Boom and bust – just like the economy, my running distance soared to an unrealistic peak before shrinking quickly. On saturday I ran 5.5 miles.
It still seemed like a long way, and my muscles tightened almost immediately – surely I wasn’t still stiff from a week before? Or perhaps it does – I am very flat-footed. I could do with some decent running shoes. And some iPod headphones that don’t fall off. And I still need those running pants.
I have to miss football tonight due to some family visits (which counts as a run), and we have stuff on every night this week, so I can’t see things improving soon. Then again, the economy always bounces back in the end.
Perhaps it’s lack of morale through not running very far (I was thinking I might be able to break double figures soon), but suddenly planning a marathon seems like a lot of effort, and 26.3 miles seems like a long way again. Hats off to old Pheidippides who did it straight off, even if it did kill him. Perhaps it should be called a Pheidippides instead – if I achieved something brilliant where I live I wouldn’t be best pleased if it ended up being called a ‘Bristol’.
Monday, 27 October 2008
Saturday, 18 October 2008
18 October 2008
Thursday's run happened on Saturday , but it went very well. I planned a six mile run and was nearing the end and I felt like I could go further, so I did. I ran 7.5 miles. Now I'm shattered.
I always knew I had an iPod for a reason (and I knew that shuffle button was for something, too). The further I go, the more I need music to keep me going. Today I was thinking that when I get closer to doing a whole marathon, it'd be good to figure out how long I expect it to take, and to make a playlist of songs that are good to run to (I'm learning quiet alot about this already, and it can be quite surprising), make the playlist as long as my marathon, and then it will guide me through the process. If I can be organised enough to do so, it will be brilliant.
There are a few other things that I'm going to have to get organised with if I'm going to start running longer. I'll have to start timing myself, and I could do with some proper running pants still (chaffing is lessening but is still distinctly there!), and I need some better routes (car fumes clogging up my aeolis, or whatever they're called). And I could do to find a marathon to run, and a half marathon to help me on the way, which will have to be quite soon at this rate.
I plan to run once in the week (possibly) and then do a long run (I keep wanting to use the word 'marathon' as a metaphor) on saturday (definately).
I always knew I had an iPod for a reason (and I knew that shuffle button was for something, too). The further I go, the more I need music to keep me going. Today I was thinking that when I get closer to doing a whole marathon, it'd be good to figure out how long I expect it to take, and to make a playlist of songs that are good to run to (I'm learning quiet alot about this already, and it can be quite surprising), make the playlist as long as my marathon, and then it will guide me through the process. If I can be organised enough to do so, it will be brilliant.
There are a few other things that I'm going to have to get organised with if I'm going to start running longer. I'll have to start timing myself, and I could do with some proper running pants still (chaffing is lessening but is still distinctly there!), and I need some better routes (car fumes clogging up my aeolis, or whatever they're called). And I could do to find a marathon to run, and a half marathon to help me on the way, which will have to be quite soon at this rate.
I plan to run once in the week (possibly) and then do a long run (I keep wanting to use the word 'marathon' as a metaphor) on saturday (definately).
Monday, 13 October 2008
13 October 2008
Thursday's run was moved forward to Wednesday, as I got a bit over-excited. However, I did 4.5 miles quite easily. So far, so good.
I did encounter a new hazard though - chaffing of the nether regions. I've never experienced it running before (which probably means I have become more sweaty round my man bits, a problem that I can't think of a cure for). It's one of those things, like stitch or blisters, that drives you crazy by forcing you to cut your run short whilst all the important bits are still going strong. I think I need to find some quality running pants, if such things exist.
Surfing at the weekend destroyed me, but I'm determined to play football tonight as I missed it last week. That will probably write me off for tomorrow, and it's the England game on Wednesday. So my next run will probably be on Thursday.
I did encounter a new hazard though - chaffing of the nether regions. I've never experienced it running before (which probably means I have become more sweaty round my man bits, a problem that I can't think of a cure for). It's one of those things, like stitch or blisters, that drives you crazy by forcing you to cut your run short whilst all the important bits are still going strong. I think I need to find some quality running pants, if such things exist.
Surfing at the weekend destroyed me, but I'm determined to play football tonight as I missed it last week. That will probably write me off for tomorrow, and it's the England game on Wednesday. So my next run will probably be on Thursday.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
8 October 2008
Last night's run went very well. It was a very hilly three miles, but length wise it felt very easy. It brought to my attention that it will almost never be possible to run in Bristol without choosing a hilly route.
