zondag 30 augustus 2009

Week Total 407

78 min
Start 20.15
Ran out to the athletic club in Soest to check I knew where it was as I'm thinking of doing the Bosmarathon (half then) that starts there in October. It was dark quicker than I had thought it would be so did the last bit through the streets. Good few bits of hill training. Tom Robinson's new music programme kept me at a good pace most of the time. Registered for the half marathon in Hattem on 19 September.

zaterdag 29 augustus 2009

91 min
Start 8.00
Various heavy showers but it's not cold so it's actually quite pleasant to run in. Crossed over the cycle bridge 4 or 5 times as 'hill' training, much to the amusement of the men who were marshalling some walking event which was going on. Stopped to do stretch exercises at a gate overlooking a gymkhana on the way home. Lots of little Thelwell figures trotting in circles on Shetland ponies in the pouring rain. Met a man with a dog that looked not quite like a Mastiff, so I asked him if it was and he said it was a Bordeaux/Rottweiler cross. Beautiful big animal. Running went well, I can feel new muscles coming into use as I consistently pick up my leg more behind me.

Thursday evening. 86 min.
Start 18.00u
On the way out to the cycle bridge stopped to admire a Norton Commando. Inspired by the photo on the cover of one of my birthday books I tried lifting my leg up more behind me as this is what 'real' runners apparantly do. Found it a bit tiring at first but it does seem to lengthen the stride.
It's now Saturday morning and I had the alarm set for 5.30 but as it was pouring with rain and I'd gone to sleep at around 2 I didn't actually get out of bed. Am waiting for the latest heavy shower to pass now before I go out... Off to consult the rainrader thingy now to see what the coming hour has in store.

woensdag 26 augustus 2009

102 min
Start 6.00
Out to the cycle bridge. Back and forth over that a few times while waiting for the sun to come over the horizon to have a bit of mild hill training. Worked out a new 10k route whilst looking at the cycle map - will try that next time maybe. Ipod behaved itself so I could catch up on missed Archers episodes and then have a dancy bit of run for the last half hour with Huw's Radio One Introducing show.

dinsdag 25 augustus 2009

Week Total 296

Dark threatening sky meant that it was dark earlier than normal and as it was starting to rain I cut the run short. Anything under an hour hardly seems worth the bother really... ;-)
Monday evening 50min
Start 20.30
Friday 77 min
Start 17.45
First bit with the boat to the sluis then the Highland Coo circuit.
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Sunday 77 min
Start 5.50
Ipod died on me after 10 minutes. I must get aroung to taking it back to the shop sometime soon as it was fully charged and should have gone for hours yet. Good red sunrise. Saw a fox run across the grass about 50m in front of me.

donderdag 20 augustus 2009

67 min
Start 6.00
Had serious difficulty getting out of bed this morning and hit the alarm off several times, so wasn't out at first light. I-pod cord switch was playing up too which was irritating as I couldn't flick through my podcasts to the music. I really should go back to the shop with it as these hiccups are becoming more regular and happening earlier and earlier in my runs. (At first it would only be after an hour and I thought it had something to do with sweat on my neck affecting the controls.) As usual once I was out I enjoyed being there. Ran out to the Eem where there's a gate I can prop my leg up on and lean against and hold on to to do the various stretching exercises I'm now hoping will help increase my stride length. Then back over the railway, over the Eng. Ipod switch died totally when I was almost back so instead of doing another circuit just decided it was enough for today. The light is boring anyway once the sun has moved up high enough to turn from orange/yellow to white. Hmm, I seem to be more interested in the entertainment value of my surroundings than the running itself here... ach, running is quite boring on its own though. Went well enough, I wasn't pushing particularly hard, just maintaining a steady plod.

dinsdag 18 augustus 2009

Cooper Test 2425m

75 min.
Start 6.00
Hour through the morning mist out to the cycle bridge and back via the Dalweg (hill). Sun soon dispersed the mist over the fields that were further from the Eem. Have started doing stretching exercises again as it apparantly helps to lengthen the stride without extra effort. This is definitely what I need. Afterwards did a Cooper Test. First circuit 1.49, the rest all round the 2.00. I recover easily from the 12 minutes but can't seem to get any more power out of my legs to increase my distance. I do feel I'm able to keep the speed up for longer now. 5k in 25 min??

maandag 17 augustus 2009

Week Total 377

90 min
Start 20.15, Sunday evening
Houses behind the golfcourse, over the water, through the nature park, back along the beach bit and then the dijk, another round of the houses to complete the 1.5 hours I could do before it got too dark. Good music, lots of changes of speed, skipping backwards at one point, partly to see the red sky and partly because it seemed to be the thing to fit that particular number.

