Tag Archives: running

New Year’s Resolutions 2016

13 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Nutrition, Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

  1. Drink more water
  2. Eat less sugar
  3. Be more green and renewable friendly
  4. Attend Parkrun once a month
  5. Remember to stretch after a work out/do more yoga
  6. Dig bike back out of the shed and become a confident cyclist.

On the list for 2016’s New Years Resolutions is to drink more water.  Due to IBS I’m now down to three cups of coffee or tea per day by instinct.  I’d like to make sure that what I’m drinking in between isn’t full of sugar which ties into my other resolution of cutting down on sugar.

Drinking more water and cutting down sugar aren’t really measurable resolutions unless you have an App for that but it seems an important thing to consider generally.  It’s about making the right choices.  I’m not going to commit to cutting out sugar entirely because I love Custard Creams so that’s just crazy talk.  Plus cutting things out entirely can be bad anyway.  But sugar isn’t great for the abs and I’m trying to give them a helping hand.

20151227_115625On Boxing Day I bought this nifty purple Water Infuser from Triton on Amazon.  Now our Office Assistant has one and my Team Leader has one on delivery.  They are trending as the idea has caught on.  They handily come in different colours so we know whose is whose.  At the price of £10 it seems a worthwhile investment.

Since I purchased it I’ve tried a different infusion each day keeping it varied with the flavours is good for you.  It means you’re getting in the goodness of different vitamins. So far I’ve tried; strawberry, lime and orange, plum, lemon and ginger, cucumber and ginger.   I aim to always use what is in my fridge so that way I’m being more green by avoiding food waste.  Odd fruits, hers, and spices combine to make tasty water.

Does it work?  Yes, I’ve found I’m less likely to seek out alternative drinks if I have the Infuser with me.  I’m buying and drinking less sugary or caffeinated drinks.  At the moment I’m downing two of them a day.  This is more than I would drink with just the odd glass of water to throughout the day because it’s readily available.

I’ve been in the habit of leaving it at work but it’s perfect for at home workouts, the gym or yoga.  It’s not so great for running with because it’s quite chunky.  Running with it would be a bit of a chore.

Happy New Year,

Eleanor

 

 

2015 Run Report and Carbon Footprint

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

RunReport2015

 

Count: 536.8 miles

Time: 95 hours 40 minutes running time

Elevation Gain: 27, 172 ft elevation

Interesting to see that I did these miles in far less running time than last year.  It might not have been more miles due to injury.  Last year I did 546 miles in 142 hours which is a great deal more running time.  Now, whether that’s due to the elevation of those miles, or the training time, I’m covering nearly the same amount of ground in quicker time.

This is a considerable improvement either way you look at it.

Kilian Jornet shared an interesting tool that calculates your carbon footprint on his Facebook page. My footprint is 6.62 metric tons per year.  Only 1.1 metric tons higher. The average footprint for people in the United Kingdom is 9.80 metric tons so at least I’m doing better than average – I hope that my run commuting helped towards that a lot in 2015.

You can check yours out here; http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Being more green is a resolution for 2015 and fitness lifestyle plays a huge part in that.  What’s your carbon footprint?  Do you plan to be greener in 2016 and how will you do it?  Working for an energy company has really made me think about my impact.

I hope everyone has had a fantastic running year!

xxx

Eleanor

 

Turning A New Leaf

27 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

The past 6-7 weeks have been pretty much hell.  Doctor ordered a ban after Athens Marathon.  I was suffering from either a stress fracture or planter fasciitis.  As it was more down the inner left side of my right foot with no ankle pain my doctor was convinced it was a stress fracture.  She prescribed anti inflammatory pain killers and a 6-7 week ban from running.  I was distraught.

I’d obviously been planning to run Portsmouth 50k Ultra last weekend.  That didn’t happen.  Although at the end of the ban I couldn’t risk getting back  into long distance running the day after the ban ended.  That would have been silly.

What did I do during those 6-7 weeks?

I busied myself with studying as I started my Advanced Creative Writing course at Open University which focused my mind indoors.  I switched energy suppliers so I now work for the start up Bristol Energy.  I have been finishing a cross stitch stocking for Holly for Christmas.

Fitness wise Steven has been dragging me swimming once a week.  It’s a totally different kind of workout.  Most of the time I’m just minding my own business finding different ways to not drown.  I’ve also thrown myself back into yoga.  The big deal that changed my sanity levels was starting INSANITY.  It gave me the cardio boost I needed whilst being a focus on strength and recovery rather than solely running.  I’ve been tracking my INSANITY progress so at some point I’ll do a post on that.

This break made me think about my running.  About how my determination perhaps got the better of me.  I’d always keep going if I got injured no matter what the cost.  This break has made me realize just how many injuries I fought through when I could have just taken a break until I was back to 100% and got back into it fresh and strong.

