'Be Patient. Let The Run Come to You.' Coach Blue, Nike Run Club.
Hi there wonderful VRBs!
Hope all is well in your runny worlds and that you are running and smiling in the sunshine as we hit the traditional holiday season here in the UK. Do join the chat below and let us know what you’re up to.
I’m back home, the sun is out, my runs are improving. Healing times! Switzerland was amazing' Despite our bad luck, I’d love to go back and experience more of it sometime soon. There are some wonderful places to run, most accompanied by the sound of Swiss bells (church bells, cow bells, sheep bells ...)!!!
As always though, it’s good to be home. I’ve managed to stay on track with my NRC HM plan (with a couple of minor modifications) and yesterday was a speed run - Deuces guided by Coach Blue. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and there was one particular phrase that has stuck with me ‘Be patient. Let the run come to you’. It struck a chord for many reasons:
🌞 All the times I have been sitting it out on the injury couch; the wait seems interminable yet the runs wait, and when the time is right they have come to me.
🌞 Every time I run I experience the toxic ten, the sluggish start and it’s all too easy for the mind games to start, for the gremlins to get a foothold (you know the ones - I can’t do this today, I’m not fast/strong/good enough, I’m getting worse and worse ….), but if I can just wait and gently run through that initial phase, the run I’m looking for will invariably come to me.
🌞 Then there’s the NRC speed runs where we’re asked to go from a pause for stretching to whatever effort the interval asks for; I usually find the first interval or two tricky as I build up to the necessary effort. But today Coach Blue made it very clear … ‘be patient, the run will come to you’. And for sure it did. I relaxed, improved, thoroughly enjoyed it and ended with a big grin and a spring in my step, ready to enjoy my day!
'Be patient. The run will come to you’ - that’s a new mantra added to my box of tricks. I suspect it will be called upon often.
Do you have a favourite mantra? What keeps you going? What helps you find that good run? Or what keeps your spirits up when you find yourself on the injury couch? Do share, don’t keep a good mantra to yourself 😎
We hope you’ve had a good week and that you have a great week ahead - whatever you’re up to, wherever you are. Please do tell us all about it in the chat below.
Your Team: Irishprincess Beachcomber66 and me 🙂 xxx
Good morning Linda. The advice which has stuck with me from NRC is the exhortation to “start easy”. As you say, on the speed runs this is supplemented by the stretch pause after 5 minutes before starting speed runs. Both really work for me. The first five minutes of most runs feel rough, and then my legs catch on to what is expected and I pick up from there.
Saturday was an extreme example! I ran my first Park Run in years. My first lap was at 6:42 pace, after that I just felt really good so speeded up through negative splits to end with my first sub 30 minutes since the summer of 2019. New mile and 1k records too. A bit crazy but there you are.
Meeting up with an 85 year old marathon runner who started running in his 70’s (he is off to tackle Berlin) made me think that we shouldn’t accept age as a limiter too easily. I won’t run a marathon, but I might just work my way through the plan to see how far I can go……
My sensible head will kick in soon….must be the sun !
I finally got out of the door for a planned 8 mile run at about 4:30pm. It was still 24 degrees with a nice warming breeze, complemented by the softing light of the early evening sun. Ideal conditions. CB didn’t like it though; he maintained a Trappist silence throughout. Sharp guy our CB! Didn’t want to be associated with what was to follow!
I had just grabbed the first bit of running kit which came to hand; black OMM shirt and shorts. Not the best choice for hot weather. Worse was to come!
It wasn’t until I was descending a hill at about 10.5k, and my left quad started to complain, that I gave a thought to hydration. I hadn’t taken anything to drink with me,!I started to count the number of drinks I had consumed all day. 2 cups of tea, 2 cups of milky coffee….and that was about it…….!
I started the walk of shame home at 11.75k. What a numpty!! If you can hear the sound of metaphorical stable doors slamming in the background, that will be me, slurping up sodium rich liquids …..alas too late.
I can make up some excuses; last year I was out of action through the summer; injury and trip to Alaska ( running in bear country is not recommended!) This year we have only seen hot days in the last two weeks and yesterday was my first run later in the day…. but ; a rookie error. I have let it go now; spilt milk…. But confession is good for my soul 😇
Definitely; plenty of liquids including zero have been glugged today.
Yesterday was a bad day; starting at the minor injuries unit ..possible foreign object in my ear. All turned out fine, but it threw my whole day out. I actually thought “ maybe I am not supposed to run today “ but I did anyway! End of plea in mitigation.🙄
So maybe we can dock Captain Sensibie a point for his lack of hydration planning, but really Beachcomber66 you’re not the only one. I didn’t think about taking water or anything on my 10 miler, whereas there’s no way I’d run that distance outside without any.
