The Guardian Newspaper in the UK published a service for you to check how your 5k time ranks against other runners. It takes as a basic input your time and gender. Age isn’t considered 😦
Hmmm I rank pretty low…. I blame my little legs and 38 years of slothdom.
Recovering from nasty chest infection. Haven’t run since Thursday 27th March!!!! Was hoping to get back out today but it’s not looking likely. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
I know that I am way too conservative with my running goals. Having tried and failed for so many years to find motivation/willpower/desire to exercise I’ve finally found a formula that works for me, I call it Social Running…
I’m afraid that if I push myself I’ll break the formula and end up a couch potato again. But Social Running means I also read Runners blogs. I see what others have achieved and am inspired to take the next step.
So today I took my next calculated and conservative step forward. Today I signed up for my next race and it’s a 5 miler.
It’s further than I’ve run before but totally achievable. I know that it’s a baby step but it’s the next step I’m choosing to take because right now my priority is still just to keep running regularly irrespective of how far, long or fast.
I’m hoping that when I get to my 1 year running anniversary – coincidentally around the same time as the 5 mile race – I’ll start to trust that I’ve changed for good and will be confident enough to set more challenging goals.
Electric Run Dublin 2014 Dublin done 🙂
Over 7000 people took part…. so many that when we finished there were still people waiting to cross the start line!
As the event got closer I thought we might be dancing more than running but we ran the whole course stopping only a couple of times for photos. Thankfully the hail and rain storms experienced earlier in the day passed leaving a cool and clear night.
There was a great buzz with lots of people singing and dancing at the start and most people entered into the spirit of things by dressing up in some way. I ventured out in pink leg warmers – which are my new favourite things, they really do keep your legs warm – along with various glow sticks, neon gloves and head boppers.
If I’m honest the course was a little frustrating as it was held within the grounds of the RDS Arena, so there was lots of winding around to make up 5000m. Of course lots of twists and turns in tight places inevitably leads to traffic runner jams as people try to squeeze through. But I knew going into it that it wasn’t going to be a traditional race and it was definitely the most fun race event I’ve run so far.
I started running in July 2013 and still can’t quite believe that 1) I’m a runner now and 2) I do it for fun!
Preparing for Electric Run tonight…Glow sticks, neon nails and pink leg warmers at the ready 🙂
After last weeks 5k I planned a leisurely run through Memorial Park and along the river Liffey. There are loads of rowing clubs along the river so we came across a number of boats and coaches cycling alongside.
I’m not sure what was wrong with me but it was a TERRIBLE run 😦 Mentally my head just wasn’t in it and when I tried to challenge myself to a hill, my body wasn’t either. We didn’t even run that far!
I guess sometimes you just have an off day
Arrgh… Perhaps I was naïve but I figured a large race event (5000 people) with major sponsor (Athletics Ireland) would record times. It’s pretty frustrating not having an official time but I know I made my target race time of 35 minutes, knocking over 2 minutes off my first and last race time.
I was only planning to use my Runtastic app for pace setting so pressed start just before my group set off and before I crossed the start line. I think it was running for a minute before I crossed the line and at the finish it read 35m 9 sec. Here’s where the frustration of not having an official time kicks in, I reckon I made it in 34 something but I don’t know what that something is…. aaaaaaargh.
The competitive me is still disappointed with my time but the realistic me keeps rationalising it and telling me I should be proud of the progress I am making. I neglected by body for 30+years, I can’t expect it to perform like an athlete overnight.
A few of the girls from my Running Made Easy class ran their first 5k in August completing it in around 40 minutes. I ran my first in November at 37m 12 and here I am now – still running:) – in February at 34-35m so things are going in the right direction.
Before the race started I had to decide which group to run in 1) Runners 2) Joggers or 3) Walkers. They didn’t associate race times with the groupings so I wasn’t sure whether to join 1 or 2. In the end I opted for 2 because I worried that the pace of 1 might be too fast (7-9 min miles) for me and throw my pace off. In hindsight group 1 might have been better.
I was towards the back of group 2 and loads of people in it walked the first 500 metres clogging up the start. With so many people in the race, the start was a little bit like an obstacle course as runners tried to make their way through. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s ok to run / walk a race but if you’re going to walk the first 100 metres start with the walkers! On the plus side it felt good to be the one passing v being passed:)
So what next? More of the same with at least one speed session a week to try and get my time down further. Plus I’m starting to think about increasing my time and distance towards a 5 mile in the summer.
Tomorrow, a few weeks earlier than planned, I’m running my second 5k race. I’m confident I’ll complete the race, less confident about achieving my race target of 35 minutes…
After a tough day at work, my husband and I decided to try out a new Indian restaurant. It was AMAZING but I finished eating about 2.5 hours ago and I still feel full. I ate way too much.
What was I thinking? … I guess I wasn’t and I fear I may regret it tomorrow morning 😦
Last week I posted on my very stormy day run. I thought then it was the worst weather I could run in but Tuesday brought
It stopped snowing just before my class but it was still very cold and windy. As we waited for the last few girls to arrive my toes turned to ice blocks. It was then that my much smarter and more experienced running instructor admitted she had two pairs of socks on along with the biggest wooly mittens I’ve ever seen.
After we’d been running for about 5 minutes I forgot how cold it was. My base layer began to do it’s job and my toes began to thaw. At 10 minutes it was just like any other day. Around 20 I took off my gloves. 30 minutes in, feeling refreshed and proud of myself, it was time to head home for a warm shower and hot meal.
The weather may seem scary but it’s never as bad as you think it will be plus you get an added boost from feeling bold and brave.
Earlier in the week I planned a new route in the park involving a 0.6m/1km hill. My regular running routes are pretty flat and I decided this weekend I’d tackle the hill. After completing the weekend shopping I really wasn’t in the mood but seeing that it was dry and sunny I decided to seize the moment.
As I ran down the hill I hoped that the wind would work in my favour and push me back up but unfortunately it was side on and I fought it both ways.
They say slow and steady wins the race… I may not have won the race but I did, unlike my husband, manage my pace well enough to run the whole thing 🙂
It was a challenging run but worth every minute. Stretching at the end I could tell my legs had worked harder today.
This week I clocked up 10 miles on route to 500 with 4 very different sessions
After what seems like months of waiting, tomorrow my work’s reorganisation will be communicated. I’m a jumble of mostly negative emotions – nervous, anxious, worried, intrigued, ….
There has been so much uncertainty that I’m envisioning the news as a kind of passing of the baton. Once I know what we’ll be doing, who my manager will be, etc. I can at least make an informed decision to stay or go.
I was planning a leisurely 30 min run tomorrow but may need something a little more intense. One thing I do know, post run I will feel much better regardless of what happens.
thunder2toned 