone retrieval! It’s definite proof of fitness. I occasionally walk or run to errands when in past years I surely would have taken the car. Work/life balance has been challenging lately having just moved both my parents into a retirement residence in a new city with new doctors and care programs and having started a full-time role a few weeks ago. But I am trying to continue to get the runs in, though the mileage and pace are a bit lower as the weather has been very cold and snowy lately. I also got word that I was accepted into the Berlin marathon lottery which I had completely forgotten about entering, having signed up for a 50k trail race and a 22k trail race since then! And of course all 3 are back to back to back in Sept/Oct. So there may be some changes needed so I don’t implode. Not sure I can do Berlin 2 weeks after a hard 50. Lots of time to decide on a strategy. Probably downgrade the 50 distance to focus on the marathon this year. Happy running everyone.
Wow. You have such a lot going on Decker! And those long, long runs are hard to schedule even without all that to juggle. Fabulous news on Berlin. Will you be able to make a nice Europe trip out of it?
Yes but the flipside on those long runs is that no one can bother me on all the other stuff either At least for a few hours. Re: Berlin - actually that was Mrs Decker’s idea so we will definitely try to spend a week or two there.
It is tough juggling life and running 🥵I work in school so can finish quite early compared to some jobs, but not every night obviously. I run on Mondays and Thursdays after work come hell or high water. I run with a buddy so can go out safely in the dark. If she can’t run I go on the treadmill. I have Pilates on Tuesdays and the rest of my evenings are taken up with caring for my elderly mum. Weekends are family time. I’m shattered all the time but sticking to a timetable helps. If it’s Monday or Thursday I run!
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At least for a few hours. Re: Berlin - actually that was Mrs Decker’s idea so we will definitely try to spend a week or two there.
