Physio on the 2nd was fine. I got answers to questions I had about adding interval running to long runs; why I have shin pain (not shin splints fortunately), and when I can decrease the training as it gets closer to the Marathon (not yet was the answer!).
A couple of rest days went down well before it was back to the gym for an early morning interval run. 5 miles in an hour at 10 minutes run, 2 minutes walk. Everything was fine, but it was very hot and I got a bit bored. Think I need to sort my gym attitude out as it’s not great. Still no prizes available for December’s gym challenge which made me a bit sad L – sadder than that! Having been told that they’d be ready from the 2nd, it was disappointing for them not to be available by the 4th. Some people have a lot to learn about managing my expectations!
Saturday (6th) and it was back to the gym for a rowing session. Andrew told one of the boys we know at the gym that I was really desperate for my prize after completing the challenge, and Chris caught my eye as I walked past the reception desk; he was holding my prize bag aloft. In it was a Celtic Manor towel (ooohhh), Celtic Manor water bottle (more ooohhh), some sort of pre-exercise energy drink, a day pass and a week’s pass, both of which will be very handy when my membership expires but I still want to go there. Worth the challenge and worth the pain that some of the exercises caused.
The rowing was a complete pain in the neck. By the time I actually started rowing I’d had enough. And all because I wanted to listen to an Alfie Boe/ Michael Ball concert on my iPod which wouldn’t download so I tried it on my phone. Trouble was 4G didn’t work as the mobile signal was too weak in the underground gym, and I didn’t think to connect to the wifi. By the time I’d spent 10 minutes trying, unsuccessfully, to listen to it, I couldn’t really be bothered anymore and just wanted to go home. I didn’t though, cos I’m not like that. I carried on and rowed for an hour; didn’t really put my back into it and didn’t break out into much of a sweat. I did laugh out loud though listening to Simon Mayo’s Confessions Podcast which I could connect to. Managed to row 8,681m with an average 30spm.
The girls went off for a week’s skiing in France today so not sure that they’ll be doing much training. I’m convinced they think that youth alone will get them round as they’re certainly not putting in the hours that I am. However, they like skiing and it’s one activity that they wouldn’t be able to put off until after the end of April!
I hadn’t seen it earlier, but this week I caught a Facebook post that Run and Become, Cardiff, had won an award for Best Independent Sports Retailer of the Year. Well deserved I say, and Angela, the girl who had gone way beyond the call of duty in the patience stakes, was in the picture accepting the award, which is below along with my challenge prizes:
Sunday dawned and it was a lovely day, although cold and a little breezy. I did my exercises and got dressed to go out and run. 9 miles was the target but I wasn’t at all fazed by the distance. I had an idea of my route but wasn’t sure how far that would be. I set off (forgot my glove) with a running vest, running zip-up top and windproof top, and the complete ensemble finished off with a running cap. I fully expected that the layers would be coming off, but for the first time in Wales (it’s already happened in Scotland) I went back through the front door wearing everything I’d had on on the way out.
I took my usual route into Caerleon via the cycle path, crossed the river, ran round Old Caerleon, back to main road and all the way along to Junction 25A of the M4. If someone had suggested walking from my house to there I wouldn’t have done it……because I have a car on the drive! But there I was. Running past some of the parked cars on the pavement was irritating (and showed a complete lack of thought and courtesy on the part of the car owners) but I could manage without altering my stride too much. It was lovely to be out, freezing cold in the wind and out of the sun, but felt good. From the motorway I returned along the same route, then around Caerleon, zigzagging past the Common, back to the secondary school to get to the cycle path and home. Sadly, I hadn’t run far enough, so I had to run past the back of my house (which was not a nice thing to do) until I’d completed the distance, according to my Fitbit. I stopped 3 times to adjust my shoe laces as the top of my right foot was sore but that was it. No food, no drink (stupid I know but I really can’t carry anything and run). Everyone I passed returned my greeting and I was euphoric when I finished in 1 hour and 48 minutes.
That feeling soon changed as my good knee decided that it wasn’t about to walk and wanted me to limp. It was extremely painful and I must have looked ridiculous clinging onto lampposts on my cooldown walk home as I tried to stretch it out. 10 minutes later and it was perfectly ok again. I need to keep an eye on that though as a) it’s worrying, b) it hurts, and c) it’s the second time I’ve experienced it. But all in all, it was a very comfortable run. To think that in 2 weeks I’ll be attempting/tackling 10 miles is beyond my wildest dreams when I think back to the dark injury days of July. I’ve put a picture of the run and my split times below for anyone who’s interested and would maybe like to compare their own times.
Rona's 2018 London Marathon Story 