Today
Miles:4 Heckles: 0 tummy trouble:0 Stares from strangers: 2
The training plan is back on track. 4 miles easy this morning worked out, well, easy. I had a a brilliant idea to beat the runny tummy - I decided to run so early in the day that my body had not fully woken up and realised that it had a stomach bug to distribute. What a stroke of genius!
Admittedly, running 4 miles while half asleep and on an empty stomach is probably not ideal but it worked so I don't care.
While running, I kept myself awake by musing on the British habit of staring at people who run. I can confirm that this is British because I have run in various parts of Britain, and people stare wherever I am. I can also confirm they stare at runners because no-one ever stares at me when I cycle (apart from that time I fell over in a coach park in Scotland, but that doesn't count because I was stationary at the time).
It could be because a) I'm going slower when I run so I notice it more, b) I am so purple in the face that people think I am going to die, c) people don't exercise (the obesity crisis is alive and well in my local area) so they think anyone who does is a circus freak. Or d) because I'm female and I'm on my own and women aren't supposed to do things on their own in our society. For me, the winner is d) (with a slight smattering of b), especially when doing intervals!). I blame Jacqui Smith and her scaremongering.
Anyway, I'll leave the feminist rant for another day.
The tummy bug rumbles on 'off-road' but I don't intend to run again for another couple of days and I'm crossing the fingers and toes it will be out of the system by then. Literally or figuratively!
LON
Tuesday 28 July 2009
Monday 27 July 2009
A bad start to week 2
I neglected my training diary for the latter part of week 1, mainly because I was far too busy out celebrating birthdays and enjoying the sunshine to write up my runs. But I promise I did do the training. Honest!
Just to keep any readers posted, my long run on Sunday could be summed up as:
Miles: 6. Heckles:1 Tummy trouble:1
Yep, that does say tummy trouble. Basically I seem to be entering week 2 with a mild stomach upset. By upset, I mean my stomach gets very upset if I try running over 4 miles, or at any sort of speed.
On the long run yesterday it wasn't so much of a problem apart from having to run the last mile very fast just to avoid 'doing a Paula'. Today, though, my upset stomach really threw a tantrum.
Today was my first interval session and I failed miserably. The first mile jog was fine, and I set off on my first fast interval - 1 mile in and my stomach was cramping, so I started my recovery jog early and hoped to jog it off in time to start a new interval.
No such luck. The second interval was worse - I probably didn't even get half a mile without starting to cramp again. But just to make it even more fun, I got a stitch as well. After 4 minutes I had to stop. I never have to stop, I was devastated. All I can think is, if I can't do intervals, then I'm never going to get faster.
But getting your breath back is a great way to focus and I was able to start jogging again within a minute. Another 5 minutes jogging and I tried a 3rd interval.
Four minutes later, I've got stitches everywhere, sides, shoulders, the works. My belly feels like I've swallowed a concrete football. I'm forced to give up and jog the remainder of the mileage.
In short, today's run was
Miles 5: Heckles: 0 Tummy trouble: 3
By the time I got home, I was in a foul mood. I felt physically horrible, which was bad. But, even worse, I felt like I'd failed on my first 'complicated' run.
Now I've been showered and fed, I feel a bit better. Ok, not a perfect start to the week, but I've not hurt myself and by the next interval run (in week 3) I should have got rid of whatever little parasite is making my stomach react badly to exercise. Everybody has a bad run once in a while
I am staying positive - 4 miles easy tomorrow morning, and I really hope it is easy.
LON
Just to keep any readers posted, my long run on Sunday could be summed up as:
Miles: 6. Heckles:1 Tummy trouble:1
Yep, that does say tummy trouble. Basically I seem to be entering week 2 with a mild stomach upset. By upset, I mean my stomach gets very upset if I try running over 4 miles, or at any sort of speed.
On the long run yesterday it wasn't so much of a problem apart from having to run the last mile very fast just to avoid 'doing a Paula'. Today, though, my upset stomach really threw a tantrum.
Today was my first interval session and I failed miserably. The first mile jog was fine, and I set off on my first fast interval - 1 mile in and my stomach was cramping, so I started my recovery jog early and hoped to jog it off in time to start a new interval.
No such luck. The second interval was worse - I probably didn't even get half a mile without starting to cramp again. But just to make it even more fun, I got a stitch as well. After 4 minutes I had to stop. I never have to stop, I was devastated. All I can think is, if I can't do intervals, then I'm never going to get faster.
But getting your breath back is a great way to focus and I was able to start jogging again within a minute. Another 5 minutes jogging and I tried a 3rd interval.
Four minutes later, I've got stitches everywhere, sides, shoulders, the works. My belly feels like I've swallowed a concrete football. I'm forced to give up and jog the remainder of the mileage.
