Race day tomorrow – what to wear, what to wear?

What to wear for a half marathon in February on the coast is relatively easy to decide. Layers, lots of layers. And this time around something long on my legs. Didn’t see the right choice when huddled together in a pack, settled from the wind, and basking in the sun waiting for the off. But when the pack thinned and I headed into that biting wind – oh yeah, boy was I glad.

Now a May run in London? Although I have broken into the shorts but it’s been a cold few weeks. However, weather is looking good – very good for tomorrow. High-pressure coming up from the south. Lots of yellows on the weather map. So running longs or shorts? How many layers? Running jacket or not? If not how to keep warm on the journey to the start?

Shorts a must, dri-wick for the run – maybe an old t-shirt and that old runner’s favourite – a black bin bag. And most importantly a spare bottle of water. Will need to ensure I remain hydrated, before, during and after.

#44 – JustRunning

Spring in full bloom in Burgess Park so I pushed myself to do my last run before #Hackneyhalf on Sunday. Something to remind my legs and feet after a week’s absence what they are meant to do, and to make sure my new phone and its holder were comfortable to run with.  Tech appears to be behaving itself, which is more than I can say for my knee. Giving me a few niggles. But the big question for the race – what to wear?!

#7644

Race day fast approaches. Physical preperation are done. I can do no more. Mental prepartions.

Training hours logged and I’m happy. Had a great couple of weeks. I am making progress, and I’m in this for the long haul journey. I’m not going to feel guilty for missing a few sessions and not doing any runs this and last week (so far) because of commitments on a new project. I’ve not worked out a routine yet. Had planned on doing one yesterday evening but it was just a tad too windy: too many things flying around including the conker that knocked me on the back on the way home from the station in the afternoon. Going to go out this evening after I vote as I haven’t had a run with my new phone and its arm-holder.

That’s the only niggle I have at the moment – and I have a plan B for that. But I know I have put in the hard work including that last long run.

That aside, just need to get safety pins out for my race number, sort out my race kit (including my dry kit) & supplies the night before, as well as pack my dry kit, make sure I have music ready, and have a good night sleep before race night.

2015 #42 – Giving it 110%

Woke up to perfect weather for running: sunny, but not too hot; breezy, but not too windy. And dry. Ideal for my last #LongRun before #RunHackney.

I had planned a 20km route Burgess Park to Battersea Park (and back again) along the Thames. After sorting out a few technology issues off I trotted. Boy did I trot. And them some. And with a few gallops added to the mix to get my average pace up.

But I didn’t stop there!

My little legs found it in themselves to do those 20-km.

Then another 1km to acclimatise to the half marathon distance.

And then just for fun 2 more.

Excluding a photo stop and a few red men telling me to wait to cross some roads, nearly all of the 23-km were non-stop too. I think it’s fair to say I gave this run 110% – especially as my analysis shows I’m approving.  That is scarily starting to sound like marathon training.

But not just yet. I’m going to enjoy and celebrate the progress I have made, focus on 10th May and Hackney and take it from there one trainer at a time.

2015 #39 – 41 Sun Worshipper

Well, the week is going well. After my last post, I’ve done 6.9km at sub 5:45, walked 9km, followed by a yoga class yesterday. On which I drafted the most eloquent, elucidate post but I think I forget to save or my laptop crashed (I certainly can’t find it), and which I will reconstruct later.

And then today I did an awesome #Interval session for the #RunHackney. Today’s session, ladies and gentleman, was a master-class in how to run: saving the best for last. Last km (of 8) 4-minutes 44-seconds.

Easy peasey #Interval session (I want a harder one) with just 2 1/2 weeks to #RunHackney. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone but I think I am looking forward to it.

I feel a theme in my photos this week – I’m following the sun and as I’m still in shorts… the apt song for this week is Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin:

I’m going where the sun keeps shining
(hopefully not) Through the pouring rain
Going where the weather suits my clothes

 Harry Nilsson – Everybody’s Talkin

Might not feel the same after tomorrow’s planned long run. Route undecided but away from the birds.

Here comes the sun (again)

Planning my running/training week ahead.

I don’t know what triggered it but last week I just feel into a morass. The weather had been good and I had been getting a lot done – and then it just stopped, like I’d hit pause and couldn’t find the remote. I wasn’t up and I wasn’t down – but for some reason I just couldn’t. I think that there were lots of trivial things niggling away at me and I couldn’t decide which to tackle first. However, after a good night’s sleep last night. The nights are still chilly so I snuggled under two duvets – I think I hadn’t been sleeping well which hasn’t helped, and with the sun shining in the sky this morning, I have managed to hit play again and the ground running.

