Dragging Me Down

Today's song from my gym playlist is one I usually skip because the tempo is too slow and being dragged down is the opposite effect I want to get from my workouts. But I haven't slept well recently due to travel for work and work-stress and today I went to the gym expecting an easy time but actually I struggled quite a lot due to being knackered. It was a drag (badum-tish).

I've settled on a 10k plan for my next 10k - I'm going to do Hal Higdon's 10-K Training: Intermediate. It's an 8-week plan that incorporates some basic upper body strength training which shouldn't result in straining my core, some speed workouts, and some long slow runs. It looks like it's the right intensity for what I want to achieve plus I will hopefully be able to go through it twice before the race in November. I will also be doing some yoga. I can't join a class because I can't find any near to me which are at a convenient time and location so I'm on the look out for a good yoga DVD or podcast. At the moment I'm sticking with a very basic one by Chaz Rough called Yoga for Runners.

I did the first session of the training plan - a 3 mile run and strength - today and the run was difficult when it shouldn't have been, mainly due to being tired and not doing much running last week. Although maybe I shouldn't beat myself up too much because I ran two hard races last week and my body did need to rest.

I've subscribed to a couple of running podcasts as well recently - the best being RunRunLive2.0. There's always interesting interviews and useful tips. Even if I'm nowhere near as fit or accomplished a runner as the guests I find their stories inspiring. Some of the tips I can use now, and others I'm keeping in mind for when I'm a better runner.

Do you subscribe to any running, fitness or health podcasts?

Missing - Mojo - Last seen on 17th July

Like the title says I've lost it big time. If I'm honest I think I'd even lost it before the 17th July. I've been stressed and unhappy about work this last week in a way which I'm not going to go into on my blog, and this has been affecting my eating habits. I've been miserably stuffing my face knowing I'm not hungry. I got halfway through a bag of chocolate-covered brazil nuts and thought, "I don't want these. They're too sweet and I feel a bit sick and I'm not hungry." But I finished them anyway. On top of that I've done no exercise at all since my last race.

I can diet, I can moderate my intake of alcohol, I can eat fresh fruit and vegetables, I can hit the gym hard.  However when I'm feeling unhappy I hit calorific food hard. There's no middle ground with me - I'm either gaining weight or losing it, and I'm getting sick of it. I want to lose this final stone and reduce my bodyfat %.  Come payday I'm going to get Intuitive Eating, which I think will help me

Overall I need to:
Work out a training schedule for my next 10k.
Get back to the gym.
Stop eating crap.
Stop wallowing in self-pity.

Has anyone else had any luck with other intuitive-eating promoting books, or is Intuitive Eating the be all and end all?

Sunderland 5K Road Race 24:26 NEW PB!!!

The website bills the Sunderland 5k Road Race as 'fast and ideal for PB's'. The race is held in the paths through the park around the Silksworth Sports Complex. The course through the park goes around the lakes and so it's attractive race for one held in Sunderland. It's also very flat. I'd go as far as saying it was mostly downhill because the first part was downhill and the rest of it didn't contain any major hills. It was well organised and stuffed full with running club runners. I felt very nervous and out of place being there on my own.

Route of the Sunderland 5k.

Elevation of the Sunderland 5k. Verrrrry nice.

The first mile started off with a long stretch downhill and was very easy. In mile 2 I deliberately slowed down so I didn't burn out, and sped up in mile 3 because I was worried about not getting a sub-25.

I almost managed not to embarrass myself, but right at the finish line I thought someone pointing pointing out the finishing line was holding out his hand and I slapped it like an absolute muppet. How embarrassing?! I only afterwards realised what he was doing because I saw someone running down by the the side of the finish line instead of crossing it.

So how did I get a sub-25 5k? I've been training for a 10k which built up my endurance and stamina. I got a psychological boost from knowing that if I could run at a certain pace over a longer distance I could certainly go faster over a shorter one. I did interval training which increased my speed. I've done about 5 5k races now so my body is accustomed to running at a high effort over that distance. I also chose a race that was well known for being a good one for PBs.

Time: 24:26 (from my Garmin - my whistle time is easily 15 seconds longer because it took me a while to cross the starting line)
Avg Pace 07:42
Splits: Mile 1 07:22, Mile 2 07:53, Mile 3 07:50, Mile 4 (0.17 miles) 01:20 (avg pace 07:45)

Things to work on: Getting a sub-24 5k, not slowing down too much in the second mile.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to have a victory glass of white wine!

And rest...

