Juneathon catchup

I've failed at the blogging side of Juneathon but I have still exercised (sort of) every day. 

Friday June 6

I spent the afternoon pitching a tent on my own. I wore my Garmin because I wanted to see how far I moved while doing it (there's a lot of running in circles involved with tent-pitching). I covered just over 1 mile in more than an hour. I also had to run a third of a mile from home to my kids' school because I was late to pick them up. 

Saturday June 7

I accompanied my daughter and her Beaver Scout friends on a 3.4 mile walk from Henlow to Langford and back. It took just under 2 hours and there was a lot of moaning involved (it rained a LOT, plus Beavers are age 6-8). We did get ice cream though. 

In the afternoon I played cricket and rounders with my son and his friends, rounders is a bit like interval training. ;)

Sunday June 8

I took down a tent, which involves a similar amount of running around in circles. It certainly gets the heart rate going. I had a short walk in the afternoon too when I took my son to his karate lesson and visited a friend who has just moved nearby. 

Monday June 9

I did circuit training, it was a Tabata-style circuit (HIIT training). I was exhausted and sweated loads. Had to run to the class (0.3 miles) too because I was late. 

Tuesday June 10

I ran today, I went for a quick 5K on my own before running club (3.4 miles in 27 mins) then took a group of beginners on a 2.3 mile run around the village in 30 mins. Was good to get some extra miles in, my running has suffered recently since my husband started running too. He takes all the good running slots :(

Club night, race night!

Tonight was running club. I don't really get to intermediate running club anymore, because my husband has started running and he's faster than me so he can't really attend beginners club. I go to beginners at 7pm on Thursday and my husband comes along at 7:30pm with the children and we do a relay handover, with two children as the baton.

Tonight's club run was really good. Pete took the run-walk group (who are now running for 7 minutes and walking for 2 minutes, after starting at 1 minute running a month or two ago), and Ed and I took the remaining four runners out. We did a race: Ed and two girls ran one way around the village and me and two other girls ran the opposite direction, the aim being to stay together as a group and beat the other team back. One of my group was really struggling to keep pace, and we had to loop back every 5 minutes to keep her motivated. We passed Ed's team sooner than expected, and that demotivated us for a while. But then my team caught up with the run-walkers so we had people to aim at. Lots of shouting happened, and finally we were on the High St and I was trying to encourage my team and some run-walkers to sprint for home. The best thing was seeing the other team sprinting down the High St too! So we weren't all that far behind, a few seconds was all in the end. A great run, 2.5 miles at 9:50 min/mile pace.

Before anyone starts feeling affronted on my behalf at my being prevented from going to running club because my husband is faster than me, we've organised a schedule from July (when my current Pilates class term ends). He's going to attend Tuesday club nights and I'll attend on Thursdays. I do miss my Tuesday beginners but I have family commitments that make 7pm an awkward time to run.

This might be my last Juneathon blog, 5 days in! I have a busy busy weekend looming. It's my son's birthday party Saturday afternoon, but also the Scout Group sponsored walk is in the morning (you can sponsor us at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TeamPassey) and my daughter's football presentation is after lunch. Blogging will be minimal and include lots of walking (Saturday), and possibly tent-pitching (vigorously so it counts for Juneathon, on Friday).

Finding my inner knee

Today's Juneathon post is all about Pilates. I went to a different class than my usual Tuesday one, although this will become my new permanent class in 5 weeks' time. I always feel awkward at the Wednesday class, even though I'm more advanced than the people who go to it. I make myself try harder so I don't need the instructor to correct me during exercises. And I usually forget to breathe as a result.

We did exercises with the Pilates ring tonight: leg squeezes and arm raises and stretches. I like the ring thing, although I'm always a bit nervous it's going to snap on me (because of my mighty thigh strength). We also tried to locate our inner knee muscles, working these should strengthen our knees and straighten the knee cap (I am known for my dodgy knees so I paid a lot of attention at this point). We located them while sat down and then attempted to fire them while stood up. This exercise should apparently also entail gluteal muscles, so we had to stand there holding our arses to check they were working too. I was trying not to laugh, so I couldn't do this at all.

After Pilates I walked home, put my kids to bed, then went back out for a fast 5K as practice for a race in a few weeks. The aim was to hit 7:30 min/mile but I failed at that and only managed 7:50 average. My husband (who is now an expert at running 5K, or so you'd think) told me my pacing was hideous and I should try to stay consistent throughout the run rather than slowing on the hills. (I think I forgot what I was doing about halfway round because I slowed right down to 11 min/mile.) I've been told now, consistency is the key! I'll try again next week.

