Today was the day where all the training and all of the Janathon hard work was going to pay off running the Grim Challenge. I actually looked forward to the Grim compared to the dread I faced in the 2009 race, but today just turned out to be the day I had to drop out of the Grim and crash out of the Janathon.
The suspect hangover I had yesterday turned out to be a heavy cold. Heavy colds for me usually mean a sore throat and fragile asthma. The asthma is the dodgy part, which really needs looking after otherwise it escalates into something more serious. So no Grim for me and certainly no running until this cold shifts.
This was such a hard decision for me to take this morning; I've really been enjoying the Janathon and I've actually started to enjoy my running. If I had to, I could've probably struggled around the Grim, but my it would definitely be detrimental to my health and at the end of the day, that is the most important thing (only just!).
So I'm out of the Janathon, but only temporarily. I like to think of it as a small sabatical. Just a small break until this cold shifts and I'll be back to the running. Hopefully I won't be expelled from the Janathon community and I'll be back to running and blogging as soon as I can.
And if anyone wishes to donate 2 asthma-free lungs, feel free to do so!
Sunday 16 January 2011
Saturday 15 January 2011
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry
With all the planning I've been doing for the Grim and the excitment I had for the run it seems fate and the whole world is against me. Even my efforts at being a Scientician have backfired.
So overall, I'm not really in the mood for this today but I had to clock up a run so the first task was to pop my blisters and dress them. This task fell to my mum, who accidently ripped the whole blister off instead of just popping it. Then came her concerned look that I'll be running through water/mud tomorrow where there could be any number of dodgy pathogens. So all patched up, I headed to the chemist to buy any antiseptic looking product I could lay my hands on. I'm sure my mum would rather me not run tomorrow but I'll be water-proofed and antibacterialised so I'll (hopefully) still have to feet by the end of it.
Blisters
I got a new pair of Timberlands over Christmas and I love them. So for casual Fridays at work, I decided to wear them in for the day. This was one of the most monumental mistakes ever: having to wear them in means they were stiff in the first place. Because they were stiff, I now have a fat blister on each foot. My dad has given me his patented blister treatment which I'll try out soon and hopefully I'll be ok for the Grim tomorrow. I'll definitely have to plaster them up though.Friday Night
With the good intentions of not drinking last night, I copied the routine of last week when I drank far too much and got a kebab afterwards. Not the best way to prepare my body for a run and I have a really bad hangover today, so I'm definitely suffering.Illness
I woke up this morning with a cough and a really sore throat. It is entirely possible that this is due to the alcohol and kebab consumption. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for news on that.So overall, I'm not really in the mood for this today but I had to clock up a run so the first task was to pop my blisters and dress them. This task fell to my mum, who accidently ripped the whole blister off instead of just popping it. Then came her concerned look that I'll be running through water/mud tomorrow where there could be any number of dodgy pathogens. So all patched up, I headed to the chemist to buy any antiseptic looking product I could lay my hands on. I'm sure my mum would rather me not run tomorrow but I'll be water-proofed and antibacterialised so I'll (hopefully) still have to feet by the end of it.
Friday 14 January 2011
Inconsiderate Swimmers
I made it to the pool this morning before work to carry on with my grand plan for the Grim. I always find it difficult to fit exercise in on Fridays. Between team lunches and the usual Friday drinking, the only time to do it is in the mornings. There have been 2 Fridays in the Janathon so far and I've been successful both times.
In the pool this morning there was a nice mix of what everyone is referring to as newbies and some girls who obviously swim quite a bit. The latter cheered me up after having to get up far too early.
Like everyone else at the gym, we all pay our money and so have the same rights to use the facilities but with that use comes a responsibility to use them properly. Take my example this morning:
I had a lane to myself and so a girl (not a "regular swimmer") decided to join me from the slow lane. I have no problems with that because the slow lane was pretty crowded, but she then decided to swim up and down the same rope. Partly from habit and partly from the ingrained lifeguard instinct from years gone by I always swim the correct way around a lane, even when I'm the only one in it. But how can someone come into a lane and decide to swim in completely the opposite direction. Its rude. Its inconsiderate. To put an Essex twist on it, it really jarred my brain.
