Theresas training

Oh my god – I haven’t written for ages. Have no clue
what I’ve done since the last time I wrote. To write
this will have to resort to the non technological
method of reading my paper running diary to figure it
all out….

Seems I haven’t written since my club on 12th Sept.
So first run after that was intervals on Thursday
14th. Hmmmm… 4 brave souls turned up – me, Fay, Ian
Sills and Grant. Ian Rowlands cycled down in order to
train us – how crazy given the weather. Anyway for
some reason we thought it was a good idea to go ahead
and run. The plan was to do 4x400m (3 mins), 2x800m
(5 mins) and then a mile. We managed to run the
first two miles – although we couldn’t see for rain,
and I was slightly concerned about running in the
thunder and lightning. The track was a bit soggy and
waterlogged by then so we decided to call it a night.
Luckily for Ian R, Ian S had a spare top for him to
put on and we did decide it would be a tad crazy to
cycle home in that weather so Ian R got a nice lift
home to. Madness…..

And on Saturday 16th there was even more madness…..It
was the weekend of the Lammermuir circuit, and for
some reason I let Sheila M talk me into a half
marathon. We headed up into the hills about 13 miles
away from Halhill, and then ran back. Simple
really…..except for the hills I guess. Weather was
weird – pretty humid so warm and stifling. I ended up
walking up the Brunt (I did manage to run up it once –
didn’t really enjoy it then though…). Sheila was
flying – there must be something to be said for
sunbathing, drinking red wine and eating croissants
that means you put in a fantastic running performance!

After the run we all had soup and sandwiches. I could
barely talk I was so knackered. I haven’t been that
tired after a run in ages. (for those of you who know
me might not believe I couldn’t talk but its true –
you may think that was a blessing!)

On Sunday I could barely move. My legs were so sore
it was unreal. I decided to walk from Belhaven to my
house, around a bit of the coast to try to loosen off,
followed by a stretch. It helped ever so slightly….

And now onto this week – crazy still. On Monday I
managed to get out of bed without too much pain so I
took a half day just to accompany Sheila on a nice
trot round Dunbar. Pretty much did the same route as
I did on the 10th (golf course, John Muir, Smeaton,
John Muir, Hedderwick, John Muir etc). Did a bit
longer but ran it slightly quicker (alarmingly)
although seemed to have more walking breaks this time
so that could explain it. Made it home before
midnight though so not all bad. My new trainers were
out on their second outing (1st was on Saturday).
Luckily Sheila hadn’t put on her new ones as she
disappeared in mud up to her ankles at one point. Was
quite hilarious at the time, looked like she had
hiking boots on. Had they been new though we might
have cried…..

Club on Tuesday – good turnout for the ladies – except
they all disappeared into the horizon not long after
we set off. Sheila, Vicky and I ran at the back –
although quite brave for Sheila and I even to be
running I think! We headed out to Whitesands and ran
back along the golf course. Managed to run over the
course as nobody was out playing, so the ground was
more even – although Sheila still found some hills for
me to run up!

I missed intervals on Thursday – at a “personal
development” thing – all about impact and image. Very
interesting……so instead I ran a short one on Friday.
In the rain again. And the dark (well dusk, but I
guess we’ll be back to town runs on Tuesday night).
Ran from East Links through the trees, round by the
farms (muddy field/muddy hill building) and back to
car park, along to burn, along burn and back to car
park. Tried out my new water belt thingy which seems
really comfortable but my arms are a wee bit tender
today so think I must have been bashing my arm off the
bottles. Must figure out how best to wear it – low
slung seems to be best although the fashion for belts
this season is quite high waisted. Oh well…..I’ll
just have to be an unfashionable runner.

Quick update from Sheila K – she was in Orkney on
Friday. No wind – I can’t believe that in September!

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# posted by user : 2:01 PM  0 comments

Did I mention I got a pb just over a week ago? I’m
sure I didn’t talk enough about that. It is such an
uncommon event that I think I might need to labour the
point a bit……..Anyway it kept me happy for a bit but
is now a distant memory really. Onwards and upwards I
guess. (or downwards hopefully if we are talking
about times!)

