Being a sprinter again

Four days ago I began HiiT. For those who don't know what that means, or read my blog regularly, it's a method of training that stretches the cardio beyond the limits of distance running. Essentially, I work 95% (or perhaps 70-80%) or so for 4 minutes, and then rest for a minute. The purpose of the rest is two-fold:

a) To let the heart rate, and lactic acid levels, drop to manageable proportions so that you can cane the next set.
b) To get used to feeling of my heart being stressed at beating at 180-190bpm.

Three days ago I did my first HiiT session since I started my marathon training. I felt as if I was going to be sick. Today, though, even though I have head cold, I felt it was manageable.

There is the small matter of the ongoing niggles from the marathon. The front of my kneecaps is still slightly sore. And my right foot feel strained (although no longer torn.) I wonder if the intensity of the 10k will exacerbate these and actually injure me. Or whether my body will rise up to this challenge and grow stronger.

Right now, though, I am chewing on paracetamol and throat sweets - my nose and throat itch like raw gratings.

Building up the cardio...

Last summer I remember I did HiiT most days for the first two weeks. It felt like an incredible achievement. My routine was familiar - 19 minutes, heart rate between 170-190, interval of 4 minutes maximum and 1 minute off (repeat four times.)

I did this yesterday starting at 60% body weight resistance moving through increments to 75% body weight resistance (on a step trainer) all at 120 steps per minute minimum. Today I did the same, but did the last interval starting at 55% and moving to 75% each minute.

I find that my body has not kept its previous cardio workouts easily. To its credit, though, my legs are certainly stronger. The niggling injuries of the knees and foot are still there, but only slowly.

I intend to hit 3-4 more times the HiiT, and to decide how to approach the 10k coming up. In this, I ran to the gym as farlek (2 miles) before doing my training.

Like with work, and aspiration, as I run my race I am thinking (almost constantly) about how I really do want to slow down. And I think, too, about what part of my anatomy to focus on (for strength.)

My future sister in law is running a half-marathon tomorrow. Good luck to her!

Recovering...

It has surprised me how quickly my body seems to have recovered from some of the niggles of the marathon. I don't think for a moment that it is anywhere near peak fitness. For one I weigh 11 stone, and could do with losing half a stone. That doesn't upset me as I know that I always would always gain that weight to make it through winter (!)

No one I know is doing the 10k in Bridlington. Understandably, many want to work themselves fit before they attempt one. I am seeing this 10k as part of my continued path to fitness. I hope to hit the gym, if not today, then at least twice over the next three days. While I have stamina again, I want to hit my cardio again with HiiT many times this half-term. I might also, if I can, see if I can run at least 6 miles every Sunday. I can spare an hour.

Fed up much?

The next race?

Tonight, alongside tapping away a turgid post on advice for a PGCE (after responding to a few threads on the TES)I found a 10k in about 9 days time. I want to return to the gym tomorrow, although I doubt I'll make it.



I've lost my speed. I may have some more stamina, and stronger muscles. But I've lost my speed. I've also gained a substantial girth that would slow me down, too. Hopefully, though, by the time I get to the Scarborough 10k in October, I can be regularly running and training to the point where I might be getting close to 40 minutes.

I shouldn't ignore my current injuries having run the marathon, though. My right ankle feels like it has either a slight tear, or a strain at best. My right foot arch has also suffered.

The most substantial injury I feel now, though, is in my knees. The front of my knee caps aches.

Mentally, though, I am calmly resigned to this whimsical mission.

The marathon

Back from the marathon and exhausted from the travelling if nothing else. Some insightful experiences over the weekend, not least that I realise that working (and running) at the utmost intensity is not only not feasible, but it risks damage too.

Far better to run (and work) with some moderation, and with the hopeful knowledge that you will complete more (and be happier doing it) in the final straight of things.

Managed 4:46 in the end. I felt that I could have hit 4:15, but far happier to have completed it with a sense of not flagging entirely.

Also, I have some more perspective on my other running achievements too! The 1:44 half in the Great North Run was rather good.

My plans? To try to run some 5ks and 10ks with a little more consistency. My 5ks are fast because I post a 5 minute mile; can I hit a consistent pace with a 19 minute 5k?

I should say, too, that my lower back is hurting tremendously. That, and my lower inside heels are also chaffed with blisters from walking miles to fetch my number on Saturday. This, and other excuses, mean that I can complain about not posting a 4 hour, or even a sub 4 hour, marathon. But that would be bloody ignorant seeing as I wanted to just finish it, and finish it in (hopefully) under 5 hours.

Marshalls were cheerful and helpful. Some aspects, such as the bus back to the station, seemed poorly managed. Despite having paid £5 for a bus ticket, I refused to wait in a 30-45 minute queue (that wasn't managed for queue jumpers, either) and managed to cadge a taxi too.