However, the anger at this made me forget about my swimming, mainly how many lengths I did. I hate counting lengths, so this was kind of a good thing and I (think I) did more than I planned to do. And the newbie learned her lesson soon enough and reverted to the usual circular swimming etiquette.
Swam, blogged, breakfasted and in work by 8:20. Win!
In the pool this morning there was a nice mix of what everyone is referring to as newbies and some girls who obviously swim quite a bit. The latter cheered me up after having to get up far too early.
Like everyone else at the gym, we all pay our money and so have the same rights to use the facilities but with that use comes a responsibility to use them properly. Take my example this morning:
I had a lane to myself and so a girl (not a "regular swimmer") decided to join me from the slow lane. I have no problems with that because the slow lane was pretty crowded, but she then decided to swim up and down the same rope. Partly from habit and partly from the ingrained lifeguard instinct from years gone by I always swim the correct way around a lane, even when I'm the only one in it. But how can someone come into a lane and decide to swim in completely the opposite direction. Its rude. Its inconsiderate. To put an Essex twist on it, it really jarred my brain.
However, the anger at this made me forget about my swimming, mainly how many lengths I did. I hate counting lengths, so this was kind of a good thing and I (think I) did more than I planned to do. And the newbie learned her lesson soon enough and reverted to the usual circular swimming etiquette.
Swam, blogged, breakfasted and in work by 8:20. Win!
Thursday 13 January 2011
I'm a scientician
My normal training routine for the Grim would be (pretend) to train in the months/weeks leading up to it and then rest for a week beforehand. However, this year I can't do that as I have to keep exercising for the Janathon. This meant I actually had to think about how to train and prepare for the Grim instead of just turning up. This meant I had to get clever. This meant I had to get scientific. This is going to blow your minds!
I've started reading quite a bit about running and with the Internet being as ubiquitous as it is, my trusty friend Wikipedia1 is always on hand.
A couple of days ago I was wondering if I might be over-doing it in the Janathon so decided to look into overtraining. It doesn't seem that likely in a month, but it did point me towards something that sounds awesome; Supercompensation. According to the article, the human body is an adjustable organism and when it comes to fitness the body will overcompensate for periods of reduced fitness (hence the name). Apparently this is a well known phenomenon in the fitness world2, but I'm a newbie so didn't know about it. As I didn't know about it, I got very excited. What doors could this open for my Grim preparation?
So here is where the theory gets put into practice. I would estimate I am mostly-recovered from major exercise after 2-3 days3. So, if I train hard 2-3 days before the Grim, I should hit the supercompensation period on the day of the Grim. So... with this new found knowledge, I planned to hit the gym hard today and then a couple of easy swimming sessions Friday and Saturday. Abanoning my plan of going to the gym before work due to tiredness (work, not the Janathon) I hit the gym hard at lunch. I rowed. I push up'd. I sit up'd.
I was quite happy with my workout andvery hopefully optimistic that my 2 hour reading session of Wikipedia will help me run the Grim in a respectful time. I told you it would blow your minds!
I've started reading quite a bit about running and with the Internet being as ubiquitous as it is, my trusty friend Wikipedia1 is always on hand.
A couple of days ago I was wondering if I might be over-doing it in the Janathon so decided to look into overtraining. It doesn't seem that likely in a month, but it did point me towards something that sounds awesome; Supercompensation. According to the article, the human body is an adjustable organism and when it comes to fitness the body will overcompensate for periods of reduced fitness (hence the name). Apparently this is a well known phenomenon in the fitness world2, but I'm a newbie so didn't know about it. As I didn't know about it, I got very excited. What doors could this open for my Grim preparation?
So here is where the theory gets put into practice. I would estimate I am mostly-recovered from major exercise after 2-3 days3. So, if I train hard 2-3 days before the Grim, I should hit the supercompensation period on the day of the Grim. So... with this new found knowledge, I planned to hit the gym hard today and then a couple of easy swimming sessions Friday and Saturday. Abanoning my plan of going to the gym before work due to tiredness (work, not the Janathon) I hit the gym hard at lunch. I rowed. I push up'd. I sit up'd.
