First run since the Wall

Couldn't sleep last night probably due to worry about doing this run, so unusually I woke up before 8.00am on a Sunday (stupid).  I found that I needed to just get up and go straight out while my mind was focused on completing this run to try and move past Friday's disaster and build my confidence back up and get back on track with my running programme.  

I don't normally like running at the weekend or in the mornings but felt after a few weeks in of my current plan (Bupa) that I needed to space the 4 sessions throughout the week better to allow for enough rest between sessions for my body to recover.

My aim for today's run was simples, put in a good, solid and consistent performance whilst putting Friday's long troubled run behind me.  I chose a route that took me back to my 'running roots' so that I didn't have to think too much about where to go next.  An added bonus was that it was all down hill on the way back.  Shame that this involved going up a steady hill to begin with which is what finally stopped me on Friday, so it was important for me this time around to overcome.

My plan said a 40 minute recovery/easy run but I knew because of Friday that today's run would be anything but easy and for the 1st mile I was absolutely right.

As of late, it seems to be at the top of my thighs 'the groin area' that has been where my worst aches have been (I have started stretching this area in my pre run routine) and boy could I feel them this morning when I set off.  Weather was completely different to Friday, misty rain and much cooler apart from when the Sun appeared, which luckily wasn't until I had finished running today. 

I began by walking for a few minutes past busy traffic and roads and out onto the beginning of a relatively quiet country road (picture above), I think I saw about 2 cars once I started running ignoring those that were parked obviously.  This short couple minutes of walking before hand helps me to warm my body up and help me to focus (psyching myself up) before starting the same old pavement pounding routine (more tarmac than pavement this time around).

It took me a while to settle (1-2 miles) into the resemblance of a routine, partly through some aching, worry that I would just stop like I did on Friday and trying for what seemed like ages to get my breathing under control, which as an asthmatic is quite important for me to do as soon as I can.

Once my breathing came under control, I did start to relax, settle into a consistent pace (much better then in Friday's long run) and enjoy being out despite the misty rain outlook.  My music was also helping me to relax (my new earphones are great - MEElectronics M11+) and get into a routine as its rare these days that I run on my own and listen to music as I tend to run in a group/partnership during the week (I intend to revisit this subject in a later Blog, examining my experience so far of running on my own versus running with others).

Once in this state of mind, I felt much stronger in my running and managed to reach the 4 mile marker in a good time considering the recovery nature of this run, slightly more distance/time than was required in today's run but I felt compelled/comfortable to reach before I slowed down to a walk (as I always do) near home to help me cool down and then finished with a stretching routine (another subject that I hope to cover in future blogs).  I did nearly came a cropper/lose my precarious momentum at the 3 mile point when I slipped on some wet mud so a tip for beginners is to avoid running in the rain on mud and also anything metal i.e. drain covers/grills that farmers and road designers like to put at the edge of roads where we all like to run!

As a minimum I intend to summarise my runs each week in my Blog to help me track my progress in addition to the cold hard statistics and figures that endomondo keeps safe for me.


So to summarise this run (Half Marathon Training Programme, Week 9, Run 1):


Negatives:

- Took too long to get breathing under control,

- Still some aches (no pain or sores) from Friday's run,

- Didn't manage to get in the 'zone' (more on this in a future Blog)

Positives:

+ Once I started running I didn't stop and didn't walk until I reached my planned finish point,

+ My running form and style felt good once I had relaxed and knew that I wouldn't repeat what happened to me on Friday,

+ Pace for me for this type of run (recovery/easy) was good and consistent despite the hill and faster than Friday's run.

Statistics (run GPS tracked using Endomondo):

• Duration: 46 minutes 47 seconds
• Total Distance: 4.13 miles (6.65km)
• Average Pace: 11:20 min/mile (includes warm up and cool down walking)
• Best 1 mile Pace: 10 minutes 26 seconds
• Best 5km Pace: 33 minutes 4 seconds

No personal bests beaten in this run (didn't expect to or try as it was a recovery run), my best 1 mile and 5km times to date is 7 minutes 45 seconds and 27 minutes 30 seconds respectively.

That will do for this run's Blog as it looks quite long already, even before the odd tweak!  If this is too long then let me know and I will try and address this in my next couple of Blogs.  For these as well as talking about my running I plan to revisit why I started Running and How as I doubt many people including myself much before last August would have pegged me/put me down as a runner or someone that would give it even a second glance away from watching professionals on the TV!


Lastly, if there is anything you would like to know or anything you think I should be including in these runs then let me know and I will try to include them in future Blogs.  As always please free to add any comments below each post.

Additionally if anyone knows how to use the blogger software I welcome any advice you can give on trying to sort out the line spacing which looks 'off' in this post.