4.74KMs at a pace of 6:07. In the twilight. Pretty alright. I’m focusing on my form. Why is it we seem to go faster in the dark? Also, I made (picked up) 10 cents on my way to the starting point — already a winner.
This un-planned inaugural jaunt of 2019 was followed by some stretches to preserve knee function. I could feel it already today on the way back in the right one.
Today’s song is: Love Runs Out by One Republic
Ok, it’s always nice to feel like you’re making progress. That’s how I felt today! Sure enough, I did. Great! Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s going to be a good time or not. I’ll think that I’m making pretty good time with good pacing and then I’m at the finishing point, look at the clock and it turns out my feeling doesn’t quite match the reality.
I even had that darned long hill at the beginning/end of my course today 😀 …And at least 27 degrees C temps this late afternoon (Yup, that’s right, I haven’t got my act together yet to run in the early morning :p). Soon. Ditto regarding the maintenance stretches! …I got to get back to that, I don’t want to put my knees out. 
That’s from putting money/mileage in the bank lo these past few weeks! ..Yeah, and coffee also helps… Would like to run on more sleep, not (just) caffeine. Woulds and shoulds…all things considered, some progress was had today 🙂
Drumroll please! * 5:54mins/km pace for 8km with a time of 47:20! ..Little victories.
health24.com
Today’s song is: Thunder by Imagine Dragons.
Unless you’re seriously ill. Yeah, I really didn’t feel like going out today. (It was so late, blah, blah, right?) But I’m glad that I did! I really didn’t have a choice in the sense that I’m missing an 8km still from being sick one day a few days ago so I can’t afford to have now 2 (count them), 2 missed days! Lol!
I had a pretty good run. I think a big factor for me in term of my time being a lot slower is having not been out consistently for going on a few YEARS! Christ! ..Anyway, I’m back at it and that’s all that matters. Going out when you don’t feel like it. Just not even thinking about it or pondering too much, “Maybe this, maybe that..” Life really is TOO damn short. 😦 😀 5kms in 28 mins and 35 secs for a pace of 5:42mins/km. Still, I have to focus on consistency and pacing. And no eating after 5:30pm for me! Those three things really will help along with consistent stretching.
I’m happy to report that I completed my runner’s knee stretches as well as the two maintenance stretches before and after my run.
Image from Canadian Running Magazine
(And no, you won’t die if you run hard..if it’s 5kms…rather, you must look like you’re going to in fact die upon completion of a 5km race. Just FYI. My thoughts from watching one of the best.)
I might bring out my muscle roller at some point … we’ll see.
Today’s song is: Staring at the Sun by U2. An old favorite 🙂
Another run accomplished today with a few noteworthy points: I ran my scheduled 8kms down the beloved gravel shoulder side road. I think it was about 27 degrees C again..in the late evening!! (Looks like I’m not going to get a break from the heat for a while yet. Generally though, I love it when it’s this hot.) I managed a time of 6:07/km today at 49mins finish, which I’m pretty jazzed about considering all contributing factors.
I was tested!
About 2/3rds of the way to the halfway point, (doing a pretty excellent job of pacing myself at what felt for me like a snail’s pace) I spotted, out of the left corner of my vision, a soccer ball sailing along the grass into full view and headed for the highway just a few feet in front of me!
I thought I could get it for a group of boys behind a neighborhood fencing who were shouting my way, trying to get the question out for me to retrieve it for them — after all, it was just a few feet ahead. But, because I was pacing myself so carefully and going so slow, consequently I couldn’t get myself into gear fast enough before the ball rolled onto the busy two-lane highway adjacent me and in front of a car that came to a slow stop.
…I could have made an effort to get it, but it was still rolling onto the next lane. I checked to see if anyone was coming down that side. It was even busier than the first lane. So,…that wasn’t happening. (I’d be omitting a critical thought if I didn’t mention that I also considered the time it would cut from my run to retrieve the ball. Not to mention, looking like a complete arse running into oncoming traffic that would surely beep the heck out of me if I didn’t also get hit in the process. And then take even more time to make some clumsy attempts to kick the ball all the way back to them.)
“Nope! Sorry boys.” I couldn’t be the heroine today.
That wasn’t really a test for me at all, just a bit of an annoyance wherein I made the right choice.