Last Tuesday (5th September) Val took us out for a
hill & speed session. Now if you read running books,
runners world etc etc they will all tell you to focus
on either hills, speed or distance, but not to do more
than one of these at once. Maybe I should lend them
to Val? We headed out along Kellie Road and through
the new houses. At that point I thought I was doing
well, legs felt quite fresh and my race (and pb)
hadn’t taken too much out of them. Then we headed up
the hill towards Spott. I realised that actually legs
weren’t quite so fresh, race had taken a bit out of
them and this was hurting (a bit). We turned to the
right and headed up to Wester Broomhouse. I checked
the time at the farm (less than 20 mins) and nearly
started to cry – no way we had only been running for
that time. Although at that point at least we were at
the top of the hill and only had flattish and
downhills to get back to Halhill. Anyway, I survived
– guess it wasn’t so bad. I managed to keep up and it
was nice as all the ladies ran together (apart from
Clarissa who is still cheating by using a bike. You’d
think giving birth was difficult physically or
something. Anybody who watches Coronation Street or
Eastenders knows that you puff and pant a couple of
times and the whole thing is over in less than 25
minutes!)

Thursday night – intervals. Enough said.

Na – s'pose I better go into that in a bit more
detail. We did 2x800m in 5 mins, 2x400m in 3 mins,
2x800m in 5 mins and 2x 400m in 3 mins. Took it a bit
easier on the 800m (running over 400m is hard) and
then got a row from Ian for talking. Got beaten by a
young boy (definitely under 10) for the vast majority
of the session. Just when I thought I was running
well…..

And Ian doesn’t seem to have got the hint about
bringing me some sweets to make me run faster round
the track. (well it works for dogs and horses doesn’t
it????) Val kindly made a cake for after the session.
Plum and walnut – it was delicious!

Decided to do a mad long run again on Sunday. Great –
the sun came out. I managed to drag myself out of bed
and started running at about 9:30. Trotted from
Belhaven up the back road towards town, along by the
Rocks and along the cliff path and golf course back to
Belhaven. Probably should have stopped there, but
no….ran on through John Muir Country Park, having to
stop every 5 feet to ensure I wasn’t savaged by any
dogs, along clever field path and then along Tyne,
over the river at Knowes and up towards Lawhead. Then
along to Smeaton (I quite like this route in case you
are noticing a pattern), back along Tyne, clever field
path, up to old A1, across to Hedderwick etc, under
new A1, North Belton, John Muir Country Park, left up
to buildings and muddy hill/field in 5km route, back
through John Muir Country Park to car, stretch legs
and collapse. Easy.

Tip of the week – I have discovered this walking
downstairs backwards thing after a long run really
does help!

And then this Tuesday – did a nice flat one. Jenny
came back! It’s always a good thing when a new member
comes back again….obviously didn’t tire her out too
much the last session. We ran through the trees at
Halhill, took the road opposite sort of round Eweford
and then down to West Barnes. Don’t know if there was
a diversion off the A1 or something but we were
getting a bit annoyed with the amount of cars speeding
past us. In West Barnes we ran down along the Biel
burn and into the park, along the road to the first
farm and round back through the trees, through the
park, up beside the hospital and back to Halhill.
(Sheila and Val ran back up to Halhill via the trees
ie the same way we left, and Hannah added a bit on
round town to get a longer one in).

And now… all this running and writing I am knackered.
I will go and collapse on the sofa and watch “you are
what you eat” so I feel virtuous and that I have a
great diet. (although last week all that happened was
that I ended up really fancying a big creamy bun!)

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# posted by user : 1:08 PM  0 comments

I’ve now written so many of these diary entries I
can’t even remember what runs I’ve got to talk
about……I could just make a few up and test to see
whether anyone is reading….I haven’t had any comments
for ages – not even dodgy ones!

Think I need to start with last weekend – the 26th was
the Saturday and I was heading out for a medium long
run, as I’d planned to do the truly long run on the
Monday bank holiday. So on Saturday I wasn’t very
organised and hadn’t even figured out what time I was
going to run or anything until about 10:30. I went
out and hid some juice in strategic places, came home
and started running at about 11:00. And sometimes I
wonder should I have bothered? I ran round the bottom
of Doon Hill, behind Spott Farm and then down
Starvation Brae into Spott. From there I ran down the
second ford and down beside Findlay’s spring water to
Pitcox. From there I went down to the A1 and then
along down to the old A1. This was the most exciting
part of the run – some funny cycle race thing going on
down at the roundabout on the old A1. I then dragged
my weary self along the old A1 and crossed over to run
round Hedderwick, under the A1 and back to North
Belton etc and again towards the funny cycle thingy.
I went into John Muir and then ran shortest route
(well I say ran but I think that is well and truly an
exaggeration) back to the caravan park at Belhaven
where Brian was awaiting me to take me home. My
excuses are that the first part of the run was hilly
so I tired myself out, I’ve been working hard, and
that the weather was sticky hot, humid and made it
hard to breathe. Otherwise known as not having a
great run…..and I even had an energy gel. Think it
was faulty though – certainly didn’t give me any
energy!