Exercise is not a chore

I was supposed to be at Pilates this evening, an easy Juneathon activity. But this afternoon my son was taken ill and I find myself at home and unable to go to Pilates (I've moved myself to Wednesday's class, that's tomorrow sorted).

So for today, I've had to shoe-horn in a 1.3 mile walk while my husband was briefly around to catch potential vomit. Half an hour of dropping the well child at beavers, walking to the shop, and walking home. Chores AND exercise completed in one go. Marvellous. 

Ditching the ab plan, day 2

Today's Juneathon activity was circuit training, I made a last-minute decision to go to the class based on a lack of work to do and a need to tone ab muscles etc. Ran to class (that must also count for something). Today's circuit featured 16 stations of core/leg/arm/cardio exercises, each done twice.

Had to amend squats and lunges because my knees are playing up, focused on technique. Managed some full press ups with feet on a medicine ball, and again moving the ball hand-to-hand between press ups. Seem to have cracked the "sideways jog things with standing ab curl".

I've decided to ditch the 30-day ab challenge, on day 2. I studied the challenge in detail and I think it just increases in difficulty too quickly, it will only lead to injury! I shall persevere at the leg raises though, we do those in Pilates class and I find them really hard. I did just under 100 ab crunches today during circuits, which counts for something.

Weighed myself too. Need to lose 14 lb before my cousin-by-marriage's wedding in July. This is what happens when you lose focus and think you can eat what you like because you're running loads.

Kick up the ass needed

Since MK Marathon I've felt my running hasn't been easy. Post-marathon-lack-of mojo-itis. I ran Stotfold 5K 2 weeks after the marathon (and was 2nd woman) but my time of 23:07 wasn't spectacular (albeit my best 5K time for more than a year).

Anyway, time to look forward not back. I've decided to do Juneathon as a way to kickstart my mojo again, or at least make me do exercise every day. I'm also doing this 30 day ab challenge that seems to have taken over social media. Although if I can do 125 sit ups, 200 crunches, 65 leg raises, and hold a plank for 2 minutes by June 30th I will eat my own hat (made from rice paper...).

Today I did a 10K interval workout, to heart rate zones. I ran for 10 minutes to warm up, then aimed at 162-170 HR for 7 minutes followed by a 3 minute recovery at 139-145, and repeated that 3 times. I ran the remaining distance as a cool down. Felt very unfit, and struggled to get my heart rate into either the threshold or the recovery zone, it preferred to hang around in the no-man's training land of 150 bpm.

Stats

Distance: 6.3 miles
Time: 56:12
Av HR: 154 bpm

30 day ab challenge

15 sit ups
5 crunches
5 leg raises
10 sec plank

2013 review

Coming to the end of 2013, I've looked back at every month to remind myself what I did and give myself some ideas about challenges for 2014.

January 2013

I took part in Janathon for the first time, a running challenge to exercise every day in January and blog about it. It was quite snowy in January, but I managed to exercise daily and I ran more than 100 miles in total.

February 2013

I ran Baldock Beast Half Marathon at the end of February. I trained hard and was hoping for a PB, but in the end my hips and knees weren't up to the pace and I had to slow down after 10 miles because I was in a lot of pain. I took some consolation from the fact I'd been quite badly injured at the end of 2012 and the race was the first proper test of my physio rehab. Plus I ran 1:51, which was a course record for me :)

March 2013

The week after Baldock Beast, I was up in Blackpool to race in the Stanley Park 10K (with my parents-in-law). I was hoping for a PB, but didn't count on how fatigued I'd be after the half the week before. I nearly passed out after 3K. Needless to say, I didn't PB, but I did run sub 50 minutes, which I was fairly happy with (although I discovered afterwards that the course was short-measured...).

April 2013

A poor month from a running point of view; I was unwell for a large part of it with a chest and sinus infection. A lesson learnt: don't train when you're unwell, it just makes everything worse.

May 2013

At the beginning of the month I raced in the Greenway Challenge, an off-road self-navigated half marathon around Letchworth. I'd been hoping for a PB after my disappointment at Baldock Beast, but my illness in April meant I was only just recovered in time. The weather was really hot, and in the end I decided to run to enjoy myself, and finished in a PW of 2 hours. More lessons learnt.
The day before, I'd run in a local 5K with my children, my son (age 7) finished in 38 minutes and my daughter (age 5) in just over 40 minutes. I'd had to carry her for about a mile, but still, that's pretty good for a 5-year-old!

