Thank you to Irishprincess for the opportunity to do a guest post this week. IP I was sending you nothing but good vibes for your race as I was writing this. ❤️ I can’t wait to read all about it!
As for me, I am just back from a short family cottage vacation. I have a few pics from the trip here. It was supposed to be an East Coast Canada trip which fell through, but we still got some downtime with a bit of canoeing and hiking around the local area. I returned home nice and relaxed . So, of course I signed up for another race, a 50k. A very last minute decision. I have 8 weeks to prepare for it. I’ve done this race once before back in 2021 and I am determined to take this one easier this year, but it’s still a bit tight time wise. I had planned to just back off distance for now, but something kicked in to try another big one before winter hits, so here I am. Life has thrown a number of curves this year which slowed progress on some larger goals, but I feel I still need to try. If it does not work out that’s okay. The process is sometimes more valuable than the result. How about you? What are you aiming for this year? Next year? Maybe a big race or a multi year goal?Maintaining health and fitness? Or something else entirely? Big or small, we’d love to hear all about it.
I’ve got no race plans for the rest of the year. I do want to hit my annual goal of 1500 miles. I’ve still got 522.6 miles to go so it’s doable (just) if I can get back to my normal weekly mileage. The last few months with Covid, Marathon taper & recovery has meant my mileage has been low.
I’ve introduced strength training twice a week so I need to be careful with balancing that. I’ve found two 30 min slots in my week when I can go & I definitely won’t be running home afterwards. It’s brutal & I’m on the lowest weight 🤣
Enjoy your training Decker 👍🏻 It’s good to have big goals.
That’s great RW. it’s understandable your mileage would be a bit lower now but you may find the efforts easier as your system adjusts after your marathon.
Happy to hear your strength work is slotting in nicely too. I’m sure you will get used to the weight over time. This is one area I am sorely lacking.
I’m curious, would you consider doing another marathon next year or something different?
I’m 100% sure that I want to do another Marathon. Just trying to work out whether I will do one a year or every age category. No desire to go further. Respect to you Ultra runners 🤩
That’s brilliant! I never thought of the age category angle. That is an interesting way to approach it. I had a friend with a plan awhile back to BQ later in life since the qualifying times for Boston were just so fast at her age now (mid 40s.)
I don’t think I’m ever going to be fast enough to run Boston. I love that people do have that as a goal though. The age category idea came because I’m running virtually around Australia at the moment. I had this idea that every map of the world I tackle could involve a marathon. I’m due to finish Australia in two years so I could choose my next map based on where I want to run my next marathon. I don’t get to travel much these days so it would make the virtual run more exciting.
Oh that’s a really interesting idea. I remember doing something like this during Covid with one of the local run groups. We all just ran virtually since we could not run together. It was a big success. I hope you do well with it. With an 81% retention rate, it seems like they are onto something at runsoftheworld.com
Thanks very much for hosting this week’s chat Decker. Your photos, as usual, are gorgeous.
I just can’t imagine making a last minute decision to enter a 50K run! But you've done it before and you will do it again. I’m already looking forward to reading all about it 🙂
Thanks for your good vibes for the race. I thought of you all on my way round. I’ve been out all day so haven't had a chance to put a post together but will draft one soon……
That looks wonderful Decker 😍 Kicking back and enjoying a break, getting chance to do the things you enjoy with people you love 🙂👌
Another 50k ! Good for you! Well, I hope so 😀
As I trotted about on a long run on Saturday I thought about my dream - still to be realised - to run an ultra, and wondered whether at 67 I should let it go 🤔. I turned the thing over in my brain as I ran, and decided to leave it on the table (the ultra that is - not my brain! 🧠 😁) as I couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse not to 🤷♀️
I managed a long run on Saturday while rehabbing a pesky ankle. I have another on the plan this weekend. Eek!😬
On a more serious note I have my late November marathon booked. Hotel with BATH 🛁 bought and paid for! 🙂 My husband’s birthday treat 😁
Have a great running week peeps. Have fun out there 🙂🏃♂️🏃♀️😎🌝
I’m hoping for the best I think you could do an ultra for sure. This one I am doing is more manageable in that it is a flattish short loop around a lake with aid stations at either end. So if there are any issues, help is near at hand. This course was my first ultra too for thee reasons.
Marathon and hotel room? That’s a great birthday gift! I hope the ankle holds up as you work through your training.
Good to have you with us Decker. Your canoe brought back memories of Canada. Great cross training for everything other than legs!
My exploration of the NRC Marathon Plan continues…..not with a view to running a marathon at my age; this “exploration “ is part curiosity and part feeling I need to know more about hydration, cross training (including yoga) and in-run nutrition.
I reached 13k/8 miles today. It was quite warm, and I knew from the outset that my hydration wasn’t where it should be. The fact that I forgot about drinking until I hit 7.5K didn’t help! Positives; I am running long runs a bit faster and my stride length is now pretty similar on long and short runs and on hills. I think my lack of hydration was responsible for the deduction of two points by VO2 max today…..AHR of 161 instead of my usual long run 139/140. All part of the game. The NTC yoga, strength and stretching exercises are going well; so much easier when you have a video to check yourself against. I am definitely a convert.
10 miles next Monday; hopefully I can complete that given that the Great South Run is a possibility in September.
