Tuesday, 23 July 2013

A week of not much rest

Tuesday 16-July-2013 – When I started this run it was 28C, the temperature had dropped a bit but there was no wind. I started off and got into a nice steady pace but just could not get the breathing right no matter how much I tried.

By the time I had done 4 miles I was fairly tired and my knees had started to ache a bit. I thought it would be best if I walked up the hills so as not to aggravate my knees any more. The heat was getting to me as well at this point as I had been running in the direct sun with not much shade. I kept on sipping water and was careful not to drink too much or I would run out.

Running down the single lane road from Market Bosworth I had to drop down to a walk for a short distance as the knees and hips were aching. I was extremely hot at this point but carried on, thinking the temperature will be dropping a bit and I will have some shade soon.

By the time I got to Ambion wood it was a Godsend with all the shade, it really did make a big difference and felt cooler. By the time I got to the canal I felt a bit better, but knew that most of the remaining journey would be in the direct sun and I would be suffering with the aches still.

By the time I had finished the running I was so glad, it really was an unpleasant experience running in the direct sun and it seemed that nothing had come together making the run an ordeal. I drank a 1 litre bottle of squash over a short time, I must have been dehydrated.




Wednesday 17-July-2013 – I went out in the morning before it got too hot, the temperature was already at 18C and rising quickly. The idea was to do a steady recovery run as I was getting knee pain in my last run. A mile into the run I had to drop down to a walk, I was totally out of breath. I was wondering if this was because I had not had any breakfast and not drunk much to rehydrate myself.
I carried on a short way and had to drop back down to a walk again as my knee was starting to ache, so I thought I will do a quick walk and then go back to a run again. The rest of the run consisted of dropping back to a walk and doing short runs.




Thursday 18-July-2013 – It had been another very hot day so I spent most of the day hydrating on water. By the time I went out running the temperature had come down to 27C, which was still hot in the direct sun, but better in the shade.

My knees had been playing up but they felt okay, right up to the point where I had 3 miles left. My right knee started to ache and was getting progressively worse. My hips that I had some aches with during the week were okay. The run consisted of running and dropping down to a walk, I just could not control my breathing today and my heart rate climbed fairly quickly resulting in me falling back into a walk for a short distance until the heart rate had recovered enough to carry on.

I was glad to have finished the run as the heat really does take it out of you. When I got back I drank a 1 litre bottle of squash while sitting on a bench overlooking Sutton Cheney Wharf.




Friday 19-July-2013 – This run was a recovery run as I have been having some aches with my knees, when I started the run the sun was out and the temperature was already 21C. It was a case of trying to run in as many shaded areas to keep cool, I found that keep sipping water while running was helping.

I managed to get around without any aches or pains so I was very pleased with that. By the time I finished the run the temperature has soared up to 26C.




Saturday 20-July-2013 – The temperature was 21C but it was sunshine and cloud, there was also a nice cool breeze. I changed the route slightly to extend the 3 mile route into a 4 miles route. I kept running in all the shady parts of the path to keep out of the direct sun, but the cool breeze helped.
I had a couple of niggly aches in the legs that soon disappeared after a mile, but mostly the run was ache and pain free. I will use this route in the future during the winter months as it was quite a nice route.




Sunday 21-July-2013 – The day was overcast and the temperature was very cool compared to what it had been during the week. I set off getting into a nice running pace, I was trying to maintain 6mph. I managed to get the breathing sorted out quite early on in the run and this kept the heart rate down. I felt a few spots of rain but the cool still morning felt quite strange as I have been running in the hot sun feeling drained most of the time.

Another runner caught up to me and ran along with me for about 0.3 miles while we had a chat, it was nice to be running along with someone. He had already done nearly 10 miles and still looked quite fresh, he said that he was going to do another 4-5 miles. He upped his pace a little and went off into the distance while I was still maintaining my 6mph pace and breathing.

I managed to get round the 4 miles route without any problems which I was fairly pleased with. I found a bit later on in the day that I had developed an ache behind one of my knees, I gave it a little massage to loosen it up a little which did seem to help.


