I get knocked down.. But I get up again.

I predicted, after writing about my first run, I have forgotten / been too lazy to write again.
So here's a blog about the other 3 runs I did this week.

On Wednesday I ran the furthest I have done this year, 5 miles. It felt good and I didn't have to stop at all. In fact I felt I could have gone further. It was also at a faster pace than the training plan requires.

On Friday I ran 3 miles. As I had been running on the flat for the other runs, I felt I was now strong enough to try a bit of gentle hill running. All was going well and no walking was involved, it felt good. It was a run around Lancaster University that I hadn't run before and wasn't sure of the distance. On the return leg, getting near to where I started, I realised that I was going to be about half a mile short so decided to continue running pass the entrance to the university and across the road.

This was my downfall, literally.

I tripped over a curbstone and fell into a spiky bush. I hurt my hands and right leg and also managed to hit my head on the ground just for good measure. I got up straight away and checked myself out.
My knee was bleeding and and my leg covered in scratches.
 

I didn't feel too dizzy and had to quickly decide whether or not to continue running or to give up half a mile short. I felt that I must keep going as to admit defeat this early in my training would only lead to me regretting not finishing later.

I finished without further incident and felt good for completing it.


Saturday was a rest day and it Sunday (today) until I ran again. Sundays on training plans are long run days as this is usually when races are held too. Today's run was again 5 miles.
After running this distance with ease earlier in the week, but after my fall on Friday, I wondered how it would go.

It went badly.

I was very tired, partly I think, because I was sneezing all day Saturday. I didn't go out until noon and although it was still cold, the sun was high and I think this affected me as well. There was a lot of walking and I didn't feel good doing that but I did complete the 5 miles.

When I checked the time at the end of the run I found that, although the time was rubbish, I was still faster than the training said I should be so I wasn't too upset.

First run

So first run of my new training is done. You can check it out by clicking HERE. Go on you know you want to.

I chose to make the route a mostly flat one and I was supposed to run it at a slow pace of 13 minutes per mile as I mentioned in yesterday's blog. (What do you mean you've not read it? Go do it now!)

As I suspected, I couldn't run at this slow pace and ran at a pace of 8:40 instead. It felt OK and I managed to run constantly for the whole 3 miles so after I felt like I was a proper runner again.

Tomorrow's run will be 5 miles, the longest distance I have run for some time. This is also supposed to be run at the same slow pace and I think this one might be.

Don't forget to checkout the next exciting episode of this epic adventure tomorrow.

You ask for it.

So, here it is. Due to overwhelming public demand I an going to restart this running blog. Sadly, to be able to write about running, I will have to start running again too.

I have decided to train to compete in a 10k race in 8 weeks time. (That's 6.2 miles).

I have a training plan and it starts tomorrow with a 3 mile run. The pace the training plan says it should be run at is 12:51 per mile. This is very slow, practically walking pace, so I suspect I will running this a bit faster.

The plan also states that in the 10k race I will run that my expected time is 56 minutes. This is quite a slow time and I fully expect to run it quicker, although I am a bit older but considerably more handsome, than the last time I ran a 10k race.

So expect a blog full of confusing time and distance and pace measurements, reflections on the loneliness of the long distance runner and very bad puns.

See you here same time tomorrow?