This is another running related blog. Sorry. My life seems to go in obsessive spurts in one direction, followed by disinterest and active avoidance. This is one of the reasons I enter races, so I have to train.
I tried to stick to that training plan, starting last week.
It said start off with a 6 mile ‘easy’ run. I thought if I was doing a slow one I might as well up the incline on the tready. Such a mistake. Runner’s World said to train at 1% incline to simulate proper running, but then I went for a 10 mile road run (at 7.30 m/m pace) and my pulse was 153, the same as 6.30 m/m on the tready. That can’t be right.
So, slow run, put it at 2%. You wouldn’t think it would make any difference, 1%. It does. It really does.
My ankles and shins were really sore and my muscles had set the next day. That kind of buggered me up for the week. That was on Monday, but I determined to go through with my plan to join a running club, meeting on Tuesday.
Whadda ya know? I braced myself (I was nervous about going, after all) girded my loins and drove to Birchwood. I was there, 3 other confused runners were there, the club was not. The others seemed to think the club had met up somewhere else. Ace.
I determined to go to the next session then, 1845 on Thursday. Work went tits up and I didn’t get home until 1900. The gods mock me. Again.
No worries, the hold weekend meets. Saturday I was working, so I determined to do the Sunday run. I looked on the website on Saturday night, Sunday runs: times and locations to be confirmed at Thursday session.
*death from headdesk*
So I’ve still not joined. Or done a run with them.
After a few days rest I determined to batter my 3 mile PB yesterday. I did that 6.15 m/m with energy to spare. Yesterday was going to be the day. 6 m/m. A landmark. A line in the sand. This far and only further.
I crashed and burned after 5 minutes.
Balls.
My pulse was 163, my breathing wouldn’t settle into a rhythm and my mental toughness wasn’t there. I was looking at the clock ‘I’ve only done 4 minutes, I can’t do another 14 like this. I’ve got to stop’. Once you weaken and start thinking like that you’ve had it. You have to embrace the pain, grit your teeth and soldier on.
I was that disgusted with myself I changed into my outdoors running kit, complete with my super-duper gps watch, and went for a 20 mile run.
It is different outside. Cold, which is good. With mile markers, so you are running to the next landmark, not for the next 2 hours. I know the mile markers for the first 5 miles, ie for my 10 mile run, after that it’s just ‘I’ve been running this long, I must be about… that means I’ve got an hour and a half to run’. With my lovely, lovely watch it automatically buzzes every ‘lap’ (mile, by default) and gives you your lap time. So instead of an hour and a half I had lots of lovely do-able miles, each trying not to let myself down.
I was buzzing after that run. The watch was ace, I did 20 miles, with hills, and the point at 16 miles where I used to whimper in relief seeing Winwick church steeple hove into view (and knowing I was getting back towards civilisation) was just another mile.
I averaged at slightly under 8 m/m pace. Not too shabby, with hills. I was surprised after flat, relatively short runs on the tready.
Today I started again. 6 miles ‘easy’ ran it at 8 m/m. My pulse was 143, so not overdoing it, but it was so hard. I was sweating like a bee-hatch and really had to show some resolve to not slow it down or stop. I did it though. It got easier after 3 miles.
In other news, Wendy went for her appointment with the consultant. Finally.
He gave her another ultrasound and some other tests and said she has some liver complications. He thinks one of the gall stones may be stuck in a duct. He can’t authorise surgery until he’s sure, so he’s ordered the next available MMR scan. Wendy was talking to someone else she knows who’s had it (seems to be a chick disease, everyone’s had their gall bladder removed!) and she reckons if there is a blockage they have to do an endoscopy and clear the passage before they can operate. Nice.
Wendy’s poorly cousin, who’s a NHS veteran reckons it will be after xmas before they operate now.
I applied with the Manc agency for that job on my doorstep. Not heard anything about it yet, but I see they have built the new distribution depot about 2½ miles from our house. No trucks there yet, but it looks mostly done. That’s the job for me.
Tomorrow I try again to join my run club. I think I’ll do my training programme as well (warm up, 4 x 1 mile sprint, warm down). It will make the night training harder, but what the hey?
Anyway here, to pull me out of the crap, is Twitter;
DMreporter had
IMMUGATION: “A spectacular mistake” – Jack Straw admits Labour got it wrong, but is it too late to pitchfork the brown-skins back home?
ROMANCE: Poor people have cheap wedding because they’re poor. Look at them. Aaah. Bless. They’re so poor. Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Poor.
ROMA MIGRANT FACTS: • They sell babies • They eat dogs • They poo in the street • They hate Jesus • They can fly • One word: benefits
This week’s Daily Mail Cancer List: Mo) Yeast Tu) Pillows We) Value brands Th) Helium Fr) Romance Sa) Brevity Su) NHS cancer treatment
HEALTH: Brits ditch ‘dangerous’ NHS to use EU hospitals. <SEND> SCUM: Revealed – EU citizens ‘bleeding NHS dry’ with health tourism.
Politics/ tory scum was rife:
Hmmm why do we think @Jeremy_Hunt might be trying to pass a law which allows him to close hospitals without asking the public? #saveourNHS
A year’s income on JSA of £3,692 is "too generous". Heating bills claimed on expenses by one millionaire MP? £5,822 #ShareTheFacts
Chancellor announces extra cold weather payments for Tory MPs’ horses; http://wp.me/p1U04a-5BP
8,210 convicted of benefit fraud in 2010/11. 365 sent to jail. But Tory MPs like Nadine Dorris and Nadhim Zahawi need only apologise.
CAMERON. Speaks to City Fat Cats at the Mansion House tonight, the ones he has given huge tax cuts to. Tomorrow he defends the Bedroom Tax.