Sunday, 14 July 2013

Running 3 x 10 miles in the heat

Monday 08-July-2013 – The day was very hot when I started my run, I made sure I was hydrated throughout the day which helped. The goal was not to get any personal bests, but to complete the mileage. The air felt very dry and I had to keep on taking a sip of water every so often, the downside to that was that it was making me feel a bit bloated and sick.

I was keeping to a steady pace and listening to the music on my iPod to pass the time away and at times running to the beat when the tempo was right. I got to around 3 miles along the canal and saw a guy sat on a deckchair reading his paper opposite his barge, next to him was a big black dog asleep. I approached giving the dog as much of a wide berth as possible, but as soon as I got close he woke up looked around at me and let off a couple of deep barks. I am sure I lost a couple of pounds in weight at that point in time and thought if he bites it going to be messy. I don’t normally have any problems with running by dogs, sometimes they run along with me thinking it’s a game. Anyway the owner called his name and the dog settled down quickly, I suppose I must have startled him a bit.
I tried to run as much as I could in the shade that tall bushes and trees were giving and there was a breeze as well, it did not feel as hot as it actually was which is the ideal time you end up getting sun burnt.

Generally the run went fairly well, but during the evening at home I felt really washed out. I drank a couple of pints of squash and was weeing light yellow so I knew I was hydrated. The following day I felt okay apart from the usual aches in the legs while recovering.




Wednesday 10-July-2013 – It was cloudy with not a patch of blue in the sky, but it was still warm and more of a stuffy heat along with a slight breeze. I started off at my usual pace and found that after a couple of miles my left knee was aching, I carried on through the ache but had to stop for a wee. I think I must have drank too much during the day. I got back in to the run and my knee was still aching for another mile when the ache disappeared.

I got up the hill heading in to Market Bosworth and had to drop down in to a walk, the hill just blew me out for a bit. I got through the square at Market Bosworth and found it to be extra busy today with people using up the complete path, they were just standing there talking which forces you in to the road with on coming cars.

I made my way from Market Bosworth down a single track road, the farmers were out in the fields in their tractors which seemed a bit strange as it is normally very quiet along this road with the occasional car or van passing me. This road is slightly downhill so I try to up the pace and slow the breathing down for the length of the road. My right knee started to ache now with some sharp pains shooting around it, I tried to bring my leg up bending the knee more and found this seemed to help a bit. I walked up the next hill as I was tired after the faster pace that I had been running and also did not want to upset the knee any more.

I ran across 3 fields where there were a couple of tractors out causing a fair amount of dust, I managed to get through the fields as quick as I could which blew me out. I walked past the Bosworth Battlefield Centre and headed of in to Ambion wood and then down along the canal. As soon as I got off the canal path to cross a bridge I had to drop back down into a walk and have a sip of water. I picked up the pace into a run and ran though Shenton station and along a track up a couple of short hills and past the Bosworth Battlefield Centre again and finally into Ambion wood. By the time I reached the gate where I start and finish I was absolutely knackered, I just did not have anything else left in me.

I managed to do some personal bests:
1 hour – 6.59 Miles (10.62km)
10k – 56m: 14s





Friday 12-July-2013 – It was a very hot day and I found myself sweating while putting my running kit on and wondering if this really is a good idea going out and doing a 10 miler. I had been drinking all morning to keep hydrated and made sure I took plenty of fluids with me.

I set off and tried to keep the pace slow but looked at the Garmin and noticed that I was going at my normal pace, so I thought I will just keep it at the normal pace if that is what I am comfortable with. By the time I had run through Ambion wood and reached the canal I felt quite tired, I felt very hot and just could not get my breathing sorted out, I felt like I was panting while running. I nearly turned back to call it 2 miles, but decided to carry on.

I was trying to find as much shade to run in to keep out of the direct sun which was very hot, this did seem to help a bit but most of the time I was in the direct sunlight which was just sapping my energy. I felt like I had lead boots on, I wanted to stop and turn back but something in me was keeping me running.