June 2013

I took part in Juneathon, the warmer version of Janathon. I didn't have such high expectations this time round, no aims to run daily anyway, but I failed with 2 days to go when I injured my shin during an interval session at running club. What a noob.

July 2013

I ran 12 miles during the whole of July. My random leg injury (and lack of funds to pay for physio) meant I had to increase the cross-training and take up cycling and swimming. I quite enjoyed the cycling if I'm honest, although not enough to take it up seriously. Swimming was OK; it's never going to be something I look forward to, but I can do it to an adequate level. I signed up to an aquathlon (Freedom Tri's Duck N Dash, 400 m swim and 6 k run) and began to train for it at Letchworth Outdoor Pool with some friends.

August 2013

I finally got back to running, but I only managed about two runs a week because of the summer holidays. I took part in a training day with Freedom Tri for the Duck N Dash, which made me realise how rubbish I am at swimming! But it was valuable training experience.

September 2013

I took part in my first aquathlon, the Duck N Dash, and enjoyed it so much I might do it again in 2014, mainly so I can improve on my woeful transition time (about 2 minutes). Later in the month I ran the inaugural Baldock 10K, which was a training run for Standalone 10K. It was such a tough hilly route that I was completely put off ever running that route again! Which is a shame because the 10K was one lap of the Ashwell Half Marathon that I quite fancied doing. But a lesson learnt is a lesson learnt.

October 2013

This month began with Standalone 10K. Yet another PB attempt foiled by circumstances conspiring against me (a family event the day before meant I was tired and not fuelled properly). Nevertheless, I ran just over 50 minutes and learnt not to give up even when I think all is lost. A good lesson. (I discovered later that Standalone was my fastest 10K race in 2013.)
I decided to push on and put in some serious training for Stevenage Half Marathon the next month. Lots of focus on heart rate training and proper interval sessions. I ran over 100 miles in the month.
I also passed the 1-year anniversary of running my first marathon, which coincided with me signing up to run my second marathon (MK) in May 2014!

November 2013

I finally achieved a PB for the year, running an amazing 1:45 at Stevenage Half Marathon. My training plan paid off, which proved to me that having a plan and sticking to it is really important. I began to plan my training for MK Marathon, with my aim to reach 14 miles in training by the end of the year and continue with quality interval training. I also ran another 100 mile month.

December 2013

I ran in the festive First Saturday 5k wearing my Santa hat, and put in a lot of miles to round off the year with another 100 mile month, and 900 for the year.

Plans and challenges for next year:

January 2014

I'm aiming to complete Janathon again, and I've signed up to Jantastic, which is a longer term challenge (January to March). For January, my Jantastic challenge is to run 4 times a week. I'm also racing in the Folksworth 15, which is a new race event for me, and NHRR's First Saturday 5k.

February 2014

I'm taking part in Baldock Beast again, but as part of a long run for marathon training (17 miles). Perhaps a course record won't be on the cards this year, but it will be good to run the race for enjoyment. Another First Saturday 5K is planned too, with my aim to beat January's time. My February Jantastic challenge is to set a weekly long run target, which with marathon training will be fairly straightforward!

March 2014

Lots of long runs on the cards this month, but I hope to race NHRR First Saturday 5K and beat February's time. March's Jantastic challenge is to set a flat-out time target over a specific distance. Since the 4-week period for this challenge is after the First Saturday 5k, I'll have to either run the route on my own or do my first ParkRun. 

April 2014

This is marathon taper month (for my last marathon I "tapered" for 2 months due to injury!). I'll be focusing on shortish runs (<10 miles) that incorporate speedwork, and staying healthy. 

May 2014

I'm running MK marathon on May 5th, my main challenge for the year! I'm hoping to run near 4 hours. Afterwards, I plan to recover with short runs, easy bike rides, and swimming (when Letchworth Outdoor Pool opens).

June 2014

I hope to have recovered from MK Marathon so I can take part in the Herts Hobble, and I might do Juneathon again, with half an idea to train for a late summer half marathon (there is a rumour of another half marathon around Baldock in the summer).

July and August 2014

Summer holidays! I have no plans other than to run (maintain half marathon fitness), cycle, and swim when I can, and not be injured! If I decide to do the Duck N Dash again then I'll be training for that event, and in August I'll start to think about Stevenage Half Marathon and Standalone 10K training.

September 2014

Duck N Dash possibly, maybe Baldock 10K if the weather is good beforehand. And training for Standalone 10K.