I was quite happy with my workout and
Disclaimers
- As everyone knows, if its on Wikipedia, it has to be true!!!
- My mate Dave (who I'm running the Grim with and has more experience with running that me) is adamant that Supercompensation is actually more commonly known as Tapering. I'm not convinced.
- Yes, I know Wikipedia says take recovery estimates with a pinch of salt. You may take mine with an extra pinch of pepper too.
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Token
Just a token blog from me tonight. After the increased effort of the last couple of days, I resorted for a relaxing swim today. Nothing to strenuous but it all counts.
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. My usual 10 hour slog at work started an hour earlier today, so like any typical tired City worker I headed to the pub. I reduced the number of pints I had and still aim to make it to the gym before work tomorrow, but my optimism is slipping.
At least I hope I make it to the gym, I have a grand plan for the Grim on Sunday that is going to blow your minds! Stay tuned until tomorrow to be blown away by science!
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. My usual 10 hour slog at work started an hour earlier today, so like any typical tired City worker I headed to the pub. I reduced the number of pints I had and still aim to make it to the gym before work tomorrow, but my optimism is slipping.
At least I hope I make it to the gym, I have a grand plan for the Grim on Sunday that is going to blow your minds! Stay tuned until tomorrow to be blown away by science!
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Food!! Give me food!!!
I'm really starting to enjoy the Janathon now even if I have giving up logging my exercise on runningfreeonline.com. I have many qualms about the usability of that website (sorry if any of the makers are reading, its not meant in a bad way). Its now more of a personal challenge and the fun of blogging about it afterwards. Plus, the aching is getting better more manageable and I'm actually looking forward to my daily exercise now.
The only problem I'm having is the amount of food I'm eating. I just can't stop! Now, the guys I work with are probably screaming at their computer screens with cries of "You never stopped eating anyway", but its getting worse now.
I'm a firm believer of giving your body what it is telling you to give it. If your tired, sleep. If your thirsty, have a drink. If your hungry, feed yourself. I'm much like a Tamagotchi in those respects. I don't think sitting at my desk craving food is beneficial to anyone, especially my co-workers who have to deal with my hunger-fuelled bad moods. I'll just have to replace sugary treats with something a little healthier. I'm finding a pint of milk is quite a good replacement.
As for exercise, I played football tonight but we're not talking about that. I haven't won a game since the start of the Janathon, which isn't a good omen for the rest of the month. I think my lucky boxers will have to come out of retirement!
The only problem I'm having is the amount of food I'm eating. I just can't stop! Now, the guys I work with are probably screaming at their computer screens with cries of "You never stopped eating anyway", but its getting worse now.
I'm a firm believer of giving your body what it is telling you to give it. If your tired, sleep. If your thirsty, have a drink. If your hungry, feed yourself. I'm much like a Tamagotchi in those respects. I don't think sitting at my desk craving food is beneficial to anyone, especially my co-workers who have to deal with my hunger-fuelled bad moods. I'll just have to replace sugary treats with something a little healthier. I'm finding a pint of milk is quite a good replacement.
As for exercise, I played football tonight but we're not talking about that. I haven't won a game since the start of the Janathon, which isn't a good omen for the rest of the month. I think my lucky boxers will have to come out of retirement!
Monday 10 January 2011
I <3 my iPod
Me and my iPod seem to be like two peas in Janathonised pod. As the legendary runner Forest Gump once said "we go together like peas and carrots".
After finishing yesterdays run with a euphoric glaze on my face, I awoke this morning to lethargy, achiness and a reluctance to exercise. It can only be expected that after putting in extra effort, I will lose some the next day. If only my mind was a perpetual motion machine of effort.
I struggled through my usual 10 hour slog at work and returned home with renewed grit and determination to at least do some running tonight. After twisting my ankle sprinting out the way of a car and generally struggling around my prepared (and this time accurately followed) route, getting to the end I decided to break into a short sprint finish. My legs were refusing to move and my lungs were burning but then... out of no where, my iPod decided to motivate me again. With yesterdays inspirational "Keep on Running", tonight's inspiration came from the unlikely source of N.E.R.D. Their 2001 hit Rock Star has the words "It's almost over now" repeated constantly throughout the song.
