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Lethargic is the word I would use to describe the start of the week...actually there are a few words I would use but none that I can put here! As I write this, there are sounds coming from the cricket ground as they prep for Lionel Ritchie's concert, and the great man himself liked it "easy like Sunday morning" - I just extended it into Sunday afternoon!
So with a very lazy Sunday behind me, I was determined to get cracking this week. I had new running shoes (my last two pairs were way beyond the 350 mile mark) so what would stop me? Well, feeling pretty knackered to be honest is a bit of a bugger when it comes to running but not withstanding, it was time to runch again. As usual, the little voices in my head were there - "What are you doing? Don't you know how tired the legs are?" This time though, there was the guilt factor of the Sunday before and I simply ignored the voices. Strangely, mile two was significantly quicker than the first one, even allowing for the u-turn needed, and whilst the third mile drifted away a little, I was pleased just to get a run in. That evening saw a gym session (thankfully Georgia not copying my outfit this time!) and a decent 10k bike ride was followed by some intervals on the rowing machine. Personally, the best kind of interval where rowing is concerned is to replace the handle and walk away for an interval of "forever"! However, there I was rowing for one minute, recovery thirty seconds...and repeat. More hardcore gym users reduced their recovery time to twenty seconds but I was stubborn ("stubborn" - I've programmed the timer now, I'm not doing it again and I need every bloody second to get my breath back) The irony of indoor rowing is that it is indoors, yet I always come off looking like I'd fallen in to the river! Wonder if they do pedelos at the gym? I'll have a look near the arm bands later!
Tuesday saw another runch, albeit a careful one as we put Sasha's dodgy calf to the test. As ever conditions were warm, and despite much mollycoddling from me, there was no stopping, lots of rabbit (me) and a 5km run completed (by us both!) I should really listen to what I say though. If the concerns I raised were either in my thoughts or by a fellow runner with regard to any niggles mid-run, I'd inwardly tell them to bugger off as I know best and I'll be ok.....and usually I can then pinpoint the "oh no" moment to the last second! Touch wood though the only things wrong with me at the minute are my age and feeling tired: which is probably just down to my age, so there's only one thing wrong with me! Ace! I'm a medical genius!
With a coming trip to France this week for work purposes, GoodGym was brought forward to Tuesday this week. Conditions were cooler than in previous weeks, but once again I arrived looking as if there had been rain. In fact, it's surely a matter of time before Fletch asks if it has been raining, to which I'll have to reply along the lines of "no, I took a short cut through a car wash" or something creative like that! As ever, the legs tried to play the guilt factor, and again I ignored them, knowing full well that Wednesday would be a write off due to travelling. Smashing to catch up with an old work colleague called Andy who was out, walking his dog. "You look like your putting in the miles!" he commented as I saw him. "Well, I'm trying", I replied acting in what I hoped he thought nonchalant tones (where actually I was thinking, 1 + 1 = 2 and 2 is plural so I AM putting in the miles....just a few of them!) After another good catch up with Fletch including a thorough review of the World Cup so far, I headed back, all too aware that the previous week, I had to walk it. No chance this week, and once the creaky legs got going (having a 90 minute rest in the middle of a four mile run is a skill I've yet to master), I was surprised that I seemed to find a second wind and my returning miles were significantly quicker! Life in the old dog yet?
Wednesday consisted of travelling so I decided to get myself out for a run whilst in the resort of Les Menuires in France. The area is one of stunning natural beauty, but being a ski resort, that brings challenges of it's own. What goes up, must keep on going bloody up as you need to be high up for the snow. As we visited various properties, I started to work out a bit of a 5km course. The idea was to start a little down for about 1km then turn and go up for 2.5km, thus leaving 1.5km to home (and a downhill finish). Once I'd worked out to get out of the hotel doors (naughtily leaving them wide open whilst I made my way round the deserted resort), I took great efforts to notice the stunning scenery around (and also to get out before the sun rose above the mountains!)
Well the downhill part was lovely, and whilst I knew my hatred of hills would not go away, I was determined to crack on with them. But this wasn't just any old hill. It was a ski resort hill and one that was already at 1,800 metres above sea level. I told myself that this was altitude training whereas infact, it was a lesson. No inhaler with me, I was relying on the lungs getting as much air as possible to keep the legs, slowly moving up the hill. I did learn the ability to read minds in French, though I'm sure most people can recognise the expression from one of the rare passing motorists that blatantly said, "tu es un idiot!" I was over half-way and there was more of this hill to come, and I pushed my thoughts towards the downhill section which I will earn! I can't wait for.......uh oh. Hmmm, that's awkard. Let's see....no! No, no! All of a sudden, last night's tartiflette was misbehaving and despite what I thought was adequate preparation, I had a totally new kind of time trial on my hands, and if I failed it, I'd have something else on somewhere else! Never mind thoughts of the u-bend, a hasty u-turn was needed and a dash back to the hotel! 2.2 miles covered! Glad to be back, and there was Pip, one of our directors outside and we had a brief chat. What can you do? You HAVE to reply! I can't very well say, "Can I stop you there boss as I really need to GO*" (I nearly inserted the word crap but thought better of it). Anyway, one downstairs PB set, and I could breathe again.
Saturday saw me back at Worthing parkrun, one of 506 runners, walkers and joggers! The popularity of this event is truly staggering and the impact on the town, immense. Great to see Paul & Issy there (babysitting duties passed to the family) as well as some of the usual suspects and stalkers! Not the best planned approach to the start as Georgia and I navigated our way to the start line through the crowds only to realise they'd started! Some steady negotiation through the masses and a relatively comfortable pace was achieved. After a busy week, I started high-fiving all the marshals and enjoying myself! I'd hoped for a sub 25 minute time and I was chuffed to achieve it! I'm in a curious place with my running at the moment - obviously I'd like to be quicker, but I'm not that keen to put the effort in during a run to achieve it. Perhaps one day soon, this desire will come back and there will be tales of quicker times, and gasping for breath! That however, will have to be another story!