The only group of people in receipt of Housing Benefit, are landlords. Understand that before opening your mouth.
Anne Main MP Expenses: claimed 10% 2ndhome discount on her council tax even though her daughter lived there for up to 3 years. #bedroomtax
Incredible that Anne Main MP getting uppity about cancelling #bedroomtax after having been found guilty of wrongly claiming £7,100 expenses.
Tories say taxpayers shouldn’t pay for houses too big for people, so why do MPs need second homes paid for by the taxpayers #bedroomtax
Also remembering that this was an actual poster in actual real life.
Tory MP Ben Gummer voted to retain #BedroomTax but claimed £15,000 for own housing #shirker
Tory MP Brian Binley voted to retain #BedroomTax but claimed £17,793 for own housing #shirker
In case you missed this… There’s going to be in independent inquiry into #Cameron ‘s Human Rights Abuses in the UK soon! By the UN #c4news
And now specific laws to jail NHS staff – they really hate the NHS. How many bankers jailed?
This is what the #NHS was like before Lansleys chaos -Don’t delete history
‘Two companies who have given £1.5m to the Tory party now have £1.5billion in nhs contracts’ burnham on #bbcsp
Hospitals seeing spiraling number of patients suffering from malnutrition. This isn’t politics, its murder on a massive scale.
LYNTON CROSBY. So this is the man who is advising Cameron to attack the unions? Should put his own house in order.
And best till last, General:
Kristallnacht 75th anniversary, Remembrance Sunday, Philippines disaster – this weekend’s reminders that there is no god
Heat your room for 8 pence a day. http://wp.me/p2gfve-1aJ
There can be few things worse than a death threat written in Comic Sans.
#JohnLewisAdRipoffs British Gas: Bear & hare freeze to death because they can’t afford fuel this winter. Laughing man drives past in Bentley
I will be this kind of grandma in my old age…
The most powerful anti-war video – Former SAS soldier Ben Griffin – I Will NOT Fight For Queen and Country http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53w3XoAdhJA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D53w3XoAdhJA&app=desktop …
If you missed it earlier, you can catch up with Radio 4’s Two Minute Silence on the iPlayer.
Let’s go to Iceland
Six weeks without twitter gave me the opportunity to spend more time with my family, and take stock of what’s really important. So I’m back.
How to tell if your dog has been caught up in a sex scandal:
There is a roundabout in Brighton called the Vogue Gyratory. I challenge anyone to find a more fabulously named roundabout.
1: Mark spot on map 2: Add note saying “If anything happens, the money’s buried here” 3: Put map in suit pocket 4: Give suit to charity shop
Just so you all know: If I get found, locked in a bag, in a bath tub. SOMEONE FUCKING KILLED ME.
I’m as serious as glandular fever when I say rhythm is a beaver.
RECREATE that freeform jazz experience by throwing a squeaky toy into a tumble dryer, then stroking your chin & nodding.
@BBCOne #britainonthefiddle. You just look plain silly now and at the behest of the political establishment.
millionaire businessman mislaid bag of cash at tory party gig – speaks of his luck changing a week later when he won a huge govt contract
#CAPRICORN: Jupiter and Mars are in the ascension of declaration and revolving around a cylindrical plane. You get run over today.
It makes me cry reading Dave’s struggle from filthy rich to mega rich, the hardships, the set backs, the inheritance.
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." – Carl Sagan
"Potatoes gonna potate."
50yrs ago today facing a screaming mob 6yr.old Ruby walked into 1st Elem.school. (1960)
Brace yourself for this: New Orleans man is in jail FOREVER for stealing a $159 jacket via @ACLU http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/13/us-prisoners-sentences-life-non-violent-crimes …
Tesco are already selling eggs, flour, sugar and lemon juice. What is it, over three months until pancake day? Fucking joke.
McFly telling stories about children in severe poverty. What is it @MsJackMonroe says? Go upstream and find out who’s pushing them in.
"@BBCNewsMagazine: Lee Harvey Oswald still has an overdue library book from Dallas public library http://bbc.in/1eVv2T5 " << The bastard!
Tom Baker’s answer when asked about his favourite memory of #DoctorWho
David Cameron has personally contributed 300,000 more children to #childreninneed since he came to power
Massive respect to man on the radio who said he’d seen "incorrect plurals on numerous internet fora".
US-UK terms explained
http://funnado.com/idiots-fighting-things/
Well I, for one, am FUCKING SHOCKED!!
21 reasons why journalism is being replaced by lists.
How to look like Batman, using your cat
Dr. Kim Plastic Surgeon – Be born again
Surprising dangers of marathon running. Be afraid. Be very afraid
runnersworld.com/fun/7-surprising-dangers-of-running-a-marathon?page=single …
WikiLeaks war dairies: US army detains 8 donkies smugging 38,000 cigarettes to #Syria
I don’t reckon the donkey’s were responsible. I think they were just drugs mules. *gets coat*
"And outside you have this bijou garden" We call that a back yard in Yorkshire #ETTC
Oh, right. Tory Police Commissioner wants to put unemployed families into camps. That sounds familiar.
EXTREME WEATHER WARNING! Tonight for the first time just about half past ten. For the first time in history it’s gonna start raining men
So what if I’m stood in bargain booze in my dressing gown & crying!! Keep your questions & judgement to yourself & sell me the fucking gin
@tweetofgod had: You don’t think, therefore I am.
US Govt Says CIA Black Site Prisoners’ Memory Of Their Own Torture Is Classified http://bit.ly/1bV4pss
Centraal Beheer (A Dutch insurance company)
Guess that was going for the ‘shit happens’ angle. I like it.
And finally laugh out loud funny kitten pic:
Just me laughing? Oh. Cracks me up. Honking great head, titchy body.
Later,
Buck.