I walked up all the hills as I did not want to blow myself out and have to walk the rest of the way. This did seem to help, but it was so hot and tiring even walking up the hills. I found that I had to keep on sipping on water but this was bloating me out and making me feel a bit sick, I thought marvellous I just can’t win.

By the time I finished the run I felt happy that it was all over but also happy that I achieved 10 miles in the hot sun. When I sat down I started to sweat a lot and I was taking on loads of water as I felt a bit dehydrated. According to the Endomondo stats I had sweated 2.81 litres, I cannot really believe that as that is a lot of fluid to lose.


Monday, 8 July 2013

A mixed week with some Personnal Bests.

Monday 01-July-2013 – I found todays run quite an ordeal, my legs were not fully recovered as my knees ached a bit which was putting me off. I could get in to a steady running pace but just could not sort out the breathing, my heart rate was also high.

I gave the run the best I could and felt happy that I had achieved it considering that I did not want to go out for a run, but on the other hand it felt like a dreadful run as nothing seemed to come together. I was very tired over the run and was just glad when the ordeal was over.

I was very surprised to find out that I had gained some personal best times, so perhaps the day was a success after all.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.44 Miles (2.33km)
1 hour – 6.44 Miles (10.38km)
1 Mile – 8m: 04s
10k – 57m: 24s




Wednesday 03-July-2013 – Today I had no aches or pains which was a really nice feeling that does not happen very often so far. I started off at the usual steady pace and managed to get my breathing pattern sorted out fairly quickly, this made the run seem just that little bit easier. I found myself wondering if I should have put a light jacket on as I was feeling a bit chilly.

I found that keeping the breathing at a nice steady pace along the canal helped me to run at a slightly higher pace than normal. When I got to the Bosworth Bridge I still felt knackered as usual though.
I had to part walk up the hill that leads in to Market Bosworth, I suppose the run along the canal took it out of me more than I thought. Once I was at the top of the hill I got back into my steady running pace and tried to keep it there as long as I could.

By the time I got back I was really pleased to be able to sit down and relax, the run really took it out of me. When I logged on to Endomondo from my computer at home I realised why the run took so much out of me, I managed to get 6 personal bests.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.48 Miles (2.39km)
1 hour – 6.48 Miles (10.43km)
1 Mile – 7m: 57s
3 Mile – 25m: 47s
5k – 26m: 40s
10k – 57m: 12s




Friday 05-July-2013 – The day was very warm as the temperature was around 27c. My goal was to do half a marathon (13.1 miles), so I knew that breaking any personal bests would be out of the window straight away. It was all about getting in a nice pace and keep the breathing controlled and my heart rate down to around 150bpm.

I started off with the right mind set and got straight into a nice steady pace, I looked at the Garmin to find that I was not much slower than I normally am but I felt comfortable. Running through Ambion Wood and along the canal felt OK at the pace I was going, I still was running quicker than I thought I would be but the pace felt okay. I was controlling my breathing but the heart rate was up to 160bpm.
I had a short walk from the canal on to the bridge which gave me a bit of a breather as the heart rate had recovered a bit, just as well as I have to run up a hill that leads in to Market Bosworth. I managed to get half way up the hill and I had to fall back in to a walk, my breathing was all over the pace and I felt knackered. The sun was beating down and was not helping at all, I know we should not moan about the heat in this country.

Once I got to the top of the hill I got back into my running pace and sorted out my breathing. I ran through Market Bosworth square which was fairly busy with school kids, luckily most of them kept out of the way. I ran down a single track road and seemed to get my second wind, it just felt like I had not run far.

By the time I got to the Bosworth Battlefield centre I felt quite tired and I was feeling the toll of the distance and running in the heat. I rejoined the canal and knew at this point that I was not going to be able to complete a half a marathon distance. I carried on the route to the finish and was glad to see the gate where I normally finish, I was just so knackered.


Monday, 1 July 2013

1st week back from holiday and the end of June


Monday 24-June-2013 – This was the 1st run since being back from holiday, so I felt that my aches and pains had gone away which I started to suffer from just before going on holiday.
 