October 2014

Running club's focus event, Standalone 10K, is at the beginning of October. And I'll be training for Stevenage Half Marathon.

November 2014

Never let it be said that I'm a creature of habit, but I'll be racing Stevenage Half Marathon.

December 2014

No plans to do anything except the First Saturday 5k and maintain my fitness.

Juneathon day 28: broken

I'm definitely feeling the effects of Juneathon today. Which for day 28 is pretty good going I think (in Janathon I was knackered by the end of the second week).

Last night I had a bit of a niggle in my left shin when I got back from run club. I iced it, and again this morning. It seems fairly localised to one area, and it doesn't affect my ankle. By this evening it felt better and because I'd eaten so much dinner I decided I had to go for a run. 

I stuck to my route around town, it's usually 4 miles, but 2 miles in my leg started to REALLY hurt. To the point I had to slow right down because I could barely put my weight on it. Cut my run short. Ice pack straight on when I got home. Already feels better. I think the last 2 days of Juneathon will be core work and perhaps a bike ride. 

Juneathon day 27: intervals in the rain

Last night I agreed with Cat Simpson from The Twitter that hill sprints were so much nicer than 400m intervals. 

Tonight at run club we did 400m intervals. 

In the rain. 

We did 5 fast 400m sections with jogged recoveries of 400m, and then a walk back to base. 4 and a bit miles in total. 

Slightly disgruntled to be the slowest in the group. And I'm really trying and everything. 

Must. Try. Harder. 

Juneathon day 24: trying not to dance while planking

Another Monday, another circuit class. This is now a regular thing because my husband has decided he wants to cycle regularly, on Monday and Wednesday evenings, meaning I will have to give up Wednesday circuits.

Enough of that. Circuits is circuits. Today we did 10 stations repeated three times. I started on inverted row (I don't like them so I try to start on them), moving on to plank (double ball), kettlebell swing (16kg), reverse curl, skipping, press ups (full and three-quarter), bicep curl, hamstring curl (one-leg, with scaffolding pole across my abs), ab crunch (with a 5kg kettlebell), and finishing on star jumps. 

Exhausting stuff. The problem I have during circuits though is containing my desire to dance when my favourite tune comes on. Today, I was trying to hold my plank while Sam and the Womp's Bom Bom was on -- quite tricky. I managed a small bum wiggle.

Juneathon day 23: Scarecrows

I was up early this morning to accompany some Stotfold Runners on a 10K. Six runners turned up, and we grouped ourselves nicely into run-walkers (who ran 5 minutes and walked 1 minute) and runners. My group were two of our faster runners, so for me it was a bit quick (for a Sunday morning anyway!).




Several hours later and I'm getting the bikes out of the shed ready to cycle around Stotfold to look at the Scarecrow Festival. We saw some really good displays this year, hubs and I liked the hospital operation one best, and the kids preferred the Despicable Me minion one (will be winning the "topical' vote there).


Now it's time to cook roast lamb and drink wine. The bonus of exercising in the morning!

Juneathon day 22: quickie

I have a massive hangover today. Too much booze and not enough sleep. Anyway, enough of that, I waited until late afternoon (when I was more or less recovered) to run. Just 1.5 miles (my new fav route around the fields) in 12 minutes 27 seconds, whipped along at 8:20 av pace. That included me climbing over a fence. Pleased.

Juneathon day 21: abs

I didn't run today, despite attempts at provocation by a friend (he beat my mile time trial time and was goading me). I'm off out to the pub with friends tonight. So I've got half a mile walk ahead of me to get there (plus the return journey). That hardly counts for Juneathon though so I've done a mini circuit. 

1 min ab curls

1 min 3/4 press ups

35 sec plank

1 min ab curls

1 min plank. 

Should help me keep those abs held in tonight!

Now, what to wear?

Juneathon day 20: 10 days to go

Forgive me for counting down, but Juneathon has been hard! 10 days to go. 10 days to go. *and repeat*

At running club tonight we were supposed to do speed work for beginners and intermediates, two sessions of speed work! I was my usual encouraging self and sprinted alongside particular beginners to make sure they were "reaching their full potential". Pleasantly surprised to be caught and passed by a few runners. Although that makes them future targets for pain (from myself or Pete). Just warning you Julie ;) xx

At intermediates we had the prospect of more speed work, and Pete had brought his whistle. Goodness knows what he had planned. Anyway, no one seemed keen on speed work, several people have injuries, two guys are running a marathon on Sunday, and I was a bit tired from beginners speed work, so one of the runners said he would lead us on a short run around town. 