In short, today's run was
Miles 5: Heckles: 0 Tummy trouble: 3
By the time I got home, I was in a foul mood. I felt physically horrible, which was bad. But, even worse, I felt like I'd failed on my first 'complicated' run.
Now I've been showered and fed, I feel a bit better. Ok, not a perfect start to the week, but I've not hurt myself and by the next interval run (in week 3) I should have got rid of whatever little parasite is making my stomach react badly to exercise. Everybody has a bad run once in a while
I am staying positive - 4 miles easy tomorrow morning, and I really hope it is easy.
LON
Wednesday 22 July 2009
hydration
another day, another easy run. I feel like I'm being lulled into a false sense of security by my training plan, as that was yet another day of running slightly ess than normal. Still, I mean to enjoy it while it lasts because next week start to step it up a bit.
I worked from home today so did my run at lunchtime. As today is the first day of the school holidays, most of the run involved dodging large groups of loitering teenagers looking bored. On the plus side, none of them heckled me, which is a definite first!
I'm starting to think strategically about how I'm going to get through the next 15 weeks in terms of food and drink. I'm conscious that I probably don't drink enough water, particularly now I'm training quite hard. I do want to avoid becoming obsessed with the colour of my own wee, like a lot of runners, but I do have to be sensible too.
So I've decided to start carrying around a sports bottle of water during the working week. I can refill it during the day, but stick it through the dishwasher at night. That way I don't get lots of germs from reusing a plastic bottle, and save the planet at the same time.
As the weeks go on and the runs get longer, I realise I need to start experimenting with drinking while out on runs, and not just water but sports drinks too. This is going to be a big change for me, as the only time I've ever had sports drinks is during the two half marathons I've run, and even then just a quick sip. And I always find it very difficult to take on fluid during a run - it leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, and usually slows me down for a couple of miles.
But 26.2 miles is just too long to go without taking on some fluid and fuel, so I'm going to have to start practising eating and drinking soon.
In the meantime, I'm sticking with 2 Jaffa Cakes just before I leave the house, which I read in a magazine - a great excuse to eat them! All I need now is someone to recommend ice-cream and I'm sorted!
LON
I worked from home today so did my run at lunchtime. As today is the first day of the school holidays, most of the run involved dodging large groups of loitering teenagers looking bored. On the plus side, none of them heckled me, which is a definite first!
I'm starting to think strategically about how I'm going to get through the next 15 weeks in terms of food and drink. I'm conscious that I probably don't drink enough water, particularly now I'm training quite hard. I do want to avoid becoming obsessed with the colour of my own wee, like a lot of runners, but I do have to be sensible too.
So I've decided to start carrying around a sports bottle of water during the working week. I can refill it during the day, but stick it through the dishwasher at night. That way I don't get lots of germs from reusing a plastic bottle, and save the planet at the same time.
As the weeks go on and the runs get longer, I realise I need to start experimenting with drinking while out on runs, and not just water but sports drinks too. This is going to be a big change for me, as the only time I've ever had sports drinks is during the two half marathons I've run, and even then just a quick sip. And I always find it very difficult to take on fluid during a run - it leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, and usually slows me down for a couple of miles.
But 26.2 miles is just too long to go without taking on some fluid and fuel, so I'm going to have to start practising eating and drinking soon.
In the meantime, I'm sticking with 2 Jaffa Cakes just before I leave the house, which I read in a magazine - a great excuse to eat them! All I need now is someone to recommend ice-cream and I'm sorted!
LON
Monday 20 July 2009
first day of training - no heckling
Today was the first day of the rest of my life. At least, the rest of my pre-marathon life.
I do feel like a bit of a fraud as the first run on my training schedule was only 2 miles. This is a bit of a cheat, as it's shorter than I've been running for the last few months, even on easy days. But it was a total luxury just doing a short run and knowing that it is officially on the training programme. I'm making the most of it while it lasts - that is, for one whole day.
As I was running round my local streets I came to the conclusion that 7.30 am is the best time of day to run if you want to avoid the hecklers. Everyone is just too tired to make sarky comments about your outfit/speed/Forrest Gump at that time of day. In fact, most people look quite scared of me. Which makes a nice change from the weekends, where every passing lorry or loitering teenager feels the need to give their idea of encouragement. Every 'yoot' tells me to go faster (I am to out of breath to tell them to pull their trousers up) and every lorry driver has to make a lecherous comment. Believe me, I am a hot chick when I run. Literally. Obviously, purple cheeks and profuse sweating are the way to get to a man's heart. Or at least a lorry driver's heart.