How timely that was. Having a well known funk/hip hop group telling you its almost over as you can see your house nearing is such a welcome feeling. I love my iPod and my iPod loves me.
After finishing yesterdays run with a euphoric glaze on my face, I awoke this morning to lethargy, achiness and a reluctance to exercise. It can only be expected that after putting in extra effort, I will lose some the next day. If only my mind was a perpetual motion machine of effort.
I struggled through my usual 10 hour slog at work and returned home with renewed grit and determination to at least do some running tonight. After twisting my ankle sprinting out the way of a car and generally struggling around my prepared (and this time accurately followed) route, getting to the end I decided to break into a short sprint finish. My legs were refusing to move and my lungs were burning but then... out of no where, my iPod decided to motivate me again. With yesterdays inspirational "Keep on Running", tonight's inspiration came from the unlikely source of N.E.R.D. Their 2001 hit Rock Star has the words "It's almost over now" repeated constantly throughout the song.
How timely that was. Having a well known funk/hip hop group telling you its almost over as you can see your house nearing is such a welcome feeling. I love my iPod and my iPod loves me.
Sunday 9 January 2011
Divine Intervention
I took a giant leap towards a good run today by not drinking in the pub last night. Although it was quite a late night (with a chinese thrown in for good measure) it felt glorious not having a hangover this morning. Waking up around midday, I looked out the window to see a wonderful blue sky and not a cloud in sight. How wonderful it would be to get out into the sunshine and ward off rickets for another day.
But life is never that easy, especially when there's a tasty FA Cup tie on TV just waiting to be watched. Promising myself that I would go for a run straight after the final whistle, I used my pre-match time to plan my route. I chose a route of about 3 miles and then settled down to the football safe in the knowledge that I'd make up for it afterwards.
But then ITV threw a spanner in the works by announcing that the FA Cup 4th round draw would be on immediately after the final whistle. This was a horrible dilemma; keep my deal with myself or stay on the couch for an extra 20 minutes...
After the 4th round draw, I started to doubt my deal-making skills. It was now around 16:00 and starting to get dark. The sunshine that had promised to provide me with much needed vitamin D was gone and it was replaced by a bright moon and a dark sky. My session on the sofa had also stiffened my body to unprecedented proportions and also sapped the motivation I had this morning. But as a dedicated Janathoner, I took to the streets.
Going for this run has been a revelation and so many good things happened that I actually returned with a smile on my face. You may be asking yourself how this can happen but I have no answers for you. Its a miracle. It started within 20 strides of my front door. The route I planned was quite a regular route for me, which was putting me off. I've done it so much I'm getting bored of it. That can only mean I'm going running too much, so that was the first good thing.
My legs were quite achy from football yesterday so after changing my route and stopping to have a stretch after 1/2 a mile, I set off at an unusually steady pace. Getting to the end of my improvised route, I thought to myself "I can do better than this", so I added an extra mile on the end of my run. This was amazing. This was more than a miracle. I can't even find words to describe how I felt at running an extra mile.
Towards the end of this extra mile, I was starting to flag a bit, with my legs dragging behind me. This is where my other recent revelation (my iPod) came in handy. As I was thinking an extra stretching session would be a good idea, The Spencer Davis Group starting serenading me with the words "keep on running". The miracles just didn't stop today. With those words in my ear, I picked it up a gear and finished my extra mile with a sprint.
I defeated quite a few demons with my run tonight and now I just want to go running again. I have a feeling this new motivation will dip a little tomorrow when I realise I can hardly move my legs but with the Grim Challenge coming up next Sunday, I'm more optimistic of having a good time than I was last year.
But life is never that easy, especially when there's a tasty FA Cup tie on TV just waiting to be watched. Promising myself that I would go for a run straight after the final whistle, I used my pre-match time to plan my route. I chose a route of about 3 miles and then settled down to the football safe in the knowledge that I'd make up for it afterwards.
But then ITV threw a spanner in the works by announcing that the FA Cup 4th round draw would be on immediately after the final whistle. This was a horrible dilemma; keep my deal with myself or stay on the couch for an extra 20 minutes...