3 miles in and I'm wondering where the heck we're running to. At 4 miles I was ready to lie down and sleep. At that point we all stopped running and decided to walk home, for another mile and a quarter! Was nice though, we had a good chat about "stuff".

So total running/walking was just over 7 miles. I'm rehydrating with cold lager and pretzels. 

Juneathon day 19: partner circuits

Circuit training tonight. I was a bit worried it would be super 8s because it's over a month since we did that. It wasn't. It was partner circuits.

This consists of 8 pairs of stations (2 different exercises at each). So for example, one person does 15 press ups while their partner jogs on the spot. Then they swap exercises, repeating until 2 minutes is up.

It's hard work, the first time we did partner circuits I was unwell and had to go home early. Tonight it was very hot and humid. Plus there were only 13 people so I had to partner with PT Pete. 

It was so hot tonight that I had sweat running down my face after one exercise. At the first rest break I had to wipe the sweat from my shins and my eyes were stinging. Halfway round the second circuit I slipped on my own knee sweat. Yes, I sweated from the front of my knees. I didn't know that was possible.

But I burnt 350 calories, so that's a good thing :)

Juneathon day 18: running and Pilates (again!)

I think I'm becoming the "joke" in my Pilates class. The one who always turns up late, in running gear, sweating profusely, and needing the loo. 

I've decided I can just about fit in Tuesday beginners run club, if I drive there and make sure I'm finished just before 7:30. Usually we have plenty of help from intermediate runners at beginners (they come early and take a group of beginners, then run the later group too). 

Tonight no helpers came along, except me, so I took all the beginners while Coach Pete took the few run-walkers. We ran 2.5 miles through the fields, and everyone did really well. But the small groups became quite spread out so, towards the end, I had to run back and find everyone and make sure they knew where to run. This meant my last half a mile was rather fast (and uphill). 

I made it to Pilates though (at the local school). Had the most pleasant wash in the kids' toilets (paper towels, *shudder*). We did a few progressions today, and had an interesting discussion about Joseph Pilates and classic vs clinical Pilates. I'd googled him at tea time because my son was interested, so knew he'd developed his method during WWI. You can google if you're interested...

Juneathon day 17: quick run before school

On Mondays my training plan always says "intervals". I rarely do intervals though, I simply don't have enough time to run for longer than 20 minutes. 

So after work and before school pickup, I headed out for possibly my shortest ever Juneathon run! 1.5 miles in 14 minutes. Lovely and quick at first glance, but the first 0.75 miles included a walk through chest-high nettles that suddenly engulfed me on an uncharted footpath. So the last half of the run was at least 8 minute pace. 

Tonight I've been at a school meeting supporting a friend who wants to organise a trail marathon to raise money for school. I was the running club rep to reassure school that we have members who will help. Looks exciting!

Juneathon day 16: Stanley Park

I was in Blackpool today for a family christening. We stayed at my in-laws' house, and they live quite close to Stanley Park. It's a great place to run, loads of paths, so you can make your run a bit longer by taking a detour. Or just run all the way around the outside, which is about 2 miles. 

I've run two 10K races in Stanley Park before, "bags of PB potential" as the racing websites declare, because it's quite flat. 

I intended to run for an hour today, but I'd been co-opted into helping prepare food for the post-christening buffet and in the end only had 30 minutes to spare. So I decided to run around the park once, with a detour thrown in around the skate park. 

Saw a spectacular pigeon road kill too. Feathers and blood everywhere. Must have missed seeing it by seconds. Also saw preparations in place for a cycle race around the park, which fortunately started after I was running, else I'd have been flattened by cyclists!

So that's my Juneathon for today, a 30 minute run (exactly 5K). I'm glad to be home now and back to proper running or exercise, instead of making it up on the hop. 

Juneathon day 15: skipping and planking

I've been travelling today, and with family events tonight, chances to run anywhere are nil. So, in a spare 15 minutes, I set my interval timer to 1 minute with a 15 second rest and alternated a minute of skipping with a minute plank. I managed 3 minutes of skipping and 2 minutes of planks before the kids wrestled my skipping rope off me. 

Juneathon day 14: rest day!

Friday is always a rest day for me, apart from those Fridays when I go for an evening run...

Anyway, I couldn't run today for various reasons, although I have done a lot of walking. So today's Juneathon effort is a full plank held for 1:05. Pleased with that. 

This weekend we are busy with family events, my grandma (in law!) is 80 and a cousin's daughter is being baptised. So fitting in exercise could be tricky. Running kit is on standby.