Monday was loads better. I dropped Brian off for the
train at about 7:30, drove round to drop some juice
(and mini mars bars – they must have made all the
difference) off at strategic points and then parked
the car and started running. Started at Belhaven and
ran up the back road, through Winterfield Park, down
the coast and round the golf course. I then headed
out through John Muir Country Park (detour to West
Barnes as the bridge was down and back into the park)
and along to the North Berwick Road. I then (rather
cleverly) followed the John Muir sign post through the
field, rather than taking a chance with my life on the
North Berwick road. Don’t know how long the sign
post has been there but clearly I’ve missed this whole
path thing for quite some time. Niftily it takes you
under the North Berwick road and to the path alongside
the Tyne that I normally run along. I then crossed at
the bridge at the ford at Knowes, ran up to Lawhead
and down through Smeaton to East Linton. From there I
ran back along the Tyne (and clever field path),
through John Muir but up at the first set of farms to
the old A1. Then up round Hedderwick, under A1, North
Belton, John Muir Country Park, left at farms to muddy
field thing, round usual route to Belhaven (detour
West Barnes – bridge totally not across river at that
point) and halfway round golf course to finish. Did
pretty well, not many stops, no walking (except the
hill at the golf course at the end but for health and
safety reasons) and felt pretty good. Had to use Ian
as my new inspiration and motivation to keep moving
through – had to keep thinking near the end, if Ian
can run 50 miles I can run another couple….

Tuesday though I was knackered. And I got to run with
Anne – who even at her most knackered will be well
faster than me on Tuesday night runs. And Clarissa –
who would have been a bit handicapped if running,
seeing as she hasn’t done any in the past 10 months,
but no she was helpfully assisted by her bike. Anyway
kept it short (but not sweet as there were hills
involved.) Up through trees to Eweford, right at the
fork, up past houses (Pleasance?) and through grassy
field (again cleverly signposted but I did know that
this route existed) to Wester Broomhouse. Then ran
down to Spott roundabout, through trees and back to
Halhill. Well far enough for my weary legs.

Wednesday – legs even wearier than yesterday. Watched
tele.

Thursday – intervals. Ian seems to have recovered
from his 50 miler (came 3rd so maybe not quite so mad
to enter after all, although after Thurday's session I
still have some question over his mental state). We
had a lovely session of 4x400m, 4x200m, 4x400m,
4x200m. I cleverly sat out one the first of the
second set of 400m. I say cleverly because I ended
the 200m without being able to breathe very well, and
with quite short rest before the 400m so thought I
might end up knackering myself if I hadn’t. Also,
legs still pretty sore…..and I had a race on Sunday to
look forward too.

Friday – rest day. Did good level of carbo loading at
work (ie eating junk food ‘cos it was there)

Saturday – rest day. Ditto Friday.

Sunday – race day. Did the Glasgow 10k – quite like
the route as it’s a good one for PBs. Weather was
conducive to good times (ie it was not too warm, and
drizzly all the way). And I got a pb – need to wait
for the official times to come out though (so long as
chip worked).

Splits
1km 5.39
2km 5.24
3&4km 10.21 (ie average 5.10 each)
5km 5.23
6km 5.23
7km 5.09
8km 5.11
9km 5.08
10km 5.09

Annoying things
– getting bunched in at the beginning (but that could
work as a good race ploy – ensures you don’t get away
too fast),
– the last km has changed so actually big long stretch
of uphill (well ish – as much as it gets in Glasgow
flat races, but still not a good place to stuff a hill
in)
– not beating the girl I really wanted to beat to the
finish. I passed her on the final km but she passed
me going on the uphill (ish) bit
– coffee shop near Glasgow Green took about 10 mins to
make four very expensive, quite crap takeaway coffees

Fantastic things
- getting a pb!!!!!! (previous pb 54.05 from this
route last year, this one 52.52 – although will have
to check the official times)
- running a negative split 26:49 for the first half,
26.03 for the second – the way it should be done
- legs feeling pretty good most of the way and having
a comfortable run (although obviously not that
comfortable)
- having by chance read something in a magazine (not a
running one) about ensuring your shoulders are relaxed
back and down when running, not tensed up, as this
will really help your breathing. (it works – wish
someone had told me that ages ago)
- having to try to figure out how to beat this time!

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# posted by user : 10:44 AM  1 comments