I started off at a nice steady pace but found getting in to a nice breathing pattern was hard. I found that over the course of 4 miles that it was getting increasingly difficult, I wondered what was going on as I had only been off on holiday for a week.
 
On the last few miles I found that I was developing an ache in my knees and hips, this was quite strange as I have not been suffering with this in the last few months. The only thing I thought to myself was that maybe I pushed too hard through the run, but I did not have any personal bests to show for it.
 
During the evening I was in a lot of pain and could barely move without my knees and hips hurting so much. The next day the pain had turned to aches, so moving around was a lot better.




Wednesday 26-June-2013 – I started off in the normal way of getting in to a nice steady pace and trying to sort out the breathing. My knees and hips did not feel too bad but I found it very hard to get in to a steady pace to settle down to.
 
By the time I had done 4 miles and had reached Bosworth Bridge, my knees had started to ache a bit. From this point I decided to walk up the hills to limit the damage on the knees and hips. This strategy seemed to work for a while but the last 3 miles I found it very difficult to carry on as I was in a considerable amount of pain, I just could not concentrate on a running pace of breathing.
 
When I got back to Sutton Cheney Wharf I just collapsed on a bench and stayed there for a good 45 minutes trying to recover before I could jump in to the car and drive home. When I got home and looked at the running data from my Garmin and Endomondo (iPhone), I really didn’t think I would be anywhere near getting any personal bests, but I was very surprised to see that I had gained a few personal bests. During the evening I found myself hobbling around the house like I was on Monday evening, the run had really taken it out of me.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.44 Miles (2.33km)
1 hour – 6.44 Miles (10.38km)
1 Mile – 8m: 04s
10k – 57m: 24s




Friday 28-June-2013 – The weather had been very dull and it had been raining on and off all day. I decided to pop out for a short run as I had been suffering with my knees and hip, so I suppose you could call this a recovery run.

After a couple of minutes running it started to rain, I hate the rain but I hoped it was only a short shower. The rain lasted for just over half of my run, I was feeling very tired but kept on pushing before the rain started again and knowing my luck it would be a heavy downpour. My knees and hips did not feel too bad, there was a slight ache, but I had developed a bit of pain in my ankles. I just could not believe it, I seem to be going through loads of injuries at the moment. I kept on pushing until I had completed the 5k and then dropped down to a walk for a cool down.

When I got home and checked the data on the Garmin and Endomondo, I thought to myself that no wonder I was knackered and aching I had done my fastest 5k.


I managed to do some personal bests:
3 Mile – 26m: 49s
5k – 27m: 46s




Sunday 30-June-2013 – This was a recovery run that was done in the morning as I wanted to watch the Formula 1 (British Grand Prix) that was going to be on TV at mid-day. I had a couple of sips of squash and got ready to go out, the weather was quite overcast. When I got outside I felt a few spots of rain and thought, I am to get wet and I hate the rain.

I was surprised how warm it was out there during the run, I felt quite empty not having ad any breakfast so it was a new feeling for me to deal with. I also felt a bit dehydrated as well, but kept on having sips of water from the water bottle I took out with me.

I did not have many aches during the run, so was quite pleased with that. I also did not break any personal bests but was a fairly good run for me.




Endomondo Monthly Challenges


Bear in mind that I had a week off on holiday, this is what I managed to achieve.
 
Running Rotten Egg Award June (Most km - Running) - I managed to get in to the Elite Egg Awards and got to Titanium which was for people who had run 77.6 miles plus. I had achieved 93.11 miles.
 
Rotten Egg Award June (Most calories - All sports) – I got to Crystal which is for people who burned 17,000 calories or more, I burned 17,064 calories for May.


Friday, 14 June 2013

2 10 Mile runs, Half Marathon and 1 stone in weight lost

Sunday 09-June-2013 – The weather was sunshine and cloud, it was fairly warm when the sun was out though. I made sure I had taken on lots of fluids during the day and for lunch I had a nice light salad.