Overall? The marathon is a race that allowed me to not run at my usual speed. It was challenging as hell, but not so much that I killed myself. Far happier am I to hit a sub 40 minute 10k than to hit a sub 4 hour marathon. And, perhaps least importantly, I have some material for my assembly tomorrow morning first thing!

Saturday morning before...

There are always niggles to many thing that can be done, not least when running. Some of my toes hurt. My stomach is not entirely settled. My eyes ache somewhat.

The truth is, though, that these things should not matter. At least not tomorrow.

With work and with all such things there are daily worries. There is reason not to run to the extent I will be compelled to do so tomorrow. Like with Mull I feel like I want to choose to not to run. Or, rather, to do something else entirely different.

Because yes, I run. And yes, I sprint. But now it is time to try something different.

I want to leave now!

Friday before preparation

And so today I am sitting down at my desk knowing that I am ready to give this marathon a go. I don't really know what it is going to be like exerting my energy over such a long period of time. I don't really know if I'll do another one. I don't really know if I'll make it back to Scarborough.

As with all truly boring, if excellent, blogs, I intend to reflect on what I need over the next few days.

Saturday
Breakfast at home
8 baked potatoes (in foil)
Baked beans (in cans that can already open).
Tuna (in cans that can already open.)
Some sort of sandwich filling
Water bottles x3
Reading material (Huston smith)
Writing material (pen and paper)
Wallet with train tickets
To place into car two day passes
To have itinerary for when I can get back to Scarborough on Sunday
Bus ticket in bag
Map of where to go to
Map of how to get to the bed and breakfast
Old trainers
Safety pins

Sunday
Two/three bananas
Ready brek portion
Water bottle
MP3 player (fully charged up?)
Running vest
Running shorts
Compression socks
Running trainers
Long-sleeve t-shirt
Bin bag
Spare underclothes
Spare money
Watch?

Well. Going to get some of these things ready now...

I ran to the shops at lunchtime to fetch some mints for our KS3 exams. I'll count that as my run!

Tapering week

What a joke. No such things as tapering when you are hardly running. In my mind I am wishing that I can run a 5k this weekend rather than the marathon.

What an ill-sighted mindset, I think.

Perhaps this is something that I do a little too often. Feel, with realisation or understanding, that something that is difficult is coincidentally rather lacking in worth. That isn't to say that things that I find working hard difficult.

Today I woke up at 4:55am to write the previous year's exam paper for my English class. Arrived at school to ensure it was photocopied (has to be there before 7am to guarantee it will be done...) and planned out a thorough grounding in the Friday's SAT test for my Year 8s.

In all, it was a day of constant effort, monitoring and bustling. I ate dinner in 5 mins, and only stopped talking to visit the bathroom.

Yet perhaps I find this easy because it wasn't something that I had to think about. It was something I felt forced upon me by circumstance of my job. However, something like the marathon (and my writing projects) are things that I choose to do. They are somewhat more difficult to complete (and perhaps value prior to the event) because it is only I who chooses to take them on.

I must say, though, that I am by no means as incapacitated as I was before my 400m qualification for the English schools back in the day. Or even as I was a few weeks ago. And, no doubt, I will appreciate being on the start line on the marathon. What does irk me, though, is that I have no idea of what my body can take, and I am feeling a little too sensible to push myself beyond the point of which I am in any state to return on a train to Scarborough...

The Sunday Run...

I have a week now, less than a week, until I will be on the train back from Edinburgh having managed to run the Edinburgh Marathon. I have suffered from boredom if nothing else, and I feel my weight has ballooned somewhat without my High Intensity Interval Training. In addition, I feel that my hamstrings and legs have not really got the strength that I need to give the marathon anything like the effort it deserves.

Today, for example, I ran an almost tearful 6 miler in an hour. I know that I aim to run 10 minute miles, but it was surprisingly arduous. My legs were tight, my right foot twinged, and I suffered mild heartburn. Still, I know that there is no way in hell that I'm drinking fresh orange juice (which seems to cause that heartburn) between now and Sunday.

Psychologically, I am weak. My motivation has been lacking as, save for this blog and some minor mentions at work, there is no context to this race. I know that I should consider requesting sponsorship (if only that others can live vicariously through my effort!) But I probably won't. I know I should share the race with my kids. But I probably won't. Why not?

Because I enjoy running fast? Because my training has been necessarily intermittent? Because my mentality and entire approach to life is not setup in any discernible sense towards the long haul of a marathon approach?

When I ran the 18 miles, I remember that to run for even a few minutes with decimated legs was hellish. To complete the race, there surely needs to be some sustained moments where you run with a rhythm? That you aren't having to monitor constantly your body and the feedback it is giving you?