So the 13 times statistic after my first run is now a bit more healthy; if I did nine laps of last night's route, which doesn't sound impossible, I would be over the mark. However, it's still crazy to think that even if I managed a half marathon, which would be a stretch at the moment, I'd only be half way there.
I'm going surfing at the weekend so I don't know if I'll run again this week - but then I'll play football on monday so I'll be too sore to run until at least next wednesday. I might do a quick one on thursday.
Sod it - I will run on thursday.
So the 13 times statistic after my first run is now a bit more healthy; if I did nine laps of last night's route, which doesn't sound impossible, I would be over the mark. However, it's still crazy to think that even if I managed a half marathon, which would be a stretch at the moment, I'd only be half way there.
I'm going surfing at the weekend so I don't know if I'll run again this week - but then I'll play football on monday so I'll be too sore to run until at least next wednesday. I might do a quick one on thursday.
Sod it - I will run on thursday.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Tuesday 7 October
The marathon concept comes from a Greek messenger, Pheidippides, who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to deliver a message, and then collapsed and died. The distance between the two places is reputed to be 26.3 miles.
I went on a drink binge following my marathon claim on saturday and last night I missed football, my exercise highlight of the week, as Emily was rather ill. I'm gonig running tonight to get me back on track. I promise.
A friend of mine told me about a website called runjogwalk, or walkjogrun, or some other combination of those three words. You can calculate the distance of your run, or a planned run. It turns out my saturday morning run was around two miles. I expect the appeal of the website grows when you go a bit further and the results are less daunting - two miles felt easy, but I can't imagine going over 13 times that far. No wonder Pheidippides snuffed it.
I went on a drink binge following my marathon claim on saturday and last night I missed football, my exercise highlight of the week, as Emily was rather ill. I'm gonig running tonight to get me back on track. I promise.
A friend of mine told me about a website called runjogwalk, or walkjogrun, or some other combination of those three words. You can calculate the distance of your run, or a planned run. It turns out my saturday morning run was around two miles. I expect the appeal of the website grows when you go a bit further and the results are less daunting - two miles felt easy, but I can't imagine going over 13 times that far. No wonder Pheidippides snuffed it.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Stage one - the idea
4 October 2008
Today I decided to run a marathon.
I probably run about twice a month, normally if I manage to wake up on a saturday without a hangover. This morning was one of those. And as I sweated by way around the park, I realised that, possibly for the first time in my life, I'm not working towards anything - I don't have any personal goals. Of course, I do at work, and as part of my family, but nothing that is simply mine. I'd love to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats, but I don't have enough annual leave. I'd also love to swim the channel, and I think I'd be pretty good at it, but I don't have the financial backing. But running could fit into my lifestyle if I wanted it to. So my idea was born - sometime, somewhere, I will run a marathon.
I'm 26 and I live in Bristol, UK. Although I'm lucky to have a decent metabolism, I have a disposition for fatty foods, and I work in an office. I do exercise a bit, and all in all I have a reasonably mixed diet, but on a bad day I feel slightly overweight.
So that's it. I don't have a plan and I don't know my subject. I don't have a cause to support, and if I make it to a marathon I'm not going to be the most incredible person there; I'm not disabled, and I'm not going to run it backwards - I probably won't even wear a costume. I'm just an average bloke, setting out on a challenge.
Wish me luck!
Today I decided to run a marathon.
I probably run about twice a month, normally if I manage to wake up on a saturday without a hangover. This morning was one of those. And as I sweated by way around the park, I realised that, possibly for the first time in my life, I'm not working towards anything - I don't have any personal goals. Of course, I do at work, and as part of my family, but nothing that is simply mine. I'd love to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats, but I don't have enough annual leave. I'd also love to swim the channel, and I think I'd be pretty good at it, but I don't have the financial backing. But running could fit into my lifestyle if I wanted it to. So my idea was born - sometime, somewhere, I will run a marathon.
I'm 26 and I live in Bristol, UK. Although I'm lucky to have a decent metabolism, I have a disposition for fatty foods, and I work in an office. I do exercise a bit, and all in all I have a reasonably mixed diet, but on a bad day I feel slightly overweight.
So that's it. I don't have a plan and I don't know my subject. I don't have a cause to support, and if I make it to a marathon I'm not going to be the most incredible person there; I'm not disabled, and I'm not going to run it backwards - I probably won't even wear a costume. I'm just an average bloke, setting out on a challenge.
Wish me luck!
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