Running

After a couple of months of running most days, I reached that amazing fitness level where I'm beginning run with relative ease again. I celebrated by buying myself a pair of fancy sport headphones. Hopefully I'll be able to tackle a 10k again by the end of the year. Also, it's fucking cold outside all of a sudden. What the hell.

I've just come back to running after getting COVID for the first time. 3.5 years was a pretty good run, and I was actually thinking I might be immune.... I'm not.

First few runs after recovery were difficult and I felt like someone was sitting on my chest most of the time.

This morning though, I managed 6.79km in 39m14s with the doggo, and felt pretty good. Needed a few rest stops, but I'm getting it back, which is satisfying.

I ran my first half marathon in over 4 years this morning. I used the Garmin suggested workouts to train for the race and felt very well prepared. My default is just to do lots of easy miles when training, so I appreciated the various types of runs the watch suggested.

My initial goal when I signed up for the race was 1:45, and this morning my Garmin said I was in 1:42 shape. I went out with a goal of 1:40 and finished around 1:39:30, even with a slight detour that added about 2 tenths of a mile to my race. 😂

I'll have a pretty light week next week and think about what to train for next.

Considering signing up for a couple of races. A 22k kinda brutual trail run in may with 7 hours to complete and the sydney marathon in September.

I'm bouncing back from injury pretty well, up to about 20 km per week with only slight tibialis posterior pain occasionally.

I think those races are far enough away I'd have plenty of time to train gently. Feeling nervous though, I'm a pretty solitary person and a race has a lot of hubhub.

Plus proper training puts a lot of time constraints on you, I'd be looking at my 4x a week gym and then what 5 days running also. I'm worried committing to a race will rob running of the joy.

Otoh I'd like to see what I can do, and I'd love to run a proper ultra before oestoarthritis takes that off the table and if that's the goal I have to start pushing myself sooner rather than later.

Giving out handfuls of pennies for thoughts

I am recovering from an injury (groin - ouch), so if I am going to go running, it will be slow and short. Instead, I am catching up on same DIY projects.

Third week of running 6 times per week a 5K. I lowered my total time from 38 to 32 minutes, and start to be able to keep my heart rate in Zone 4, making it possible to do the run without stopping. It feels really good and each day that passes feels better. The real challenge that comes will be the colder and wet weather!

Right now I'm just doing 8km runs trying to keep a cardio base, but I signed up for a marathon 6 months from now so training for that officially begins in January.

Yesterday I ran a local 10 mile race that I have been participating in every fall since 2018 (except 2020). 5 years ago I was running at about 90 minutes, but I've been getting quicker every year. This time I managed to beat 70 minutes with a 6:58/mile pace. I had hoped to keep every mile under 7:00, but I couldn't do it. No complaints, though. At my age (upper forties), I'm thrilled to be able to get out and continue to improve at all. Having now finished my last considerable race of the season, now is the time of year where I try to review, slow down, add some easy miles, and let my body heal from a ton of spring and summer training.

weather sucks 😆 In a couple of hours I 'm going to a local small race (44th edition tho!!) and it's raining a lot.

This week the most noticiable feat is that I managed to be consistent with my plank challenge, so I comfortably established over 2'. A couple of long (2h.) walks and two easy run sessions. Now race day!

Even on weeks like this I'm greatful I can run, enjoy running with others.

long dark weeks to come 😝