After the 4th round draw, I started to doubt my deal-making skills. It was now around 16:00 and starting to get dark. The sunshine that had promised to provide me with much needed vitamin D was gone and it was replaced by a bright moon and a dark sky. My session on the sofa had also stiffened my body to unprecedented proportions and also sapped the motivation I had this morning. But as a dedicated Janathoner, I took to the streets.
Going for this run has been a revelation and so many good things happened that I actually returned with a smile on my face. You may be asking yourself how this can happen but I have no answers for you. Its a miracle. It started within 20 strides of my front door. The route I planned was quite a regular route for me, which was putting me off. I've done it so much I'm getting bored of it. That can only mean I'm going running too much, so that was the first good thing.
My legs were quite achy from football yesterday so after changing my route and stopping to have a stretch after 1/2 a mile, I set off at an unusually steady pace. Getting to the end of my improvised route, I thought to myself "I can do better than this", so I added an extra mile on the end of my run. This was amazing. This was more than a miracle. I can't even find words to describe how I felt at running an extra mile.
Towards the end of this extra mile, I was starting to flag a bit, with my legs dragging behind me. This is where my other recent revelation (my iPod) came in handy. As I was thinking an extra stretching session would be a good idea, The Spencer Davis Group starting serenading me with the words "keep on running". The miracles just didn't stop today. With those words in my ear, I picked it up a gear and finished my extra mile with a sprint.
I defeated quite a few demons with my run tonight and now I just want to go running again. I have a feeling this new motivation will dip a little tomorrow when I realise I can hardly move my legs but with the Grim Challenge coming up next Sunday, I'm more optimistic of having a good time than I was last year.
Saturday 8 January 2011
The Underdog Story
Today was my first 11-a-side football game after Christmas and I prepared for it like a professional by having copious amounts of alcohol and a doner kebab the night before. Needless to say, the quality of sleep I had last night wasn't the best so I stumbled out of bed and into the shower (I always shower before football, not really sure why).
We were playing a cup game today against a team in the top division (we're in the bottom division) so it was a real David vs Goliath fight.
The score isn't important here, the main thing is that we all tried our hardest (yes, we lost). The ground was very muddy so it was like running on sand sometimes and when a team is better than you, it always seems to be you doing more running than them.
One good thing I can take from the game today was the amount of running I managed. I would compare it to interval running with a gentle jog up the line, a sprint back along the line when the team have lost the ball and the winger has just strolled into your half with no one within 20 metres of him and a short rest while the goalkeeper picks the ball out of the net.
We did manage to string a few passes together and actually managed to claw 2 goals back, but it doesn't really make much difference when your 7-0 to start with :)
Its running time tomorrow and I have a feeling its going to be a difficult one, not least because I feel like I could sleep for the whole of tomorrow. Anyway, to the pub! I'm just glad I've got my blog post out of the way first :)
We were playing a cup game today against a team in the top division (we're in the bottom division) so it was a real David vs Goliath fight.
The score isn't important here, the main thing is that we all tried our hardest (yes, we lost). The ground was very muddy so it was like running on sand sometimes and when a team is better than you, it always seems to be you doing more running than them.
One good thing I can take from the game today was the amount of running I managed. I would compare it to interval running with a gentle jog up the line, a sprint back along the line when the team have lost the ball and the winger has just strolled into your half with no one within 20 metres of him and a short rest while the goalkeeper picks the ball out of the net.
We did manage to string a few passes together and actually managed to claw 2 goals back, but it doesn't really make much difference when your 7-0 to start with :)
Its running time tomorrow and I have a feeling its going to be a difficult one, not least because I feel like I could sleep for the whole of tomorrow. Anyway, to the pub! I'm just glad I've got my blog post out of the way first :)
Friday 7 January 2011
Janathon Ethics
Is blogging on the Janathon whilst drunk within the ethics of the competition? I like to think so if you've earned it... and I think I have today.
My alarm sounded at 6:10 this morning, calling me to rise from bed and get to the train station by 6:31 to arrive at the gym before work. 7:00 I got to the gym and I felt no better than when I woke up.