On Christmas Day I treated myself to my first run since my xray came back with no abnormalities.  A running friend had warned me that hers didn’t show up either so to still take it easy when starting back up.  I did two laps around my local lake equating to 1.7 miles.  It’s not a marathon but it’s a start!

Moving forward I plan to maintain my focus on stronger running that I had begun in late summer.  I don’t want to go back to my lazy running habits just because I’m excited to get back into it.  I’m turning over a new leaf of going into it with my yoga mind – one that pays attention to my body instead of ignoring the signs.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Eleanor.

Sometimes it’s not just about the goal it’s about the journey getting there.

16 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

‘Sometimes it’s not just about the goal it’s about the journey getting there,’ Sonia Samuels, UK world marathoner women’s 7th placer.  A quote from her interview with Marathon Talk this week.

I 100% agree with this. When I first started running three years ago it was with the goal of one day running the Olympus Marathon inspired by Kilian Jornet. I doubt I’ll be ready for that until 2017 but I’m going next year to spend a week on the mountain and train there.

I’ve had such a great journey so far learning to run.  I ran the Portsmouth Waterside Coastal Marathon, my first marathon, with only ten months training.  Sheer determination got me through it.  I’ve also enjoyed travelling to races with friends both locally and abroad (the fact that running is often a shared experience is wonderful) including the Athens Authentic Marathon and Alexander The Great Marathon.  I still haven’t managed to get into regular Parkrunning but it’s all a work in progress.  

I’ve also experienced quitting smoking, being injured and had onset from Scafell Pike agoraphobia so it’s come with both good and bad. BUT without that initial idea of hey, that mountain looks cool, there is so much life and experience I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t had my mind set on that crazy mountain.  I am truly grateful for Olympus Marathon inspiring me to become a better person than I was three years ago.  

Happy running,

xxx

Eleanor

Countryside Adventures – Following the Mile Signs

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

20150829_094520Here starts the sixteen week training plan for the Portsmouth Harbour Ultra 50k.

It seemed righ20150827_143720t to start it with a new pair of Saucony Ladies Guide 8 shoes from Up and Running in Bristol on North View.  The shoes are shiny and pretty.  Note; they are also not ridiculously pink or anything like that.  I was advised by the assistant that the soles on my old Mizuno’s had run down to nothing after a year and a half of wear.  They lasted a over 700 miles in their defense.  Pretty sure I’d be a bit worn down after that too.

This Bank Holiday weekend I wore them in down at Tytherington in a cottage called St James Court.  There were lots of horses and lots of open field.  After a stressful few weeks I found braving the outdoors tough due to my usually mild agoraphobia playing silly buggers with my anxieties about the great outdoors.  As those of you who read my Scafel Pike blog know that this emerged it’s ugly head at the summit of the UK’s highest mountain (awkward) and has plagued me every since.  Agoraphobia boils down to fear of open spaces, leaving comfortable spaces, and travelling with a fear of death from those things.

How does a runner tackle being agoraphobic? Usually at home I stick to the same routes that I know like the back of my hand. This gets dull pretty quickly though I’ll be honest. However, it’s guaranteed to get the miles in and a heck of a lot better than the treadmill. So when you have mild agoraphobia (made worse by stress which I’ve had a lot of lately) going out for a run in the country can be a real challenge. Firstly, getting out the door knowing you don’t know the area but that’s the adventure life of being a runner. Running in the West Country countryside this weekend reminded me why I started running in the first place. For the sense of adventure. It reminded me of travelers tackling on foot long windy roads in fantasy books when by foot is the only form of transportation.

20150829_095412

On Saturday instead of Parkrun I bravely put hand to doorknob and left for the roads to wear in the new shoes. I meant to stick to the roads, following the signs for Corton but found a National Cycle Path that looked all trails and had some fun. Every now and again looking out to the undiluting farmland to face it. Running 5k through long grass, heather, and thistles chasing bees and butterflies. As I said, it reminded me of what I gun for. I felt exhilarated after facing my fears instead of letting them get to me and staying in bed for the rest of the weekend.

20150830_101452I really have an obsession with running from one place to another and on Sunday morning I followed the signs for Heytesbury for my 5k. Not much there apart from a lovely river, a church and a friendly cyclist that said ‘good morning,’ on her way through. I thought of the meme I saw recently on Facebook that states, ‘You know you’re a runner when you look at the miles on a sign and say I can run that.’

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend whatever their adventure was!

Happy running,
Eleanor xxx

Training: Getting back into the habit.