I'd barely finished Sunday's race before I was trying to work out my next 10k goal. My long-term goal is still a sub-50 minute 10k but right now I'm going to aim for a sub-52 10k. There's a couple of 10k races coming up in the northeast over August but I'm going to hold back and give myself a few more months to train. All being well I'm going to enter the Town Moor Memorial on November 13.

HAHA! I LIED  My next race will not be in November. A week ago I entered the Sunderland 5k Road Race. The course is billed as being flat and fast. I probably shouldn't have entered another race so soon after my last one. I'm going make another attempt on a sub-25 5k. I'm probably going to be desperately disappointed and will be whinging about it on here, but the flat course and convenience meant I couldn't resist. I rested yesterday and am resting today, kidding myself that if I treat Sunday like a long slow run I'm sort of 'tapering' before my 'proper' run. Um. Or something like that.

Anyway. Over lunch I went vegetable shopping in a local greengrocers and I was a bit like a child in a sweet shop. I bought globe artichokes, yellow (YELLOW!) tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, some of those flat peaches that are popular right now, and boring red tomatoes. I also saw some samphire and salsify, two vegetables I've never eaten before, which I didn't get because I really had no clue how to cook them. The internet tells me samphire is best steamed, and salsify can be peeled and treated like any other root vegetable. They are on the mental 'to buy' list.

Yummy yummy fruit and vegetable haul

 I've got some ground flax seed left over from the GN10k goody bag - how do you prefer to eat it if you do?

Great North 10K Recap - Edited

When I got up on Sunday morning it was tipping it down. Ru-roh, as Scooby Doo might have said. Fortunately the rain had eased by the time my family and Mr Scientist and I parked in Newcastle and it was merely drizzling by the time we got to Gateshead Stadium for the start of the Great North 10K. I was really anxious before the race and the weather did nothing for my nerves. I found myself alternatively wishing it would be called off, feeling sick, and wondering why the heck I put myself and my family through this for fun, and not only that, but paying for the privilege as well. Glumly I set my Garmin running partner to a slower pace, anticipating finding running on wet roads more difficult.

Full recap after the jump. I've edited this post to include a bit more info about the run.

Route of the Great North 10k according to my Garmin

Sort of walking the Great North 10K

I popped over to Gateshead yesterday to try to walk the Great North 10k. I went a bit wrong at the beginning, and didn't walk all to the end but I got a good feel for the area's hills and flats. It was hot and sunny. It is not hot and sunny today. It will not be hot and sunny tomorrow either. :(

Right now I'm having a lazy afternoon with a DVD of Tamara Drewe and a pot of green tea with mint while I wait for my parents to arrive for dinner. They're staying over and will be cheering me on at the race tomorrow. :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Here are some photos of the route of the run

Beautiful Gateshead International Stadium Industrial Park.

The Millenium Bridge over the Tyne

The Baltic art gallery

The Sage

Sculpture on the banks of the Tyne.

Good Run

Today I ran a 3 mile race pace session before tapering ahead of the 10k race on Sunday. I put it off and put it off even though I knew it was only 3 miles and it would be over in around 26 minutes. I was worried my stomach ache would reoccur. To be honest though I'm quite chuffed 3 miles is a short distance and a run which covers it in around 26 minutes is one which doesn't leave me feeling like my heart is going to explode or that I'm going to throw up. The sense of achievement and accomplishment was brilliant.

The first mile was tough and I was huffing and puffing and often falling behind Mr Sticky the running partner representation on my Garmin. Then when I got out of town and on to the disused railway I run on I got into the swing of it for the remaining 2.1 miles. I even considered speeding up to make an attempt on doing a sub-25 5k attempt but decided to stick to the plan and not risk wearing myself out. It was a typical evening run - still warm, still sunny, lots of midges and flies that I had to avoid swallowing. The most trouble I had was a touch of a stitch in my right side and a slight tugging in one of the muscles in my inside right thigh. NO STOMACH ACHE! YAY! HURRAH!

I did 3.1 miles in 25:58 with an average pace of 8:37/mile, and I'd do the 10k in 53:32 if I keep that up for the race on Sunday. Hahah oh I wish. I kind of felt like I could have continued at that pace for at least another 2 miles but I'm not expecting to be able to maintain that pace for the whole thing. Mainly because I've never run longer than 7 miles, haven't run 10k at my race pace, haven't run at all in the Gateshead area so the course will be very unfamiliar, and because I think the course is hillier than where I've been training.

Still no sign of my pack. I emailed the race organisers and they said my pack had been sent out but that duplicate packs are available on the race day.

I have tomorrow afternoon off so I might pop to Gateshead to scope out the course of the 10k if I get time.