The difference I did notice in myself today was my opinion on what I should be doing at the gym. I've noticed from the running and swimming that its not my CV that is suffering but the muscles that help me move; my legs, shoulders and pecs. So after 10 minutes on the rowing machine, I made sure my upper body had a good workout, especially myabs ab and my "core" muscles.
The rest of the day was a bit of a tired blur... 10 hours at work and then to bowling with a load of people I didn't really know but I feel good for actually making it to the gym this morning. I feel even better after the doner kebab I've just consumed (I even ate the salad!) and I even managed to watch (the end of) another James Bond film, bit it was only Pearce Brosnan this time, so I don't feel as depressed as Casino Royale.
Anyway, its football time tomorrow and probably a run for Sunday so I'm still (just about) in the Janathon.
P.S apologies for the incoherent blog... I really am quite drunk but I'm trying to follow the 24 hour rule
My alarm sounded at 6:10 this morning, calling me to rise from bed and get to the train station by 6:31 to arrive at the gym before work. 7:00 I got to the gym and I felt no better than when I woke up.
The difference I did notice in myself today was my opinion on what I should be doing at the gym. I've noticed from the running and swimming that its not my CV that is suffering but the muscles that help me move; my legs, shoulders and pecs. So after 10 minutes on the rowing machine, I made sure my upper body had a good workout, especially my
The rest of the day was a bit of a tired blur... 10 hours at work and then to bowling with a load of people I didn't really know but I feel good for actually making it to the gym this morning. I feel even better after the doner kebab I've just consumed (I even ate the salad!) and I even managed to watch (the end of) another James Bond film, bit it was only Pearce Brosnan this time, so I don't feel as depressed as Casino Royale.
Anyway, its football time tomorrow and probably a run for Sunday so I'm still (just about) in the Janathon.
P.S apologies for the incoherent blog... I really am quite drunk but I'm trying to follow the 24 hour rule
Thursday 6 January 2011
Why do I do this to myself?
Today was the first day when I really thought to myself "Is this really worth it?". With a lack of sleep last night (Match of the Day was totally worth it!) and a tough day at work lined up, I had my chin tickled by a buttercup went swimming.
My whole body aches... my pecs are aching from swimming and my shoulders are just generally aching but on the good side my calf muscles are feeling less tight. I struggled through the swim and came out the other side just as achy as I started. So much for exercise releasing endorphins to make you feel good.
Anyway, the saying "its a marathon not a sprint" springs to mind at this point in time. I'm only 6 days in and struggling so hopefully 12 days in I'll be struggling less. At least I hope so anyway because its just over a week until the Grim and I don't really want to feel like this when I run that.
I'm heading to the gym tomorrow morning before work... that means getting a 6:30 train! I'm not sure how I'm going to do that but seeing as I'm going out for a team lunch and going bowling in the evening a morning gym session is my only chance to stay in the Janathon. Why do I do this to myself?
My whole body aches... my pecs are aching from swimming and my shoulders are just generally aching but on the good side my calf muscles are feeling less tight. I struggled through the swim and came out the other side just as achy as I started. So much for exercise releasing endorphins to make you feel good.
Anyway, the saying "its a marathon not a sprint" springs to mind at this point in time. I'm only 6 days in and struggling so hopefully 12 days in I'll be struggling less. At least I hope so anyway because its just over a week until the Grim and I don't really want to feel like this when I run that.
I'm heading to the gym tomorrow morning before work... that means getting a 6:30 train! I'm not sure how I'm going to do that but seeing as I'm going out for a team lunch and going bowling in the evening a morning gym session is my only chance to stay in the Janathon. Why do I do this to myself?
Wednesday 5 January 2011
Swimming with a beard
I turned 25 just before Christmas and I realised at the time that I've never had facial hair. Now, I'm not someone who gets a 9 o'clock shadow at the end of the day. Infact, I don't even get a 9 o'clock shadow 2 days after I've shaved but I thought I'd persevere with the beard growing effort anyway.
Growing this beard is giving me so many different sensations and emotions. I've been compared to one of the Three Musketeers (it wasn't specified which one) and my nan almost refused to speak to me when I saw her the other day (it turns out she prefers clean shaven men) but its staying.