I was lucky - you were sensible and walked home! We’re always learning!
The gym will have had air conditioning? If so, no problem. You are right CC, we all make mistakes, some are dafter than others……luckily we get away with most of them! Good to have friends to back us up when things go wrong.🙂
It did Beachcomber66 , but I was on my favourite treadmill at the end, which unfortunately doesn’t get the full benefit so I was dripping! Maybe I should pick a different favourite treadmill? No, I don’t think I can! 😂
Oh wow! Congratulations . Well, you definitely started easy for that parkrun ('easy' being a relative term) - what a great run. Age may call for adaptations, but limitations don't have to be front and centre. The NRC marathon plan is gentler than the HM one (well, up to HM distance it is anyway!); definitely worth giving it a try.
I had a 10K to do today and I normally don’t take water with me for that distance but given it was already 20 something at 9am I took some water and a bit of Tailwind too. Thank goodness I did as it was hot and I was sweating a lot. It was a very slow run 🥵
Nice to be in good company 🙂. Partly is was down to the sudden change in weather.After over 6 months of rain we have had a couple of weeks of bright sun.
lots of things to think about in your post - thank you. As someone who's trying to re-find something I lost a while back these are nice, comforting sentiments 😀
It's been a goodish few weeks (had a lovely seaside parkrun on Saturday). Slowly getting back and being a bit patient and getting a bit stronger. This week there's a 8k on Thursday evening which has a horrible hill at around 5 k ... I'm wondering whether it'll be very hot and whether to Jeff it or try to tough it out ... we shall see. But there will be pie and peas at the end - my stomach thinks this a great incentive 🤣
Hello Linda, did you learn how to yodel in the Swiss mountains? I’m glad you went on to enjoy the holiday despite your initial setbacks.
I always remember, while doing C25K, Jo Whiley saying you should repeat “I love running” when the gremlins start chatting away. Coach Bennett also says to smile while you run and you relax into it better. Both seem to help me.
On Friday I went out in the heat to do an 8k run. I was bemoaning the fact that it seemed so hard and that 16.1k (10 miles) seems so far away on a WhatsApp chat with running buddies. They did exactly what you would expect of forum buddies and boosted me up when I needed it.
As we were both volunteering at parkrun on Saturday, UTS and I ran the RunWalkLocal on Sunday in 21°C 🥵. It wasn’t fast and included a few walking steps, but at least I managed to run 17k this week.
Smiling definitely helps doesn’t it Dexy5 ? Laughing is a bit tough though, and I often find myself laughing out loud at Coach B and pals - especially the exchanges with Daniel the Engineer! 😅
Haha, we did discuss yodelling when we got to the top. To be honest the cow bells would have drowned us out anyway 😍
I love running is a good one; I often think to myself I'm so grateful I can run, particularly if I'm beginning to flag or struggle, and that helps too.
Sometimes 3k can feel a struggle, then 8k in 21 degrees would feel like an impossibility so don't be too hard on yourself. Gotta love run buddies though - they're the best for keeping you going, helping you find that good run and keeping your spirits up🥰 What a great photo!
Hi Linda and all. I love Switzerland. Its sheer beauty is breathtaking. Plus I was (still am) rather a large Roger Federer fan! Not sure I’d fare well trotting up those Alpine passes though! 🥵 I’m amazed how well you bounced back after those mishaps though Linda. Tough stuff indeed! 👊
I felt pleased with myself yesterday. After my recent couple of weeks off with my cold (pretty sure it wasn’t Covid, but who knows?) I wanted to fit my long W9 run in, and it was another 10 miler.
But …. I’d promised my grandson I’d watch his tennis lesson at 9:30am. Not enough time to nip down to the Prom in Weston, no way was I subjecting myself to all those kms on the common, so guess what? Treadmill time! 😅
I did it - 3 x 5ks + 1 x 1.2k with super quick resets in between (darned hour limit), and I had fun! Finished in time to watch the tennis lesson and felt righteous. 😇 My mantra? I can and will do this - and it works 99% of the time.
It didn't feel like I bounced back well at all CC; I've felt proper feeble for a couple of weeks!!! Even now I cannot get my sports bra fully fastened by myself 😠
I just couldn't imagine 16k on a treadmill - you're amazing! As for getting it done before 9:30am? I need to lie down just thinking about that!!!
'I can and will do this' is so powerful and right to the point - love that!
When I'm knocked down I miss running even more, I crave the lift that I know I will get from the runs. Even the tough ones - maybe especially the tough ones!
