Running is boring. When I was running in the summer I thought audio books might be the answer but I never found one that was distracting enough. I think this is because books are read out loud more slowly than you would read them in your head, and that even if the reader puts on silly voices you're still listening to one voice, talking quite slowly. I also find the verbal descriptions of situations make less when someone else is reading out loud, they seem clunky and distract from the dialogue and story. Or maybe I just don't like audio books.
Bleak Expectations has been a brilliant choice to get me going again. Easily the funniest thing I have ever heard on the radio the first three seasons also clock in at 9 hours, which is a fair bit of running. Knowing how well this has worked I've taken the plunge and bought the BBC radio adaptation of War and Peace, all 9 hours and 30 mins of it and will let you know how I get on... Suggestions of other things to listen to while running would be very welcome.
Monday, 25 October 2010
Sunday, 24 October 2010
7 miles along the sunny seafront
Blimey, I've just run 7 miles. Without stopping. I may have taken it pretty slowly but I have just run 7 miles. My lower back and ankles are a little sore but apart from that all seems to be well. Now for a stretch and something to eat.
Friday, 22 October 2010
Do the math
Having set up my expected vs. actual training spreadsheet it now appears that, since Sunday, I have run 13.1 miles, otherwise known as a half marathon. Although I certainly couldn't run that distance in one go I've got a mental picture now of what a half marathon looks like, and it isn't a terrifying as I thought it would be.
5.3 miles on a windy Friday night
Our trip to Norfolk has been cancelled so instead of a short run today/long run tomorrow it seemed a good idea to run tonight and Sunday. As I still felt okay at the end of the run I did on Wednesday I tacked on another half mile.
Bleak Expectations is a great help, keeping me entertained while doing a pretty boring exercise. On the final episode of season one with seasons two and three already lined up and by the time I've listened to all nine hours my BBC delivery should have arrived. If anyone has ideas for making running less boring please let me know: if I come up with any bright ideas I'll post them.
Bleak Expectations is a great help, keeping me entertained while doing a pretty boring exercise. On the final episode of season one with seasons two and three already lined up and by the time I've listened to all nine hours my BBC delivery should have arrived. If anyone has ideas for making running less boring please let me know: if I come up with any bright ideas I'll post them.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Wednesday 20th October
Today was my first run since a short one on Sunday with at the Training Day. That was a little too quick for me and left me with sore legs for a couple of days. The good news is I very comfortably managed 4.8 miles without stopping and could have gone on for longer. My hope is to tackle a 7 mile run from Lancing on Saturday and that doesn't seem quite as stupid now as it did when I was thinking about it on the train.
Back home, Neale's sorting out the curry, had a good stretch and starting to cool down. Feeling pretty pleased with myself but know that this is just the start and 4.8 miles is 21.4 miles short of a marathon...
Next run is a short one on Friday (at Bracknell tomorrow so no chance of being home in time to run, I know, what a glamourous life...) and as we're off to Norfolk on Sunday it'll have to be a long run on Saturday.
Back home, Neale's sorting out the curry, had a good stretch and starting to cool down. Feeling pretty pleased with myself but know that this is just the start and 4.8 miles is 21.4 miles short of a marathon...
Next run is a short one on Friday (at Bracknell tomorrow so no chance of being home in time to run, I know, what a glamourous life...) and as we're off to Norfolk on Sunday it'll have to be a long run on Saturday.
Monday, 18 October 2010
Training Day 17th October 2010
The theme of the Training Day at the Metropole was "Don't Panic, Keep Calm and Carry On" which is just as well because that's exactly what I was thinking I was likely to do. Having not run at all for some weeks I was starting to think I'd made a huge mistake. The atmosphere, the mix of people (all shapes and sizes and some who definitely didn't look like keen runners) was encouraging and the presentations surprisingly down to earth, except for the Women's Running pair who I'm sure I'll talk about another time.
Anyway, the point of this blog is to try and keep me on track with my training. I got a buzz out of Sunday and need to keep that feeling. The best way I can think of to keep myself running is to put pressure on myself by being open and telling friends and family, anyone in fact, to pester me as much as they're able to about how my training is going. The only thing that is likely to make me keep at it is the embarrassment I will feel when I have to tell people I just gave up because I couldn't be bothered.
So the challenge to anyone who reads this is keep bugging me about my marathon training. I'm sure it'll be extremely boring for you but I will (eventually) be very grateful you did.
Anyway, the point of this blog is to try and keep me on track with my training. I got a buzz out of Sunday and need to keep that feeling. The best way I can think of to keep myself running is to put pressure on myself by being open and telling friends and family, anyone in fact, to pester me as much as they're able to about how my training is going. The only thing that is likely to make me keep at it is the embarrassment I will feel when I have to tell people I just gave up because I couldn't be bothered.
So the challenge to anyone who reads this is keep bugging me about my marathon training. I'm sure it'll be extremely boring for you but I will (eventually) be very grateful you did.
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Sunday, 17 October 2010
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