I've found it impacts with the Janathon, but only in good ways. When I've been running, it has kept my chin warm which I never appreciated before. The weirdest sensation though was when I went swimming today. I try to swim only front crawl but on the few lengths I did breast stroke on, I found my beard trapping the bubbles when I breathed out. I'm not sure it improved my buoyancy or increased my resistence in the water, but it felt kind of good. Kind of like when someone would tickle your chin with a buttercup as a kid.
Back to the Janathon, its swimming for today and tomorrow. My calf muscles feel like they are about to *ping* so I'm trying to rest them with some swimming sessions. It still counts for the Janathon (I was never going to win it anyway) and hopefully they will be less painful for a Friday morning gym session and 11-a-side football on Saturday.
Growing this beard is giving me so many different sensations and emotions. I've been compared to one of the Three Musketeers (it wasn't specified which one) and my nan almost refused to speak to me when I saw her the other day (it turns out she prefers clean shaven men) but its staying.
I've found it impacts with the Janathon, but only in good ways. When I've been running, it has kept my chin warm which I never appreciated before. The weirdest sensation though was when I went swimming today. I try to swim only front crawl but on the few lengths I did breast stroke on, I found my beard trapping the bubbles when I breathed out. I'm not sure it improved my buoyancy or increased my resistence in the water, but it felt kind of good. Kind of like when someone would tickle your chin with a buttercup as a kid.
Back to the Janathon, its swimming for today and tomorrow. My calf muscles feel like they are about to *ping* so I'm trying to rest them with some swimming sessions. It still counts for the Janathon (I was never going to win it anyway) and hopefully they will be less painful for a Friday morning gym session and 11-a-side football on Saturday.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
What a game!
Tonight was the first night back at 5-a-side since before xmas. It was a welcome return to football and a welcome break from bog standard running. But what a game to come back to... slick passing... plenty of goals and skills on display throughout the team. It was such a pity that was the other team. I was probably about 5 years old last time I took such a spanking. Oh well, there's always next week.
In my post match depression, I've decided to watch Casino Royale (the modern version, not the David Niven version) to try to cheer myself up and only succeeded in depressing myself further. Not only does James Bond (Daniel Craig) look much more in-shape than I
Not much about running tonight folks, but that's because I didn't do any. I'll add a (generous) mile to my Janathon total and look forward to my swimming tomorrow
Monday 3 January 2011
The day of almost failure
Today was the day that I almost failed the Janathon. It was a day filled with a rearranged Boxing Day dinner with all of my family (including a 200 mile round trip to pick up my grandparents) and a rather large roast dinner.
By 8pm, after nearly falling alseep on the M2, the last thing on my mind was getting kitted out for a run in the freezing January night. However, the thought of failure spurred me on to run a swift 2 miles. I took my own advice from yesterday's (is that supposed to be a possessive? I'm not sure) run and picked up the pace a little. I was a little more tired than yesterday but it was an enjoyable run, with the feeling at the end of it that I'd done something worthwhile. Not curing cancer worthwhile, but still constructive towards a good Janathon.
I'm looking forward to the next few days. I've got the usual Tuesday night 5-a-side tomorrow (instead of running) and I'll take to the pool for the Wednesday in an effort to give my extremely painful calf muscles a rest. I'm not sure what I'm doing Thursday or Friday yet but it may have to be some light lunchtime gym sessions so I can be semi-rested for football on Saturday.
By 8pm, after nearly falling alseep on the M2, the last thing on my mind was getting kitted out for a run in the freezing January night. However, the thought of failure spurred me on to run a swift 2 miles. I took my own advice from yesterday's (is that supposed to be a possessive? I'm not sure) run and picked up the pace a little. I was a little more tired than yesterday but it was an enjoyable run, with the feeling at the end of it that I'd done something worthwhile. Not curing cancer worthwhile, but still constructive towards a good Janathon.
I'm looking forward to the next few days. I've got the usual Tuesday night 5-a-side tomorrow (instead of running) and I'll take to the pool for the Wednesday in an effort to give my extremely painful calf muscles a rest. I'm not sure what I'm doing Thursday or Friday yet but it may have to be some light lunchtime gym sessions so I can be semi-rested for football on Saturday.