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

This year took a turning for the worst training wise due to illness in the first few months of 2015.  Apart from running the Alexander The Great Marathon I’ve only done one week of training a maximum 21.3 miles.  My goal for the year had been to beat last years weekly average of a poxy 9 miles and run 13 mile weeks.  Needless to say I’m a bit behind.  Apart from the marathon the longest training run I’ve done so far this year is a poxy 10 miles.

I’ve managed a few weeks at 13 ish miles but only a few.  However, it’s halfway through the year so there is still six months to turn it around.  It’s about getting back into the habit of running every other day like I used to when I first started.  Mixing it up with short speed training sessions and a long run.  So far I’ve been easing myself in to it, aware that too much of a sudden jump could cause injury, even if the amounts might seem small to other endurance runners.

Scheduling in short speed work sessions are easy.  All too often my training runs have been just over 5k (including the distance to work) so I’m surprised I managed the marathon at all.  It’s a pretty big jump from 5k to 42k.  I don’t want to keep repeating that leap.  I remember how hard those last five miles were.

It’s comforting to know that I’ve kept my marathon fitness throughout.  Now it’s about progressing it.  The long run to start with will be a minimum of 10k each week.  Once I get used to this I’ll start adding a hotch potch of speed of extra miles or speed work to keep up my pace.

Yoga has been helping keep my muscles feeling fresh throughout my new schedule.  I’ve promise myself I’ll do a 30 day yoga challenge.  I want to see if I can keep to a commitment of fitness just like with my schedule.  Especially when I know it benefits it.  Meaning I can go from one session to the next with the same intentions without tiredness from the intensity of the other.  This is important for enjoying the run and keeping fresh.

A phrase in the yoga flow I did on the weekend, “take a moment each day to pause and do nothing” something that resonated. I do so much. All the time. I need to allow myself a few moments of peace each day when I’m not focusing on what I have to do on my list and just appreciate being.

Namaste

Happy Running

xxx

Eleanor

Ready for a workout.

26 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in Nutrition, Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

I find myself asking what next? I’ve trained from sofa to marathon in ten months.  To date I’ve run 6 marathons; Portsmouth Waterside Coastal marathon x3, Scafell Pike Mountain Marathon, Bath Running Festival Marathon, Athens Classic Marathon and the Alexander The Great Marathon.  My personal best marathon time is 5 hours 13 minutes as clocked at Portsmouth in 2014.  I’m by no means done running yet.  I just find myself acknowledging that running has made me the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.  It’s taken me to new heights, new places, I’ve made new friends.  I’ve experienced. That doesn’t just stop at running, surely?  I want to start with a new challenge.  I just need to figure out what.  Something that I’ll spend most of May brainstorming.  There’s more out there, I just know it!

I’ve been incredibly busy setting up the Ovo Running Club for the business I work for – Ovo Energy.   We have every other club that could be thought of accept a running one.  I’ve dedicated myself to lead one session a week and have been busy promoting and getting an idea of interest.  So far we have six members and a club session on Tuesday for 5K at lunch time I have to figure out a route for.  I’m glad to be giving something back to the running world.   1

As well as that I’ve signed up for the gym that we have in the basement.  £10 a month for unlimited use and free classes run by Nuffield Health personal trainers.  They set me up with a strength plan as I want to focus on muscle strength all round as I feel at the moment it’s all just in the legs.  I want to balance out a bit.

Nutrition wise I’m well into my second month of being a vegetarian.  I’m loving that vegetables now seem to have more flavor than before.  I tried a slice of bacon the other day and it didn’t agree with me like it once did so I think it’s cemented now.  This is what Eat and Run by Scott Jurek will do to you.  I doubt I’ll have the will to ever go vegan again as I love cheese too much.  Things change though so we’ll see!

xxx

Eleanor

Pain is temporary … pride is forever.

25 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Two years ago this weekeastvilleparkbench I made the bat shit crazy decision to go for a run at 8am before my late shift. I did two miles. I needed to stop at every bench along the lake.

Yesterday I ran those two miles at the same pace namely because I was exhausted from spending several hours in A&E Monday evening with abdominal pains that they couldn’t diagnose as anything in particular after doing every test they could which was quite frustrating.  I am still getting the pains but not as strong an intensity and I’ve been told to manage things with Ibuprofen (Vitamin I) and Paracetamol.  As a runner your pain threshold gets higher so when something feels like pain that can’t just be shrugged aside as, “It’s cool, it’s temporary, pride lasts forever,” you know it’s trouble.  I used to shrug that quote off in races at early stages thinking it was just positive bullshit designed to make you feel better but slightly crappier about your effort.  These days I know that mantra really does work.  Even in day to day life.  Let alone when things are actually genuinely painful.  It helps provide a level of pain assessment.

It’s good to know two miles is no longer a challenge even with feeling like I do.  When I had ovary issues I still ran 5 miles with the club and came out with good times.  Does it give an extra level of determination.  Yes, I can get through this?! I can run twenty six point two miles.