So I get back from the halfway point and, sure enough, but to my surprise, the boys somehow got the damn ball back and now it’s rolling back from over the fencing (that is quite a few yards away from the roadside) and back toward the damn highway! …
A few minutes prior to that I had spotted a young woman running and she had stopped to walk in the midst of a tempo?/fartlek? routine (who knows why?!), I guess.
I ran at a smooth momentum past her, but as soon as I spotted her initially I automatically picked up my pace!
This was the test.
Immediately I recognized I was unconsciously or automatically running faster to try to catch up with her. My nice pacing was in jeopardy. I have a history of doing this! It’s right up there with starting out too fast! (Don’t even talk to me about the sound of a starting gun!) I get excited. Discipline this way has never been my forte.
After I ran past her and got ahead for a few yards she had returned from walking to running again.
My pace had significantly quickened, but I kept it enough in check. I literally had to repeat, “Run at your own pace, run your own race,” to myself like a mantra.
I had to remember that I was going 8k today, which is a challenge for me right now, and I’m supposed to do it at a relatively easy pace.
I had to remember my pacing for the sake of my long-term goal which is finishing a marathon, but for today it was just about finishing my 8km at an even pace throughout!
The boys were once again hollering at me to get their ball for them. I ignored them. I ignored children, and I felt bad about it.
But, I thought, the girl/young woman behind me could easily get it for them and regardless, “I’m not stopping.” I kept looking back at her though, like “You get the ball for them please!” Of course, she did and did it fairly easily because this time the ball didn’t quite make it onto the highway.
I felt like a dick for not getting it for them myself, but I’d had enough. (How does this happen twice? Maybe they should be kicking it in a different direction? Maybe? Hmm?) I continued to pace myself appropriately, but if I had given it just a bit more effort when I first spotted her I could have easily thrown my pace out of whack for the rest of the run home!
But, that didn’t happen. For the most part, I controlled myself and I passed the test!
Sure enough, when I looked behind me about five or so minutes later she had turned down a different street. Now, what if I had tried to race her or kept on with an increased pace out of compulsion? …How stupid would that have been? ..That’s just the thing I thought to myself: You just don’t know where a person is at when in terms of their workout. Are they just ending their run? Are they running for another 10kms or a fast 5? Kinda silly to start quickening your pace to outrun them, eh? (I know, it’s childish, but it’s more of an automatic compulsion..lack of self-discipline.)
Oooh, it’s such a temptation for me though! Many times setting out I’m shocked to discover that what feels like a slow crawl for at least the first half of my run is actually appropriate and more effective for an overall better time!
That’s a lot like my life. But I want to be the tortoise now that just gets it done (no matter how long it takes).
Tomorrow’s distance will be a 5k…I am repeating Week 1 because it syncs up better to exactly 12-weeks before the day of the marathon. Today’s song is: Ruby by Jim Yosef & Alex Skrindo.
Today was a great run. I completed 5km in 30mins, giving me a pace of 6mins/km. I was running in the heat once again even though it was well into the evening hours, at 25 degrees C.
I had a lot of fun running in the best sunshower you could possibly get. The volume was perfect with a fine misty rain and the evening light before sundown, but it was enough to blur my vision with my sunglasses on so I gave those a break periodically. I can’t say it was very refreshing because it was too light and warm, but it helped. I’ve got another 8k coming up tomorrow on my favourite gravel roadside around here.
I finally started feeling like I’ve got more momentum today. It helped that the temperature was cooler, but I still came back with my face and neck dripping in sweat for the first time lately. (I also made 25 cents that I found on the road which I plan to invest 😛 Who says running doesn’t pay off?)
I feel very proud of myself for completing the first official week of my training plan yesterday :D! Now, onto the second week. I finished a 13km at 6:23mins/km, but I felt pretty good throughout as I paced myself and the temperature was much cooler than what I’ve been running in lately, although still pretty warm. I really enjoy this particular route. It’s flat and easy and mostly along the gravel shoulder of the road and there’s a fair bit of countryside too. There’s nothing like running down country roads. I discovered how much I really miss that. So much easier on the knees too rather than sidewalks and constant pavement. I think one of the reasons I used to love running so much, and still do is because of the scenery, and I’ve really missed out on that in the city. Well. that is good information to file away.
I’ve thought about looking into some preventative security measure for running by myself along country roads which can get kind of deserted sometimes. Maybe some pepper spray thing? It would be wise to get something if I decide to do that. Better to always be safe than sorry. But yeah, really miss those country roads. Maybe I can find something close to that.