On the downside, 7.30 am is far too early to be running any distance. Half asleep on an empty stomach is no way to achieve a PB. But I'm not going to manage 3 nights a week after work so need to try and get used to running early at least once a week over the next 15 weeks. That might be the hardest bit of all the training!
LON
I do feel like a bit of a fraud as the first run on my training schedule was only 2 miles. This is a bit of a cheat, as it's shorter than I've been running for the last few months, even on easy days. But it was a total luxury just doing a short run and knowing that it is officially on the training programme. I'm making the most of it while it lasts - that is, for one whole day.
As I was running round my local streets I came to the conclusion that 7.30 am is the best time of day to run if you want to avoid the hecklers. Everyone is just too tired to make sarky comments about your outfit/speed/Forrest Gump at that time of day. In fact, most people look quite scared of me. Which makes a nice change from the weekends, where every passing lorry or loitering teenager feels the need to give their idea of encouragement. Every 'yoot' tells me to go faster (I am to out of breath to tell them to pull their trousers up) and every lorry driver has to make a lecherous comment. Believe me, I am a hot chick when I run. Literally. Obviously, purple cheeks and profuse sweating are the way to get to a man's heart. Or at least a lorry driver's heart.
On the downside, 7.30 am is far too early to be running any distance. Half asleep on an empty stomach is no way to achieve a PB. But I'm not going to manage 3 nights a week after work so need to try and get used to running early at least once a week over the next 15 weeks. That might be the hardest bit of all the training!
LON
Thursday 16 July 2009
Warm-up time
Welcome to my New York marathon training blog, Nylon Runs.
This is not the diary of an elite athlete, nor is it the diary of a self-confessed couch potato who's never done any exercise before. This is the diary of someone who's taking on a challenge that's much bigger than anything they've done before.
It's the diary of an inbetweener; a regular runner, who's a bit one paced and huffs and puffs their way round a regular selection of local streets, with the odd charity 10k thrown in. For the record, I've completed two half-marathons, in diverse conditions. The first was after an interrupted training programme, carrying an injury and in torrential rain. The second was after an uninterrupted training programme, injury-free and in glorious, if very hilly, sunshine. I'm sure you can guess which one I enjoyed more and ran fastest - and not just because I got a free ice lolly when I finished!
I'm not taking on this challenge alone - I'm taking it on with another of those inbetweeners with a couple of halfs under their belt. Unfortunately we're training on opposite sides of the Atlantic: me in London and her in New York, so this diary is also a way of keeping my running buddy posted on my progress (or lack thereof).
And lastly, it's a diary to make me feel guilty and make sure I stick to my training. The training programme is the terrifying part - 4-5 runs a week, with one of those over a long distance. I normally manage 3-4 runs a week, with longest usually about 8 miles, so this is a whole new regime for me, and I'm worried I won't stick to it. So this blog is another means of shaming me into sticking with it, so the NY in the title can make sure that I, the LON, keep up with the training plan and make it across the finish line in Central Park on November 1st in the best possible time and shape!
I hope you come back and check on my progress from time to time. I'd love to hear your tips and your encouragement, and feel free to nag if need be.
The training starts on 21st July so watch this space
LON
This is not the diary of an elite athlete, nor is it the diary of a self-confessed couch potato who's never done any exercise before. This is the diary of someone who's taking on a challenge that's much bigger than anything they've done before.
It's the diary of an inbetweener; a regular runner, who's a bit one paced and huffs and puffs their way round a regular selection of local streets, with the odd charity 10k thrown in. For the record, I've completed two half-marathons, in diverse conditions. The first was after an interrupted training programme, carrying an injury and in torrential rain. The second was after an uninterrupted training programme, injury-free and in glorious, if very hilly, sunshine. I'm sure you can guess which one I enjoyed more and ran fastest - and not just because I got a free ice lolly when I finished!
I'm not taking on this challenge alone - I'm taking it on with another of those inbetweeners with a couple of halfs under their belt. Unfortunately we're training on opposite sides of the Atlantic: me in London and her in New York, so this diary is also a way of keeping my running buddy posted on my progress (or lack thereof).
And lastly, it's a diary to make me feel guilty and make sure I stick to my training. The training programme is the terrifying part - 4-5 runs a week, with one of those over a long distance. I normally manage 3-4 runs a week, with longest usually about 8 miles, so this is a whole new regime for me, and I'm worried I won't stick to it. So this blog is another means of shaming me into sticking with it, so the NY in the title can make sure that I, the LON, keep up with the training plan and make it across the finish line in Central Park on November 1st in the best possible time and shape!
I hope you come back and check on my progress from time to time. I'd love to hear your tips and your encouragement, and feel free to nag if need be.
The training starts on 21st July so watch this space
LON
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