Maybe in another two years I’ll be doing ultras? Who knows. The present is happier for that past decision. I’ve run along coasts in England, Scotland and France, ran up our highest summit, ran 5 marathons including the Athens Classic.  I’ve done things the sedentary me would never even have dreamed of.

If I’m in good shape for Alexander The Great Marathon I’m hoping for sub 5 hours.  This may be unrealistic because I’ve been too tired for long runs lately.  I’m still hopeful that somehow they’ll figure it out and I’ll be able to get back on form.  Resting is hard especially on sunny days when I think I could be running if I didn’t feel so tired!

Looking forward to what the gods have in store over the next few years!

xxx

Eleanor

The sound of hard work

14 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

This is the build up of two years of running at the end of February.  I moved house last month and only just got round to putting up my plaque that I bought a year or so ago for displaying my medals.  I had my window open at the time which let the air in through the room.  As I went about tidying I heard the medals chiming away.  I was proud that my hard work not only created health and fantastic experiences but a sound I could listen too in the present even if the events are considered in the past.  It reminded me of wind chimes and it sounded beautiful.  Hard work makes a soft sounding music for something so tough.
IMG_20150214_110730Step 1: Watch an insane video where Kilian Jornet runs up Mount Olympus along the wrong route and still breaks his record.

Step 2: Think positive, ‘I can do that!’ start running every other day one cold day in late February.

Step 3: Run the Bristol 10k. Convince your other running buddies Liam and Matt that Olympus Marathon is a good idea whilst they’re recovering from the shock of their 10k victory. Whilst on a race high anything seems possible.

Step 4: Buy a fancy running medal display with a funky slogan on it to hang your bling on. Attach it on a wall between a cross breeze created by the window and the door. It doesn’t look like much now but you just wait!

Step 5: Continue to run races around the local area and the Athens Classic Marathon to collect medals. Pile them on the hooks one on top of the other.

Step 6: Open the window.

Step 7: Listen to the beautiful sound of your hard work as the wind catches the medals and chimes them together. Your dedication to your running is making that sound. Your alarm at 6 am telling you to get up and run. Your choice over what to eat and when in regards to how it will benefit your training is making that sound. Your experience whilst running 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon and Ultra distances are making that sound. Your memories are making that sound. Your sweat is making that sound. Your success is making that sound. Remember that at the Start line of your next race. What tune will it make to you? Will you like its sound? There’s only one way to find out. Ready. Set. Run!

xxx
Eleanor

Trying for a 5k PB

03 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by in Running

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Goal:  5k a day meaning 21.7 miles for the week

 

On Monday I ran 5k around the Downs in the evening after a frustrating day at work and grocery shop as I had energy to burn.  So I resisted an invitation to the local pub for Quiz Night from my housemate and laced up my trainers.  I braced myself for the cold frosty night with the full moon hanging out overhead.

I’ve been ill for three weeks with flu and a kidney infection so I’ve only done a few light training sessions to keep up with my Jantastic targets.  I think I was starting to get endorphin withdrawal because Monday I was grumpy as anything and lowest that I’ve felt in a while.  This past week I’d had to throw in a Joker.  Despite that I got 100% for January.  This is way better than last year when I gave up at week two!

I wasn’t up for a hard core track session with Bristol and West this week due to this training lapse so I ran a gentle 29.35.1 to get back into the swing of things.  It was dark and cold getting close to minus temperatures.   I’d clearly gone at #runninghour because the streets were so full of runners I ended up thinking ‘bugger it!’ and running through the park itself on the grass so as not to have to worry about avoiding other runners.  Living here is really like living in some kind of Runners Central.

I hit the hills near the University for some intervals.  It was great fun running at full speed trusting my night vision and instincts.  For the last leg I switched to the path again and started trying to pick off runners in front of me, speeding up to overtake them, until I reached home exhausted but feeling fantastic.  I recovered with a lavender bath to relax the muscles and a large bowl of heart-warming Tomato and Basil Soup.

I obliviously ran past my running friend and blogger Liam who was 30 seconds off his 5k PB.  Inspired by him and my other running friend and blogger Matt who last week clocked a sub 20 5k at the Aztec West 5k I’m thinking of following their determination to crack a good time on the short distance.  My PB for 5k is currently 26.36.6 clocked at Ashton Court Park Run over the summer.  Influenced by their sheer determination I want to try and get a new PB on my 5k.  I plan to run 5k a day for the week to see if I feel any better to running daily like some athletes do.

Tonight I did my second 5k, this time a road run in around the same time as last night but it felt steady so I know when I’m feeling well I can push harder.

Go hard, or go home!

xxx
Eleanor