I set off and got into a nice steady pace and the breathing also was a nice steady pattern. I felt the heat from the sun when it was out and it was going to be out more than in as there were not many clouds in the sky at this point, there was a nice breeze though.

Once I reached 3.5 miles in to the run I had to stop for a wee, it must have been down to all the fluids I had during the day had caught up with me! I did not stop very long so it did not hurt the times too much, but at least I was more comfortable now and could concentrate on the run.

As the weather was nice and it was a Sunday the route was fairly busy with families out and dog walkers, this did not hinder me too much thankfully. By the time I got back to the car I really felt the toll of the run in the sun (that rhymes) and felt quite dehydrated.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.38 Miles (2.23km)
1k – 5m: 00s

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



Tuesday 11-June-2013 – The day started off when I looked out the window and thought I will wear my long running trousers and long top as it was cloudy outside and a bit chilly. When I got to Sutton Cheney Wharf the sun was out and it was quite warm, I thought to myself that I am wearing the wrong clothes in the heat. I set off and tried to get in to a nice steady run as quick as I could, as this was going to be a tough run in the heat.

After I had covered 4 miles the sun went in and the wind got up, this was a nice welcome breeze to cool me down just before running up a hill into Market Bosworth from the canal bridge. I ran through the square at Market Bosworth and through a gate that leads to a single track road, when I was coming up to 6 miles it stated to lightly rain. I hate the rain but this was quite welcome to cool me down a bit, and the rain did not last very long.

When the single track road ends I turned right up a road for a short way to a car park and then this leads to a right of way on the edge of a number of fields. The grass on the field was long enough to make my trainers a bit wet, I was concerned that my feet would get wet and I would end up with blisters. As I ran through the fields I tried to pick my feet up as much as I could to help them stay dry.
By the time I reached the Bosworth Battlefield Centre I was quite tired, I think the style as I ran through the field used more energy than I thought it would do. I carried on and thought if I concentrate on the breathing then it will be okay. I ran through Ambion Wood, along a disused railway track and got to the old disused railway bridge that crosses the canal. I had done 8 miles at this point, so I thought I wonder if I can do a further 5 miles to make this run in to a Half Marathon (13.1 miles). As I started to run along the canal for the second time today I started to work out how far up the canal I would have to run. I knew that from the railway bridge to the car it was just over a mile, so if I ran up the canal for 2 miles and turned around then the mileage would work out nicely.

I tried to get back in to a nice running pace and sort out my breathing along the canal. Once I had covered just over a mile along the canal it started to rain and then gradually got heavier, this was not a pleasant experience for me but all I could think of is I have just under a mile to cover before turning around.  I kept on checking the Garmin until I reached 10 miles, I turned around and headed back along the canal in the rain. I found running along the canal in the rain was quite an ordeal, I could get back in to a nice running pace but just could not sort out my breathing. I noticed my heart rate monitor was reading a low heart rate, I tried to wipe underneath the chest strap but this did not make any difference. The rain stopped and I started to dry off in the wind, I was so tired at this point and had to fall down in to a walk for a short time to calm down. I found that I had to keep falling back in to a short walk after each half mile and was so tired.

I was so glad to get back to the car but was so happy that I had covered 13.1 miles. My legs were like jelly and I could barely walk, I had to sit on a bench for 40 minutes until I was able to drive back home. Once I got home I uploaded the data from the Garmin to Garmin Connect and checked the Endomondo site to find that I had got 6 new personal bests. Even though it was very tough going I thought the day was a big success.

I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.39 Miles (2.24km)
1 hour – 6.36 Miles (10.24km)
1k – 4m: 28s
1 Mile – 8m: 05s
10k – 58m: 34s
Half Marathon – 2h: 13m: 57s

Garmin Connect – 13 Miles, Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



Thursday 13-June-2013 – After looking at the weather forecast I decided the best thing to do was to go for a run earlier than normal due to the heavy showers that had been forecasted for later in the day. When I arrived at Sutton Cheney Wharf the day was very cloudy, windy and a bit muggy.

