1 year Anniversary

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of me running.  I signed up for the Great North Run then on 23 Jan 2010 i started my training for a the Blarney Run 5K.  In March 2010 i ran it in 30:30 and i was hooked.  Over the last year sticking to exercise has been no trouble at all.  Yes there are the occasional days when i don't want to go. Sometimes i don't go, others i force myself.  The days i force myself always feel better, but i am learning that i shouldn't beat myself up about skipped workouts as long as i am happy.  I'm far from addicted to working out. I'm still not one who will go crazy if i didn't run in a week, but if i do leave it for a while, it feels fantastic to be out on the road again, or even on the dreadmill.

Adding swimming and cycling - with a purpose - to my workout routine has been a lot of fun and i have found i do enjoy having three focuses.  At first i missed the running all the time and would prefer to go on a run than on a ride.  But now i feel like i enjoy them equally.  The three disciplines are very different and i enjoy them for different reasons.  I look forward to summer time cycling again, but am enjoying the spin classes.

With regards to weight, i'm actually about the same, maybe 5lbs lighter (i have no scales right now) but i am infinitely fitter and my body shape has changed a bit.  My bum is a better shape and my thighs a little different, there is a bit of  gap that i have never had before.  But that isn't my focus. If i am never any lighter or thinner than i am right now, i'm okay with that - i suppose - but if i were to loose my fitness, then i'd be pissed.  I enjoy the fact i can climb stairs for ages without catching my breath. I love that if someone were to chase me, i may be able to out run them (don't really know who would be chasing me but i have thought of it a few times!) I love that running a 10K feels like nothing (well, not nothing, but i could do it any day of the week, in fact i could do it every day if i wanted to).

In fact, since Sunday and my PB i really want to train for a half marathon again. I want a sub 2 hour HM. So i plan to get some longer runs in over the next couple of months.  Gonna make them out doors runs on a weekend and look in to a HM that i may be able to join.  I'm happy where i'm getting with my swimming and cycling for my Triathlon so it won't take the focus away from that.

So all in all, with regards to exercise, this past year has been the best of my life. The only time in my life i have continuously exercised.  I have totally enjoyed it.  It has given me moments to be proud of. Gave me a better body.  Given me experiences i have shared with friends and family that i wouldn't have found in other places.

And it all started with a spontaneous act of signing up for a half marathon.

Good days in a good week.

Monday Wednesday and Friday this week i went spinning, if that is the correct term.  Monday and Wednesday were at the gym.  After Wednesdays spin class i ran for 20 minutes - 3.37km and then did 10 minutes of arm weights.  That was a good day. Friday i got up to go swimming before work.  I managed 34 minutes in the pool. I wish i had longer as 35 minutes is just not long enough in the pool. I felt like i was cooling down right after i had warmed up. This was my session,

250m swim warm up

5x50    15sec rest

5x100  15sec rest

450 swim /cool down

 But i suppose something is better than nothing. 

On Friday night i felt i needed to still do something, given the short swim, so i got my bike out in to the living room and set up the virtual ride on my pc and did a hard 54 minutes of cycling.  It was really nice, as when i got hot, i took my top off, can't do that in class.  Well, i probably could, but won't!  I then fished out my hand weights and did some arm stuff too.  I seriously need heavier hand weights though. 4lbs just don't cut it.

And tomorrow is the postponed 10k from December.  So for only 4 days of working out, i have done a pretty good job this week. Totalling about 4.5 hours is actually good for me.  But, knowing that only amounts to under 5 hours, and i was thinking i could do 10hours a week to Olympic distance train slightly worries me.  I'm not sure that i could ever do 10 hours a week. Unless i do a 3hour bike ride and a long run on the weekend.  In the summer that might happen, but i'm guessing not regularly.  

But i think the most important thing is that i am enjoying what i do and not stressing over what i don't.  I'm never going to be first in a race, i'm never going pro, i'm only ever racing myself and i am the only one i have to answer to.

Aspiring to Negative Splits

I tried to have negative splits on my 10K the other week but with the excitement of the race i started out way too fast. First mile was 9:10.  Thankfully it didn't stop me from pushing it at the end, though i have to consider how much better i could have been if i hadn't gone out too fast.  The second lap of the race not one person passed me, i passed plenty and that is a really good feeling.  I looked at the race results and i came in 93rd of 153 females. The first female was about 20 mins faster and the last female 20 minutes slower.  So i'm pretty much middle of the pack, and in all honesty, i'm pretty pleased with that.

My splits out of interest were 9:10, 10:10, 10:14, 9:33, 9:48, 9:35 the last bit at 8:43pace Avg pace 9:36

So, today as per usual i set out with no plan.  This only seems to occur me about 4 minutes in, when i think 'What is my goal today?'  I have been running a regular route for my short 3 milers which is up Olivers Mount. I like it as it involves lots of hills, there is barely any flat in it. But have also been enjoying just running around Scarborough, my home town, seeing it in a different light, through runners eyes.