Thanks Irishprincess , I wondered whether I was being overly daft attempting it, but somehow I knew I’d be fine! I owe lots to the treadmill. It’s saved my running on many occasion., and it did again on Sunday. 🙏
To be honest MissUnderstanding , it was fine and I really did enjoy it! I don’t enjoy running in exfreme weather conditions and if I can avoid it, I will! 😅
Were you watching something or listening to something as you ran 10 miles on a treadmill!?My brain can not begin to think about such a thing. My head is shaking! Words fail me ....
Yes to both over61andstilltrying . The treadmills overlook the pool where there’s always a lot going on. You can also see other people running on treadmills on the other side of the pool. I had my favourite tunes from my very long running playlist in my ears, so I was a happy bunny. 😀
Hi Linda and other VRBs. It sounds as if you have recovered brilliantly from your accident and it didn’t stop you having a fab time.
I love the sound of cowbells. My first honeymoon was spent in Switzerland and the sound of cow bells is still a strong memory, as is the glorious scenery.
You and I, and others here, know the meaning of patience only too well 🙄 but I do love that “the run will come to you” . It’s so true isn’t it? Although it’s very easy to lose heart while on the IC and think, “I’ll never run again”, “maybe this is it for me” …. etc etc. But keeping in touch with folks here keeps me grounded and gives me loads of inspiration and self-belief and so I keep going ❤️
My sports massage therapist told me about a 73 year-old lady in his running club whose marathon time is 3:30 and she started running in her 50’s!!! I take a lot of inspiration from that.
I do have a mantra and use it fairly often. “Don’t be a wimp. Just do it” 🤣 It puts things in perspective for me because I know that running a hard run is nothing compared to what others put themselves through or have to go through so I just say to myself to get on with it.
I’m into my second high mileage week on the HM plan and it’s all going well. Because of the heat I took a stronger mix of Tailwind with me on my long run at the weekend and experienced a bit of an upset tummy afterwards as well as a strange dizzy feeling. I’ve put it down to the fact it was the extra caffeine which I’m not used to, so it will be my usual mixture this weekend. It’s all still a learning curve 🙂
Enjoy your running Linda and have a great week everyone x
It’s tricky getting the Tailwind mix right isn’t it Irishprincess ? Too weak and it’s ’what’s the point?’, too strong and it’s ‘bletch’. I’ve never tried gels, but I can imagine they’re bletchier still.
I’m amazed at these late starter veteran marathon runners. I hope to be one - but there will be one major difference between me and that 73 year old ( 🐌 ) 😅
What a lovely place to spend your honeymoon. Wow, that's one amazing lady!!! Times like that are inconceivable to me - at any age. 'Don't be a wimp' is a bit harsh 😍 but it sounds like you respond well to a bit of 'tough love' 😎
I went right off tailwind; it was fine on my tummy for ages and then suddenly I couldn't stomach it. I much prefer an ordinary electrolyte drink now and take chews for energy. That's been working for quite a long time now, so fingers crossed it remains that way. Good to hear your mileage is unaffected though, as you move closer to your half.
We’re all different. I use to take my home made flapjacks which I still love, but I found it a faff to eat, breathe and run at the same time. Now I just eat them as post-run fuel 😋
Patience? What’s that?!! It’s been a rubbish couple of weeks with covid but I’ve run twice in the past couple of days. I’m way off the training plan but I’m giving myself a week or two to just build slowly and see where that shakes out. It’s so good to be moving again, albeit a bit slowly!
As for mantras? My most commonly used one is sinply “get it done”. That often comes out on those bit-of-a-grind runs that just have to be done to get the miles in the legs. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to be done. Lock in and enjoy the boring, sort of tough miles! I genuinely do like that sort of run. My husband always likes my run reports for those sorts of runs as “I did it by doing it!” Don’t overthink. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just start running and run until you finish. Do it by doing it.
When I’ve been injured, I’ve found reframing “rest” as “recovery” really helps because that means I’m actively doing things that will help me come back instead of on the sofa feeling sorry for myself. I wish I’d managed that during this bout of Covid but I mainly sat on my bottom and ate crisps.
Thanks for a great post. Those Swiss cows are certainly a sight to behold!
Hahaha! That’s what I do when I’m not running for any reason MissUnderstanding - crisps! Guess how many bags of Hula Hoops I ate IN A ROW recently when I was off with my cold? 4!! I could have continued too! 😂
If I didn't care about my health or care about how I’d feel the next morning, I’d eat those bumper bag of crisps and drink a bottle of red wine. One day perhaps….. one day 😇
Glad you're now off your behind, ditched the crisps and back out running (you have ditched the crisps right?). Now for some mental athletics as you juggle your plan to fit again; get it done! That's a great mantra, keeps it simple!