I set off at a slow pace as normal and found it to be very windy at times, after a few miles I had a bit of a washed out feeling. I continued on as I thought the washed out feeling would just wear off and I would be able to get in to a nice running pace.

During this run I had to drop down in to a walk for a short time to catch my breath, I found I just could not get into this run at all. I found it very hard to get into a nice running pace and my breathing was all over the place which was very off putting. I was very glad to get back to the car as I was so tired, not long after I got in to the car it rained quite hard so I was lucky not to be caught out in it. I think that I had not fully recovered from the previous run which gave me the washed out feeling, I maybe suffering with overtraining as well.

On the up side of today run, I managed to do some personal bests:
Copper (12 mins) – 1.40 Miles (2.26km)
1k – 4m: 24s
1 Mile – 8m: 04s

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



On 19-April 2013 a holiday was booked and I was 14 Stone, my goal was to lose 1 stone in 2 months. I am pleased to say that I have reached my goal, I now weigh 13 stone. Once I get off holiday the next goal will be to get my weight down to 12.5 stone.

Monday, 10 June 2013

Stepping up to 10 miles, not once or twice, but three times

Monday 03-June-2013 – The weather was a nice blue sky with a few clouds, so I decided to put my shorts on and running t-shirt and head off to Sutton Cheney Wharf for a gentle run in the sun.

I set my Garmin and headed off from Sutton Cheney Wharf along the canal path and into Ambion wood. I ran up to the Bosworth Battlefield centre and turned left as I normally do along the stony path and back in to Ambion wood. After a while I came to a disused railway which has been converted into a path, I took the path and headed down to the disused railway bridge which is where I joined the canal footpath.
 
Once I was on the canal footpath I felt fairly good as I was in a nice steady running pace and my breathing was nice and steady as well. I felt really good all the way along the canal and when I reached the Bosworth Bridge I decided to run up to Market Bosworth. Previously I have struggled to get up the hill and had to walk most of it, but this time I got up the hill without stopping.
 
Once I reached the top of the hill I checked my Garmin and it showed that my heart rate was 165bpm, I started to take some slow deep breaths for a while which helped to bring the heart rate down to 150bpm. I ran through the square at Market Bosworth and took a single track road with a gate you have to open to drive though, there was a car going through as I approached so I didn’t have to mess around opening the gate and closing it.
 
The single track road seemed to go on for ever, but I kept a nice steady running pace and kept the breathing nice and steady at around 150-155bpm. When I reached the end of the road there is another gate to open or you can take a little track that bypasses it which is what I took. I turned right and headed up a short hill to a car park on the left and headed along the footpath on the edge of 3-4 fields. This brought me alongside the Bosworth Battlefield Centre, I looked at the mileage on the Garmin and noticed that the big loop was 7 miles. I was still feeling pretty good at this point and couldn’t understand what I had done differently, I decided the today was the day I was going to do 10 miles.
 
I headed off along a path and into Ambion wood, the disused railway track and joined the canal north bound for the second time today. The idea was to do a small loop to for the extra mileage, so I ran along the canal until I came to a hump back bridge, I came off the canal footpath and over the bridge and along the road. After a short distance I reached Shenton Railway Station, I ran through the car park, across the tracks and along a path that runs alongside the station building. Once I got through a couple of gates the path leads up a small hill then after a short while there is a second hill. I managed to get up the hills without stopping and carried on past the King Richard III sun dial and along the path back to the Bosworth Battlefield Centre. I checked the Garmin and noticed that I had done 9.3 miles, I thought to myself that I would have to do a tiny loop around a field outside the Bosworth Battlefield Centre to make up 0.2 miles. Once I had done the tiny loop I headed off into Ambion wood and finished the run after 0.5 miles where I first set off at the beginning of this run.
 
10 miles is my personal best distance, I really don’t know how I managed to do this amount of miles and all without walking unless I was going through a gate. My legs were like jelly so I had to sit down on a bench for half an hour before driving home. I wonder how long it will be before I feel like this again and am able to run this distance again. 