Elevation chart for Olivers Mount

So today i fancied a change and ran a completely new route, out to Newby.  Its not an area i know well, in fact, just that its the way to the Hospital. I set out easy and again, thought, whats my goal today? Speed, distance? i realised i hadn't done a longer run recently and decided on running 5 and to try to get negative splits, preferably without looking at Sally every 5 meters! It took a bit of concentration but i did it.  I put my race head on in the second half and pushed it all the way till the end.  The very last 200m is up hill and i really wanted to keep the pace up.
Result = Awesomeness.

9:58, 9:37, 9:27, 9:10, 8:42
5.2mils 47:07 Avg pace 9.03

Almost a 10K

A Wat in Hua Hin

I'm feeling pretty damn good today. I got up at 6:40am and put on my new Nike running outfit I purchased when in Phuket. As Nike and Adidas are made here they are cheaper than in the States. Which means that they are way cheaper than in the UK. So I admit, I spent a bit of money at the outlet stores on running stuff. And some none running Adidas tops too, totaling er..7 tops and one pair of capri's. I was thrilled, one of the best shopping days in a long time, including before traveling.

I rarely buy workout 'outfits' just grabbing what's on sale or the like. But with my new out look on fitness, I have a new desire for sports wear. I don't need to match labels or anything, in fact I think I'd rather not, but having a matching top and bottom was quite nice. Short grey capris with a modern floral flash of pinky-tangerine at the hem and a top, in same pinky-tangerine, that compresses the girls more than my sports bras but not uncomfortably so. I felt good.

Ah, our trusty 7 eleven, and the sun rising.

I felt I had a good lay of the land here in Chiang Rai, we have plodded these streets for two days and it's not that big of a place. I headed south on a familar street and took it to what I consider the edge of town. Then headed east in to the morning sun. It was a hazy morning and looked very pretty but my photos don't do it justice.

The stunning clock tower (is a round-about). This is gold as gold can be.  Last night we walked past and they were lighting it up in changing colours from blue to purple to red and yellow and green. It was spectacular.

There are plenty of stray dogs in Thailand and I was nervous running past them at first ,but they completely ignore you, lazying away the hours in the sun. So i was shocked and a little scared this morning when running past a german shepard and another little thing that they started following and barkng at me. And you know what? They werent strays. These had owners, owners I was pissed at. I'm not a dog lover, nore am I scared of them, but chasing and barking at me is not freaking cool!!

After that incident my run was calm, I ran past the monument we hadn't seen yet so I stopped for a couple of minutes, took off my shoes and photographed the temple and monument. This was at mile 2.65 and i paused Sally.

The temple in the middle of the road.

All that glistens is not gold.  Or is it?

Onward on my loop, I ran now with the sun on my back. I use the sun a lot to determine if I'm going the right direction. Thank goodness it always does the same thing, though mid day help me not one bit.

My loop took me 3.7miles but that wasn't enough. The temperature was lovely at 77f/25c with a nice breeze so I did a pit stop and drank the bottle of water I had placed at the front door, stashed my camera under my shoes (no shoes allowed in the house) and decided that I was going to do the 6 miles I had in mind as I started. My first ever 6 mile run. New territory for me.

An out and back would mean that I had no choice and I wouldn't have to battle my brain to complete the whole thing. As it turned out, I felt really good and probably didn't need that mileage insurance of the there-and-back. I almost took a wrong turn but in the end I ran 6.15 miles in 1:02:57

My splits:
9:52
10:05
10:14
10:38
10:25
10:03
1:40
Average pace 10:13 Score!!

I'm pleased with these splits. Though no, they are not negative, they are quite consistent.  I focused on pushing my last mile to make it negative, but i hit some traffic along the way so only managed a slight negative direction.

Shopping at the market was fun and confusing.  This is just around the corner from where we are staying, and we have cooking facilities so have cooked for the first time since starting our trip. 

I'm really quite thrilled with my run. I really enjoyed it. I felt the same at mile 6 as I did at mile 3. I have been slacking with my core and strength training in general but hope that I can change that.

I'm really looking forward to doing longer runs, not necessarily here in Asia but when I'm home in the easy temperatures of the UK. I still can't get my head around that I will soon be living back in the UK. It's strange to have been away so long and I feel like I have changed a lot in my time away. I certainly see a lot of things differently. It's an exciting time.

omg i just signed up to do a half marathon!

yes thats right, a half marathon!!  its the great north run held in newcastle, uk, and is in september.  unfortunatly its a ballot draw so may not even get in, but now i have taken that plunge and signed up, if i don't get in to that one, i will do the bradford half marathon instead. i find out on feb 12th (ish). i have already printed a recommended training plan, its 16 weeks and is for someone that has no running base. it recommneds doing a 10k race at somepoint so i'm researching where i can do that.   so i get back from my travels in aisa, and right away, i start my training.  i'm really quite excited!  i also wonder if i can get a race in before i leave here?  there's a race on march 13th, a 5k which if i continue with my exercise, i don't see why i couldn't run that.  also, my mum runs the race for life, so i will join her for that 5k in july in my home town scarborough, which will be cool, to run with my mum.  right now, she can run further than me. but i plan to change that!
ok, now on to some inspirational reading.