I am not in the mentality of this race at all. I do not feel invested in this race. And I know some of the reasons for that. But that is not to say that that won't change nearer the time. That isn't to say that when the main exams are finished and I'm sleeping in a Scottish bed that I won't be ready to run my guts out.

I'll have to.

I am unhappy that my body isn't made for long distance running.

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/a/hamstingstretch.htm

I think I need to get some stretching activities for every day, and some breathing activities for every day, too.

BTW, for those actually reading this blog. I read a very interesting post today on the RunningAhead forum (which is highly recommended, especially since the administrator has given up his day job to go full time). It spoke about how those who consider a sub 90 minute half-marathon to be elite to 'settle down'. It made me think about what is a good run, and what are reputable times. The times I run now for 10k, for example, are looking quite impressive considering the times I am posting now. Also, my 400m time when I was young was very age-impressive. However, these days, I have grown out of any real fitness.

And what is fitness, but a reflection of how a life is lived in its entirety? I look at some of those around me who lack fitness and think to how sharp and motivated I was at the end of summer. At how fit I was to run a 41:50 10k, and how much faster I could have run it.

But! I should say that I never post anything like the running speeds in training that I do in a race. And if I want any chance of breaking a 40 minute 10k, or doing anything like that, I need to begin to post regularly lower times for my 10k. And to run more 5ks too.

And, until I have this marathon completed, it is impossible to see that happen.

Perhaps something I should reflect on positively is the way that I have given up football to complete this marathon. My fitness has been affected, as has my spirit from the lack of banter. If nothing else, I will be happy that that will be something ready to happen again soon.

Righto. Time to head away from this coffee place and to consider what kind of music to play for my marathon. It will ethereal soundtrack music I think. Something, slow, unoffensive, and that doesn't distract from the fact that I will be in all probably running slowly and painfully...

That's the spirit!

A week to go...

And I appreciate that I have had the chance to run fast over the past two days.


Three in injuries I have suffered are:

a) The top of my right foot. The tendon aches to the point where it is near impossible to carry on running. It seems to have come from my change in running style. How have I solved it? By running less, and by running on the heel. For the marathon I will aim to run by varying how my foot strikes the floor.

b) My left jaw. I could barely open my mouth. Fortunately it seemed to be a pulled muscle rather than toothache, although I hardly trust my dentist. It has died to a mild ache.

c) My lower back had a pulled muscle. I couldn't move without pain. I think it was caused by stretching my hamstrings too much while lying on my bed. Luckily it happened a week and a bit ago. To solve it I will try to avoid doing any serious hamstring stretching lying down.

My legs hurt. But not tremendously. My motivation for the marathon is still incredibly diminished to what I expected. But it will be done next week, and then faster races will be soon.

Stretching

is really important! My legs are no longer so stiff, but my back hurts.

Only two weeks until the marathon. Frankly, I'm terrified. If not a little stuffed...

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Here is a new post

After the 10k...

Blimey! I really need to learn to stretch properly again.

Having just returned from the 10k, I sit back to consider what it means to have posted 46:02. To be fair, my time on this course last year was 49:50/30, so I have improved immensely since then. It was still a fair way off what I am capable of, perhaps.

For some reason I felt a distinct sense of not really wanting to beat my PB. Although I did wear my shiny flats.

The 20 degrees heat was rather oppressive. It was windy, but not windy enough to keep me cool. Still, again, I managed to give a sprint finish. I deliberately slowed down, too, just before the final 200m or so as to let a few other people overtake me so I could overtake them in front of the crowds.

I enjoy, too, in 10ks shouting at the crowds; it must be tedious at times incessantly applauding runners who don't acknowledge you. Save the really good ones who must be in the zone.

Afterwards I took advantage of a massage. While my legs didn't hurt in the sense that they weren't destroyed, they were clearly heavy. The masseur commented such too, saying that I really need to stretch. Again, to be fair, my cardio wasn't painful. What was perturbing, though, was my inability to power forward at any point in the race. OK, I managed a ridiculous spring finish. But even then, I can feel my speed ebbing away in the place of some endurance.

I wonder what this means for my teaching? For the vast past of my early career, I have always been about bursts of intensity, of projects that would last a few weeks. Maybe those project, like these 10ks, no longer challenge me. Yes, there is a challenge in both in the sense that to post a good 10k time requires character and will. But I don't feel the sense of achievement that I once did.

This was a time that could almost be considered my new 'minimum' time. And that I should be proud that it is much faster than other times I have done.

Another thing to note is that a toe on my right foot is chaffed. From where it connects with my foot, I think that it has been rubbed and a layer of skin has come off. I should really attach some tape. And realise that I not a naturally talented runner.