Which is just as well as there are just 3 weeks to go before the Hackney Half Marathon. A run today, yoga tomorrow, my last but one long run on Wednesday and a 5km run around the park on Saturday. The number of other runners out and about always increases this time of year. No surprise there as this month is marathon month. So good luck to all those running the London Marathon this Sunday.

2015 #38 (Run baby run) pacing inferno!

Several days of glorious weather, sunny and amazingly unseasonably warm for April, no doubt we’ll have hose pipe bans by Friday and Express headline’s of snow on Saturday. But as they say – make hay when the sun shines. Whilst the wheat is still baby green shots and not ready for making into hay, I’ll make the time to get my inner funk on and go for a run in the evening sun. Felt so good to be in shorts and just one t-shirt.

I haven’t gone running in the late afternoon/early evening for a while – maybe that is why my pace was smoking. No intention to it, just wanted to head out for a run and what a great run! Just 5km but 5:24km pace on average. Assuming I could keep that up for a half marathon, I’d be strutting my stuff over the finish line in 1hr-53min. I can dream. I would have once upon a time. 1hr-45min is my best a few years ago with younger, fitter and considerably lighter legs. But I can hope that I can get back down towards that: if not May 10th on the Hackney Half; then one later in the year and next. Does that mean I have committed myself to carrying on running? Hope so.

I can dream.

I would have once upon a time. 1hr-45min is my pb for a half-marathon. That was a few years ago with younger, fitter and considerably lighter legs. But I can hope that I can get back down towards that: if not May 10th on the Hackney Half; then one later in the year and next. Does that mean I have committed myself to carrying on running? Hope so.

And my musical soundtrack this evening was disco, funk and boogie – and included The Trammps – Disco Inferno, which I have adapted for this evening’s shake-down.

(Run baby run)
(Run baby run)
(Run baby run)
(Run baby run)

To my surprise, one hundred strides long
Shoulders getting loose y’all, getting down my times
Folks are screaming, out of control
It was so entertaining when the paces started to explode
I heard somebody say

(Run baby run) pacing inferno
(Run baby run) burn those times down
(Run baby run) pacing inferno
(Run baby run) burn those times down

Satisfaction came in a chain reaction
(Runnin’)
I couldn’t get enough, so I had to self-destruct
The heat was on, rising to the top
Pace going strong, and that is when my spark got hot
I heard somebody say

(Run baby run) pacing inferno
(Run baby run) burn those times down
(Run baby run) pacing inferno
(Run baby run) burn that mother down

The Trammps – Disco Inferno

2015 #34 Mad-dogs and patsy white Englishman go out running on the first day of sun.

Having had a break over Easter, been struggling to re-start. But today is (almost) perfect day for running weather-wise. Sunny, but not too warm, not too cold.  Not too breezy either. So good in fact I broke out the shorts!

Not so clever on the pollution front – had two texts and an email about London’s air quality, or lack of, this morning.

But I wanted to run and the online map still indicated levels were low, although rising. So I knew it had to be sooner rather than later. I kept within the park as much as possible, with my inhaler in my pocket and giving myself permission to stop should the need arise. Didn’t need to. It felt good cracking out 11-kms, in near #Sub5:30s.

Thankfully chest and throat not too bad, but whilst we don’t have the pea-soupers of yesteryear, on what should be a bright blue day, I can hardly see the Shard today. And for about the third time this year, took a puff of my inhaler afterwards, as a precautionary measure.

2015 #32 Yuk

Yuk. Yuk technique. Yuk pacing. Yuk stamina. Yuk weather. My running was all over the place today. Even though my music was working correctly today, and so I had a regular supply of my up-tempo house music, not even that seemed to keep me on track.

Or at least that is how I felt immediately after my interval training session.

I’ve been on a loving steak with my interval runs of late. But sooner or later we were going to have a difference of opinion and a falling out. Today was that day. A few minutes into my warm up run my quads felt very tight, and I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy session. It wasn’t. It felt bloody hard – physically and mentally; I needed to dig deep to carry on; and the grey, mizzlerly weather wasn’t motivating. Nor was the spreading stiffness rising from my quads to my back, and my shoulder blades. I kept recanting my yoga mantra relax your shoulders throughout. Pleasantly at first, but with increasingly bitterness as my run progressed.

Yet having said that, could it be in my mind? Comparing this with the same interval session last week, yes I was overall slower, but managed a longer distance. And comparing the total distance and pace of my interval parts of sessions – I went longer and faster too. So maybe not that bad a session after all. Hopefully just a lover’s tiff and my new found love and respect for intervals remains.

And the issue with my back? Perhaps just a reminder not to slouch over my laptop and I need to do more core and stretches! Argh.

2015 #29 – Sun Salutation

Up early to do photography before my morning yoga class and caught this picture of the sunrise before I started sun salutations. After my long run, I felt very tired and struggled with a few of the moves. But it helped stretch out my tight muscles.