For sure, time on the IC can be so much more than 'rest' can't it. Recovery, yes. But sometimes more than that too - I doubt I'd ever have found my second interest in cycling had it not been for my stress fracture. Silver linings and all that 🥰
So far this week Gym 6 a side football and went with the 40 minutes nice slow run on the NRC but it was a hot and sweaty one this evening . Well done to anyone who goes out running in this weather 👏
It's either that, or a very early start maybe? Finding a shaded route can help too. There's 10 miles on my plan for Saturday ... I think I'll need an early night on Friday to get up early enough on Saturday!!!
I'm up for work at 5.30 so early mornings not for me but I'll do parkrun Saturday and after taking my daughter to the airport early on Sunday I might do my long run before a week away myself
This reply is a crisp and allied confectionery free zone!
A little trot today, well two really; a 5k recovery run, pause for coffee, then the 15 minute CB start the week recovery run. No hangover from Monday’s foul up, but I I took things carefully. I have booked an appointment with my physio for Tuesday as a precaution. Saturday’s speed run and Monday’s long run will test things out. Another journey begins!
So good to read that your runs are improving and even that you are incorporating speed runs. No speed runs for me since the Duffield 5 on 24th June. Astoundingly to me my injured knee is behaving like a 'normal' knee and I have even been running without a knee support on it but my left knee is a cause for concern. I can no longer bend it fully so getting to the bottom of the fridge and up again is a challenge and any similar manoeuvres. Boo! I began wearing a knee support on it a while back and am being regular with the physio exercises. I know that I stupidly tried that 'how am I at getting up from sitting on the floor in the crossed legged position without using my hands test thing' - big mistake, my knee was already not happy and that test should not be attempted with a poorly knee. Keep thinking of going the self referral route for a physio, but so far I have gone with MAF running again setting a heart rate alert at 128bpm, so very slow meaning less impact through my knee and completing my knee physio.
As for mantras, I particularly remember a time when I had lost the joy of running and went with each run is an 'investment in my health'. No argument allowed, just do it. Since more than one time when running was not possible, I just so value being able to run and want to try to keep up my level of fitness. I endeavour to plan for enjoyment with varying my running routes and interesting podcasts. BBC sounds Lives Less Ordinary among many others. Was it Decker's recent link that stated 'every mile is a gift' and 'every run is an adventure' I like those. My adventure this morning including musing on whether I should carry some sort of mini secateurs to deal with stinging nettles. Would have definitely helped me.
Thank you for hosting and happy running to you 🏃♀️😊
What a shame about the grumbling knee. Perhaps it spent a little too long compensating for the other. If I were you I'd try the self referral; there's likely to be a wait if they are busy so if it improves you can cancel and some other lucky soul will get your slot but if it gets worse then you're already in the system. If thre isn't a long wait then they're not busy and you'll get some valuable insight as to how to mend it.Investment in my health is a great mantra; do, so true. Finding enjoyment is a fabulous added bonus- keep it up 🥰
Hello again Linda and Beachcomber66 , I had been musing on ringing the physio referral system for probably 3 weeks, so many tasks, continually playing catch up, but I knew it was the right thing to do. So thank you for encouraging me to get on with it. 😊 I'd already thought that if the problem had gone by the time the appointment happens, someone else would be delighted to have my cancellation. I waited for ages on the phone, but in the end went with the 'press 0 and leave a message' option. I'll keep you posted. I actually think that I have another torn/damaged meniscus even though I didn't have a fall. Boo! Physios are very knowledgeable so I look forward to what the appointment reveals. Of course, more than happy if my knee improves with the 'treatment' I'm giving it.
I second the self referral. The trouble with knees is that, as you know, the real source of the problem can be elsewhere….hips, adductors, quads, hamstrings. I like the comfort of knowing that my physio has got to the root of the problem and thus given me the right exercise regime. That is important as sometimes things can feel worse before they improve. Oh, despite the posts above, I don’t think that crisps of any flavour will help🤞🥰
That is a great mantra Linda. I don’t have a mantra as such but I do have ongoing conversations with myself on long runs :).
My weekly miles have dropped considerably since I have no full maras in line for this year. Instead I switched to improving my HM speed a bit and enjoying the trails again. Last year with two road maras, it was all road training and I missed the trails. The mosquitoes not so much.
Those conversations can get pretty heated in my head on a tricky run 🤣Ah yes, I'm sure you're happy to be back on the trails. Happily our biting insects are mostly relatively lightweight.
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