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Market Bosworth



Wednesday 05-June-2013 – I managed to do the same route as I had done on Monday to see if doing 10 miles was a one off. Once I got in to a nice running pace and got the breathing nice and steady the miles just seemed to go by fairly quickly.
 
I was very pleased to finish the run and knowing that getting to 10 miles was not a one off, even though my legs were aching like mad afterwards.




Friday 07-June-2013 – I found todays run very challenging in the heat, I was having digestion problems with feeling a bit sick. My mouth was getting very dry so I had to keep sipping on water which was making my digestion problem worse. In the first 4 miles I nearly gave up but I kept going and found that the problem seemed to get a bit better.
 
I had to drop down to walking on a number of occasions as I just felt so tired even though my heart rate was okay. When I got back I was very surprised to see that I have got some personal bests as I really didn’t think I was anywhere near getting any.
 
I managed to do some personal bests:
1 Hour – 6.3 Miles (10.2km)
3 Miles – 27m: 15s
5K – 28m: 07s
10k – 58m: 43s

Sunday, 2 June 2013

The last two runs before the end of May and the Endomondo May Challenges.

The weather was a bit wet this week making the canal running a bit muddy. I have missed out on a run which makes me out of my routine on running on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Being that I have the Endomondo on my iPhone I joined some challenges for May which are as follows:

Running Rotten Egg Award May (Most km - Running) - I managed to get in to the Elite Egg Awards and got to Pearl which was for people who had run 93.2 miles plus. I had achieved 99.55 miles.

Rotten Egg Award May (Most calories - All sports) – I got to Crystal which is for people who burned 17,000 calories or more, I burned 17,023 calories for May.

500 calories a day keep the doctor away (May) – The challenge was to burn 15,500 calories in May, I managed this as I burned 17,023 calories.

I was expecting to have some sort of badge in my Endomondo profile, but there is nothing so I am left wondering what the challenges are for.



Monday 27-May-2013 – Today was a warm day but quite windy with strong gusts. I didn’t really feel my best and had to force myself out, I am still trying to lose 1 stone before I go on holiday and only have another 5lbs to go in 3 weeks. The other thing that really pushed me out was that it was forecast to rain on the following day and I hate the rain as well as making the canal path muddy.

I set off at a reasonably slow pace to warm up and found myself negotiating through people that were out as it was a bank holiday. I find it infuriating when people can see you coming along and don’t move over a little to let you past without brushing past them. Most people I find have been really good, they let you past and greet you with a ‘hello’ as well.

I found I had to break back in to a couple of 30 second walks before reaching the 4 mile point which is the Bosworth Bridge along the canal. I thought to myself that if I have to walk a couple of times on the way to the 4 mile point then what is it going to be like on the way back. I kept on having sips of water from one of the couple of water bottles that I carry on my running belt, I also found the running belt really needed to be tightened up a little being that I have lost a bit of weight it has become a little loose resulting in it bouncing about which was a little off putting.

On the journey back I had to keep dropping back into a walk and having sips of water, I felt quite dehydrated at this point and was wondering if I should have not bothered coming out on a run. I felt my face getting hot and was just longing for the run to be over. I found that I just could not settle into a nice steady pace with a nice breathing pattern, which I am sure did not really help. When I got back I looked at the overall time and I was astonished that I was only about 5 minutes more than my previous run.

Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Bosworth
 


Thursday 30-May-2013 – It had been raining for a couple of days so I ended up missing yesterday and doing the run today. The canal footpath was mostly okay but in places it was a bit muddy which involved negotiating my way through the muddy patches. Surprisingly I still had a few minor aches in the legs from the last run, so I thought today I am going to take it steady.

I decided to run past the Bosworth Bridge where I normally turn back and ran for a further 0.5 mile. I suppose I was wondering what the footpath on the other side of the bridge was like, well the answer was very similar to the 4 miles of footpath I had just run. I had to keep going down into a walk as I just could not get into a steady pace. I really felt the extra mile that I did as my legs ached so much, I felt good that I had covered the miles though and burned the calories towards my weight loss.
 
Garmin Connect - Sutton Cheney Wharf, Ambion Wood, Canal, Bosworth