Whoops! I totally forgot about this last week, but I suppose last Sunday I was recapping the 10 mile race.
So, how have these last two weeks gone?
Week 2:
Monday-Rest day.
Tuesday– 4 miles of down and up underpasses and steps with the OH girls.
Wednesday– 5.1 miles- I had to run a longer route to Sweatshop, then we ran loops of a depot in some horrible sleeting rain and a very strong wind, and then I ran home.
Thursday– Body pump. I really hurt my hand or wrist- I could not work out what it was, but it was from those stacked clean and presses- I think the final weight was too heavy for me.
Friday– Rest.
Saturday– Panshanger parkrun- one of my favourite times of the week.. My Dad and brother came too, the weather was beautiful (frosty) and it snowed when we were getting our barcodes scanned.
This is the alternative ending- long and slow hill.
This is the normal ending- doesn’t look that steep but it really is!
Sunday– 10 mile race.
4/4 runs completed, 22.3 miles run.
Week 3. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge. For this year and last year I chose 4 runs as my target, as I knew that I could easily do 3 runs per week, but 4 was more of a challenge during busy weeks. They said on the show that if you achieve all of your targets, then they are probably too easy, and I wanted a challenge. Anyway, Andy had arranged a day out on Saturday as a belated Christmas present, and had told me I would not have time for parkrun that day. Fine, I can switch it to another day. But then something else came up.
Monday- Rest day. I had a sports massage booked- so many horrible knots in my shoulders.
Tuesday– We were going to go to the cinema (to see The Imitation Game which I thought was excellent). Originally we thought the film was at 6, so my plan was to leave work asap (my normal 2 hour evening meeting was cancelled), go on a short run, then walk up to the cinema. But then during the day Andy texted to say we had the time wrong, and it was actually 5pm! So anyway I rushed home from work but only had time to walk up there before it started. By the time we got home I could have gone out (it was about half 7 I think) but it was cold, I wanted dinner. At least we had walked to and from the cinema.
Wednesday– Plan said 7 miles. So I went out earlier before Sweatshop and went an even longer way there, then we did 3 miles together, and then I ran home. In total it was 6.7 miles, which was close enough for me in the freezing cold!
I also got this rather terrifying looking foam roller for my 30 Sweatshop runs. Running home carrying it was hard work- it’s heavy!
Thursday– Body pump. Went lighter on the stacked weights this time, and still at the end of the track I could feel my hand starting to get sore.
Friday– 3 miles after work- for the missed Tuesday run.
Saturday. We didn’t need to leave until 10am, so I got up early and did another 3 miles from home- I was back just as parkruns were starting. Then we went into London- more on that another day but we walked for miles!
Sunday– 12 miles scheduled. On Saturday night I mapped out a route and wrote myself a few notes (most of the route I had run before, but some of it was new). I was out at about 8.15am, and it was just wonderful. I had felt apprehensive about it- what with not having a rest day since Tuesday, and all the walking yesterday. But it wasn’t about time, it was about getting the miles done.
The lake was still semi frozen- quite comical to see the gulls “walking” on the water. I am slowly catching up with the marathon talk podcasts anyway- I am into December now! In fact I was surprised to hear a PE teacher from my secondary school on there (although he is younger than me so didn’t teach me!). I did get a little lost so at one point had to get up maps on my phone to find out the way (surprisingly the directions “right, over, right, Woods Avenue” were not that easy to decipher) but in the end I got home having run 12.1 miles in 2.13 (although moving time was 2.06)- but anyway as I said it is not about the time.
So, week 3, 4/4 runs done (by the skin of my teeth) and 24.8 miles
I did hear that the third week in January is when people are most likely to fail at their resolutions, so I was quite pleased that I managed to keep it up this week despite some busy days. I am very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow though!
Well done, its good to keep the challenge a little out of your comfort zone … keeps it interesting.
Yes- I know there will be a few weeks when the joker is needed, but that’s the point of the challenge I think.
Well done 🙂 I am trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone more, but I find it so much harder in winter.
It is hard to get outside in the cold, but once you are done you feel loads better 🙂
Well done, it does seem like a great way to keep yourself motivated having set those targets. That Park Run looks beautiful! I can’t wait until we start and do them although I feel I have a way to go until I can run a 5k!
But the beauty of them is that people walk, run/walk them, kids do them. I think last week someone took an hour to complete it, and that’s fine- no pressure. I am sure you could do a parkrun sooner than you think.
That awful Body Pump Back Track…it’s already caused some casualties at my gym, and almost everyone has had to drop their weights for it. Excessive amounts of clean/presses do put a huge amount of pressure on the wrists. It’s actually been bothering mine too as I struggle so much to grip the thick bars we use at my gym. If I alternate between adding on weight in the last round vs. the first one it seems okay, but the whole choreography of that track is just one massive mess.
You’ve had a strong fortnight by the looks of it to me! That photo of the lake is just beautiful, even if it does involve frost and ice 😉
The ice is not as bad as you have it anyway.
Yes, that track is tough- I think there are nearly 40 of them in all- it’s 3 sets of 12 and then a few more at the end- too many I think to have such heavy weights really.
We have thick bars too- the instructor always says at the other gym they are thinner and easier to grip, but in a few tracks (like the biceps too) it is the wrists that really struggle to keep the grip going. Glad it isn’t just me, but I am already looking forward to the next one.
It was a good couple of weeks, although depressingly my weekly total mileage is not at 26 yet!!
The picture of the lake looks stunning, I bet that was beautiful to run by and spurred you on. Well done on such fantastic progress in these cold temperatures. I think I will be waiting until it warms up a bit before running outside again.
It was so pretty- although it’s only a small portion of my run, it was a lovely start to it 🙂
Well done. I think I’m going to have to use a joker this week as I’ve set my target as 7 runs a week and I’ve got a bloody shin niggle that needs a few days rest.
Thanks- hope your shin gets better. I think that is why the joker is a good idea as people do get injured and you shouldn’t train through something like that.
Such beautiful pics, I love the one of the lake!
Thanks- it just looked so beautiful as I was running so I had to stop and take the photo 🙂
Well done for upping the number of runs this year. I probably would have run less this year if I didn’t have Jantastic in the back of my mind. I just didn’t get the runs in I’d wanted to over Christmas. I’ve been on track with Jantastic so far though…long may it continue!
I hope your hand is a little better now?
I need to map out some new routes to try now that my miles are starting to increase again. I never go by time for training runs now. Most of my runs are off-road anyway, so I have been sticking to heart rate as a guide for improvement, although my speed stats on club runs have shown that my pace is improving too which is positive. 🙂
Good news for you- the heart rate stuff is obviously working 🙂
Yes my hand is much better thanks- pump was full this week so I didn’t get to go, but I know to have lighter weights in that track now so hopefully it won’t happen again.
Nice work on the runs!
I’m behind with all my podcasts at the moment as I haven’t been running so much. I prefer Five Live film review so catching up with that first.
I think I heard the PE teacher podcast – is that the one where he campaigned for no running as punishments in schools? (I might have this completely wrong…). I thought he was brill.
Yes he was that one.
We listen to the film one on a Friday night while we cook dinner, or save it for long car journeys, whereas with MT Andy isn’t interested so I have that for my runs. Now I am in January! 🙂