zaterdag 15 augustus 2009

82 min
Start 5.55.
Over the railway then right/left out to the relatively new cycle bridge over the Eem. Stopped to read the art/culture/nature stuff on the iron grazing cows structure on the way to it. Polish fishers looked like they'd been there all night as they were well settled in when I reached them before the sun was over the horizon. Mostly listening to Lionel Shriver talking about We Need to Talk about Kevin on the World Book Club as I finished this brilliant book last night. Met a Max-lookalike Weimeraner coming back over the Eng. Bit of runalongamusic on the last stretch but nothing too strenuous. I tend to be up to more energetic running in the evening. Morning runs are just to clock up the kilometers and to keep me more or less on my self-imposed 36 hour training schedule.

donderdag 13 augustus 2009

66 min
Start 20.30
Over the railway and then a longer circuit than usual, left, left then back over the Eng. The windmill well lit from behind by the red sky. Gentle enough run, short bit of 1,2,jump now and then if the right music came along but nothing truly inspiring.

woensdag 12 augustus 2009

72 min
Start 5.50.
Greyish morning so no spectacular light effects. Jogging sort of run. One shortish faster bit but Everyday Ethics and The Now Show didn't inspire me to put on any real speed. Good light and music does make a difference to mood and therefore performance. But these intermediate runs have their place too. Just 'getting the kilometres in my legs' is important for longer-term build-up of muscle and fitness. It can't all be dancing into glorious sunsets! ;-)

maandag 10 augustus 2009

67 min
Start 18.45
First 37 min round the Eng + hills. Break to go into the house for a drink and to take the forgotten Ventolin as it was raining very slightly and I was starting to squeak. Another 32 min through the village, back over half the Eng. Rain was perfect for running in, not enough for the spaces under the trees to get wet. It's getting heavier now so I'm glad I went out earlier than usual. I suspected it might come on later.

Week total 289

Saturday 21.00
68min
Great sunset run through the wide flat fields between the Eem and Eemnes. Tom Robinson's new music on my ipod. Invented a new 1-2-3 dancing running step which means taking a long jump step on every 3rd stride (so with alternate legs). Don't know if I go any faster but it amuses me to do this in time to some music.

vrijdag 7 augustus 2009

95 min
Start 5.30
Beautiful first light run. Full moon with a single bright star directly under it in a paling blue sky on my right, orange glow on my left gradually getting lighter and brighter. Red sun climbed over the horizon around 6.15. Dog came for the first and last bits. In the middle I went over the railway down to the Eem and along the street with the emus, before back over the Eng. Good Cooper Test length FAP bit with loud music to spur me on.

woensdag 5 augustus 2009

61 min
Start 20.30.
Dog started flagging a bit after 40 minutes so took him back to the car and let him have a drink and a lie down while I did the last bit with good fast music.

dinsdag 4 augustus 2009

Cooper Test > 2400m!!

First circuit in 1.47. Second in 1.58. 3rd and 4th 2 minutes exactly. 5th and 6th I wasn't paying close attention as I knew I still had 15 seconds to play with so if I didn't slow down dramatically I would make it. Got to about 20m past the mark where I started when the 12 minutes were up. And it wasn't as if I was flattened at the end of it either. I suppose I could push and get an even better time but to be honest am not quite sure how to. I don't really 'do' pain... I think I have to arrange the right music for next time - that's the only thing that gets me really leaping along.
45 min. (+ 20min later in the day with Cooper Test run)
Start 8.00
By the time I got out the door ('I'll just put a wash on/get my clothes ready for later/put the bedclothes outside to air now that it's finally dry') it was later than I'd planned and the sun was well up so it was already a bit too warm for my liking. Couple of rounds of the Eng, including hill on the Colonieweg which was luckily still in shadow.

zondag 2 augustus 2009

Week total 318

51 minutes
Start 19.30
Few variations on the Eng circuit, with dog, with a break in the middle to hear The Archers on the computer ($@#&ing cricket means no LW...) and drink some juice. Forgot to put my sportsbra on top of the other one and felt it's absence as soon as I took my first running steps so had to go back in and change.

zaterdag 1 augustus 2009

62 min
Start 6.45
First 15 min with the dog, then a faster circuit of the houses by the golfcourse and some step and slope training by the cycle tunnel. Blue cotton half-length trousers don't slide on the banister, can't remember what I was wearing last time when it did work.