Sunday 2 January 2011
Wrong attitude?
I've just got back from my 2nd run of the Janathon and I'm starting to wonder if I have the wrong attitude to running in general, not just the Janathon. I took my run today (2.5 miles) at a medium pace and had a stop in the middle for some press-ups and stretching. But throughout the whole run, I was never near the point of collapse nor was I really pushing myself. This is making me think my attitude towards running needs to be changed.
My current attitude is one of "I want to travel a certain distance, it doesn't matter how fast I do it in". This isn't really helping towards better fitness because I'm not really pushing myself to do better. I have no targets except finishing. I'm thinking that I need some kind of measurement of how well my run went. Time is the obvious measurement; it is definitive, easy to measure and accurate. However, it doesn't really guage how hard I am trying in my run. It will only measure how much my jogging pace has improved.
I think the attitude I need to adopt is one of exhaustion. My semi-informed opinion says that fitness will be improved if you are more exhausted at the end of your runs. If you finish a run on the edge of collapse, the same run in a week or so will start to become easier. So now, instead of measuring how far I've run (I'll still do that to honour the Janathon code of ethics) I'm going to measure how exhausted I am at the end of a run. If I'm not really that tired and could've tried a little harder (much like today) I'll try harder next time. Sooner or later this better attitude should get through my thick skull.
I'd also like to think I can learn lessons from the Janathon, so here's what I've learned so far:
My current attitude is one of "I want to travel a certain distance, it doesn't matter how fast I do it in". This isn't really helping towards better fitness because I'm not really pushing myself to do better. I have no targets except finishing. I'm thinking that I need some kind of measurement of how well my run went. Time is the obvious measurement; it is definitive, easy to measure and accurate. However, it doesn't really guage how hard I am trying in my run. It will only measure how much my jogging pace has improved.
I think the attitude I need to adopt is one of exhaustion. My semi-informed opinion says that fitness will be improved if you are more exhausted at the end of your runs. If you finish a run on the edge of collapse, the same run in a week or so will start to become easier. So now, instead of measuring how far I've run (I'll still do that to honour the Janathon code of ethics) I'm going to measure how exhausted I am at the end of a run. If I'm not really that tired and could've tried a little harder (much like today) I'll try harder next time. Sooner or later this better attitude should get through my thick skull.
I'd also like to think I can learn lessons from the Janathon, so here's what I've learned so far:
- Don't use the word attitude so much in a blog
- I don't really try hard enough when running
- Strengthen my smaller muscles more. My "core" muscles and my calf muscles are killing me
Saturday 1 January 2011
Happy New Year
Happy new year everybody. It was an unusually decent New Years Eve last night. Between wishing a girl happy birthday as well as Happy New Year (this is a novel experience everyone should try at least once), being little spoon to my drunk mate Iain (he sqeezes far too tightly) and listening to John throw up in the kitchen sink at 6am this morning, it was a thoroughly entertaining evening.
Now, if I were to put together the ingredients for a decent run, binge drinking, drunken New Year snogs (birthday girl for those of you who are curious) and 6 hours sleep would not be at the top of my list. But I signed up to the Janathon for a reason and quitting on the first day would be kind of pathetic. So with a complete lack of motivation and many, many yawns I set out of my run.
When I say run, it was more of a stumble around my standard mile route. It was tough and I never want to experience running with such a hangover again, but I was proud of actually going for a run and I'm proud that I didn't quit the Janathon on the first day. Although it was only a mile and I certainly wasn't trying to challenge Roger Bannister it was Confucius who once said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Now, if I were to put together the ingredients for a decent run, binge drinking, drunken New Year snogs (birthday girl for those of you who are curious) and 6 hours sleep would not be at the top of my list. But I signed up to the Janathon for a reason and quitting on the first day would be kind of pathetic. So with a complete lack of motivation and many, many yawns I set out of my run.
When I say run, it was more of a stumble around my standard mile route. It was tough and I never want to experience running with such a hangover again, but I was proud of actually going for a run and I'm proud that I didn't quit the Janathon on the first day. Although it was only a mile and I certainly wasn't trying to challenge Roger Bannister it was Confucius who once said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
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