I still have more stretching to do on that right quad. I’m still a bit of a cripple today because of it. I’m off to a good start here. Just have to take it one day at a time and just focus on putting in the mileage or kilometer-age? lol
…Today’s song is: Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston.
8kms completed today. Legs still sore, particularly right quad, but getting better. More stretching is essential now to speed up the process and stay in good condition. I didn’t time my run today because my timing device wasn’t charged up 😦 (A quick check of the time at home and then after I returned puts me approximately at 50mins again or 6:15mins/km.) But I got the kilometer-age in anyways. Pretty flat course again and today was considerably cooler under cloud coverage at 24 degrees C with a bit of a wind.
I’m actually looking forward to my long run tomorrow to wrap up my first week on this plan! But, we’ll see how I feel about that tomorrow.
How cool is this bridge?
Today’s song is: Cheap Thrills by Sia Ft Sean Paul
New band name? No actually, I haven’t been stretching my quadriceps so…that might be the reason why they’re killing me today! I have to lower myself into chairs using my arms first. This must be it. I finished my scheduled 8km today on a pretty flat route in 25 degrees C. Little cooler today, and I could feel it, especially in the shade. It was a very welcome feeling. My pace, however, dipped to 6:14/km today though. Took me 50mins! Ah, well. It was another solid effort. I figured I’d do a little better today on a flatter route, but not so. I can never predict these things correctly with any regularity.
As I was running today, I really realized how important it is for me to just put the time/distance in, not just with running but with most things in life, sometimes that’s just all it is about. Showing up, not a problem, and putting the time/distance in without too much pressure for perfection or looking too far ahead down the road right now, but with a solid end-goal/destination. I’ll just be happy if I can put the time/distance in and complete my very first marathon. That’s what it’s all about for me now. 🙂 ..I’ll have to do at least a few quad stretches before my run tomorrow!!! In the meantime, I’m looking forward to resting them tonight and putting my feet up!
Today’s song is: Imagination by Naron (Inspired by Alan Walker-NCN release)
It just gets longer from here. Today I took my long run. I thought yesterday was tough, but today really was difficult for me, however; I made it. My pace really slowed today— close to 7mins! at 6:55 for 13k! The route was fairly steep at the beginning and coming back at the end with a near 2-kilometer incline/decline out and back route, and there’s another bit of a hill about a third half of the way from starting. My 8k yesterday was along a flat-as-a-pancake route 🙂 I think I’m still really getting used to just being out again and then suddenly doing long distances without building up to it. (No musAk to get me by either! 😦 But I’ll get used to it 🙂 If there’s one thing I’ve always had when it comes to running, it’s endurance.
Apparently, there was a heat warning issued by Environment Canada today, Lol! So, there’s that as well. It was 28 degrees Celcius and it feels like 34! I didn’t realize how intense it was at the time. I was careful to take it slow and not push myself too hard. 28 is the current temp at 8:30pm now so I could have been out in a temperature a few degrees hotter. I tell myself this must be nothing like what runners who marathon race or longer out in the desert must have to endure — it helps 🙂 …I am so beat, I should have a good sleep tonight!
Today’s song is an oldie but a goodie as they say. I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OITxdCJg2Y
This was an incredibly hard run for me today, one of the hardest times out in my life! Still following the marathon plan, sans music. Did I mention sans music? That’s not really all there is to why it was so hard for me, but it was only one component. Compound that with trying to keep my hands swinging down by my hips for better form, rather than up in clenched fists somewhere near my neck, and attempting to keep my spine straight, head back and shoulders back and down. Also, I definitely ate too soon before going out— at least three hours too soon, that is. I have the most finicky stomach in the world it seems. It’s been so long since I’ve been out on a consistent basis and I think that was the biggest contributing factor today. I can always tell when it’s been particularly trying and I’m getting back at it because I return home with a tomato red face which was its hue for most of the run. (Thank goodness that with consistency that never lasts.)
I was supposed to run at (race) pace, a consistent one, and I gave it my best shot. I checked the time at the 4km half-way point and saw 24mins— approx. 6mins/km pace right on the dot. The final result was a time of 50mins and a pace of 6:15/km for the scheduled 8kms. But, I went the distance and really considering everything, that’s all that counts at this stage. I’m really proud of myself for doing that, considering.
Today’s song is Tobu’s Hope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHNRi31XETE
(I’m really diggin’ NCS stuff lately. Now I’ve got to eat my pasta, shower and do some stretching! 😀 )
riseuprunning 