Your decision on the spur of the moment to run a 50k? Barking mad for most people, but we know that you have that in your locker. Maybe not too early to start training though 😉.
Yes BC you are right. The cottage was on a fast moving river so it was a bit more challenging but we took it easy.
Hydration and sodium intake were game changers for me in Berlin. On long runs, one 500ml flask per hour plus 250 mg sodium tab seemed to work for me but we are all different.
Best of luck on the 10miler and fingers crossed for GSR in September!
I may have over reached on this one but we’ll see.
Were I a betting man I would have a whole tenner (£ not CAD) on you to get the distance. You might have to compromise a bit on time I suppose, depending on how you feel eight weeks from now. When does it start snowing over there?
Ha well I appreciate your faith BC 🙂. Last time around it was pouring rain and the trail turned to slippery mud. So maybe we’ll have better luck this time around. We start seeing snow in late November but we usually get an earlier short lived snowfall or two sometimes in late October. The race is on the 12th so it should be okay.
Hi, thanks for hosting this week Decker. I love those photos, looks like such a fun and wholesome trip. What a wonderful place to unwind. It's tough when life gets in the way of our goals isn't it. I love that, with just a bit of renewed energy and focus, you've jumped all over the 50k race - a sign if a successful break if ever there was one. Enjoy the training.
I'm tootling through my plan ready for the Victoria (Vancouver Island) HM in about 6 weeks time. I'm really looking forward to that (and my first Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and father the following day). I already have Lisbon HM booked for March 25, quickly followed by the Monsal Trail HM again in April (which should be a good HU meet up). I'd like to do Cardiff HM in Oct 25, but am in Canada for a wedding the weekend before, so we'll see.
Between Victoria HM and Lisbon, I'm tempted to follow the NRC Marathon plan to see I I can get to that distance again.
All in all, I have plans coming out of my ears and am enjoying running as much as I have ever done. I just need to remain injury free (no small challenge for me) 😍
Yes the break was a needed one. Hoping I have not bit off too much but I have a plan. At least a list of long runs to do.
Wow that is a full schedule Linda! It’s great you can enjoy these races without injuries looming. I hope it stays that way! You deserve an injury free season after all you’ve been through. We have friends in Victoria that have been asking us to come up for the race weekend. Maybe next year we can make it happen.
There's a marathon a half and an 8k and 5k I think. The marathon sold out several weeks ago and the half is now sold out too. Sounds like it has been increasing in popularity each year. I am really, really looking forward to it 😀
Hi Decker , so nice to see you as the guest host! 😊 Glad you had time for a little break, and gained some enthusiasm to book in that ultra! Good for you, a great focus! Life can definitely be wearing and know what you mean about the curve balls! 😪
I've not much booked in for the rest of the year, a 10k in couple of weeks, will be 55 next year so maybe that will be the year to aim for something! Every run still feels very hard atm, definitely lost some fitness, breathing not great (only a month post covid but didn't get the cough though!) I'm feeling pudgy and a bit downhearted at times definitely! Trying hard with healthy eating most of the time!!
We're just on an incredibly noisy Bank Holiday ferry for a day out tomorrow , staying overnight near Southampton . Can't wait to leave the noise behind arrrrgggghhhh!
Hi Ali, yeah I figured I should pull the trigger before I had the chance to talk myself out of it. Still not sure I made the right call. 🙂
You’ve had more curve balls than most of us lately. It definitely takes a toll. Really good to see you are keeping with the running. 55 would be a nice opportunity to mark a special run. In the meantime slowly getting back into more mileage when you’re ready should help with the overall fitness and mental stress. Go easy on yourself. It will all come together.
Hope you are off the ferry and into a quieter space now.
Hello Decker , wow 50km! I cannot even imagine running that far and I am in awe of those that can do ultras. I hope the training goes well.
I have entered a 10k race in the beautiful New Forest in 2 weeks time, and will also be meeting some HU running buddies there . Then it is the 10 mile Great South Run in my city in October.
The trouble is, my training has come to a standstill with piriformis. I have daily exercises to do so I just hope that I can run again soon. I am going out for a short test run tomorrow to see if it’s improved. I’m not so worried about the 10k as I have run that distance twice in August and if necessary I can reduce to a 5k race. But I really need to be slowly increasing distance for the GSR to avoid the ITB problems I’ve had in previous years. I’ll have to add some clam shells onto the exercise regime. .
Thanks Dexy, I’m counting on cooler temps for the race. We’ll see how it goes on the day. I’m not great in the heat.
The New Forest 10k sounds lovely. It must be so nice to see HU friends in person! I’m sorry about the piriformis and I hope it eases up before the GSR. Did you ever think running would lead to so much maintenance? I still do some physio exercises from when I pulled my IT band two years ago
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I think you could do an ultra for sure. This one I am doing is more manageable in that it is a flattish short loop around a lake with aid stations at either end. So if there are any issues, help is near at hand. This course was my first ultra too for thee reasons. 
Weekly Chat 22nd to 28th August: Going on a bear hunt! 🐻🏃♀️🌲
WEEKLY CHAT 28 August-3 September ➡️ 🐄
WEEKLY CHAT 12th to 18th SEPTEMBER 🍂🍃 🍂 
