I ran my second 5k event on the weekend. It was the 'Defence Lake Attack' (terrrrrrible name!) and a bunch of the people I work with were entered (some of whom are 'real' runners, running in a day what I run in a month).
I hadn't really altered my training at all for it, I just kept plodding along the way I have been, working away at my goals, and planned to use the run just to gauge where I'm at.
The course was a great one for me (it was flat, hallelujah!)and it was a very nice day, cool but pleasant. I ran with various people at dofferent points, pacing off them, and while i had a bit of a hard time (calves still tighten up over longer distances) it was overall a pleasant, relaxed run. I pushed as hard as I could during the last kilometre, to stand dry-reaching on the other side of the finish line, barely mindful of the clock!
I thought I'd run about a 37:30, and was pleased to have shaved minutes from my previous 38:39 time.
But when I got to work this morning and found out i'd run a 35:01 i was so delighted i didn't stop smiling for half an hour!!
I'm still turtling along happily but damn, i am getting to be one fast turtle.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Kick some goals
I am on a mission to shed fat.
At 165cm and just under 80kgs, I am around ten kgs overweight for my height, and while I've been trying on and off to shed that weight for a year, I've had no success.
Running helps a lot, but my diet can always be tweaked to help too. If I'm smaller I'll also be faster and have more endurance, and I'll finally be able to run the type of distances I aspire to.
But a good loss is a lasting loss, and a slow loss is a lasting loss, so I'm trying to concentrate on smaller goals that will help long-term, rather than extreme measures that are unsustainable. I've already made some positive changes that I'm very pleased with, my commitment to running being the best, and also things like drinking plenty of water each day, concentrating on nutritious, health giving food, making good snack choices to keep hunger under control, and nurturing and loving my body.
So my goals for the next round of changes are-
1. Gain control of weekends by not skimping on exercise.
I tend to do less exercise on weekends because I'm tired. Shorter dog walks, skipped runs, and laziness. Given that my favourite weekend activity is laying around watching television, I propose that I can 'buy' TV time from myself by making the effort to exercise first.
2. Restrict treat/takeaway meals to one per week.
I love fatty food. But it's generally nutritionally poor, 'yellow food'. There's nothing wrong with a little of what I fancy, but I want to be in control of the frequency, and the portion.
3. Try one new recipe each week.
New foods will help keep life interesting, and add variety.
4. Increase exercise by ten minutes each day.
I'm already out there, and it makes sense to push even my basic thirty to thirty five minute dog walks and runs to forty five minutes. I'll get extra bang for my buck, and if I get to a point where I'm ready to bridge to ten kilometre runs, I'll find it easier to make the time.
It all sounds really simple right now, but in practise it can be difficult. I'm going to make notes of these goals and leave them places I'll see them to remind myself of what I want to achieve.
At 165cm and just under 80kgs, I am around ten kgs overweight for my height, and while I've been trying on and off to shed that weight for a year, I've had no success.
Running helps a lot, but my diet can always be tweaked to help too. If I'm smaller I'll also be faster and have more endurance, and I'll finally be able to run the type of distances I aspire to.
But a good loss is a lasting loss, and a slow loss is a lasting loss, so I'm trying to concentrate on smaller goals that will help long-term, rather than extreme measures that are unsustainable. I've already made some positive changes that I'm very pleased with, my commitment to running being the best, and also things like drinking plenty of water each day, concentrating on nutritious, health giving food, making good snack choices to keep hunger under control, and nurturing and loving my body.
So my goals for the next round of changes are-
1. Gain control of weekends by not skimping on exercise.
I tend to do less exercise on weekends because I'm tired. Shorter dog walks, skipped runs, and laziness. Given that my favourite weekend activity is laying around watching television, I propose that I can 'buy' TV time from myself by making the effort to exercise first.
2. Restrict treat/takeaway meals to one per week.
I love fatty food. But it's generally nutritionally poor, 'yellow food'. There's nothing wrong with a little of what I fancy, but I want to be in control of the frequency, and the portion.
3. Try one new recipe each week.
New foods will help keep life interesting, and add variety.
4. Increase exercise by ten minutes each day.
I'm already out there, and it makes sense to push even my basic thirty to thirty five minute dog walks and runs to forty five minutes. I'll get extra bang for my buck, and if I get to a point where I'm ready to bridge to ten kilometre runs, I'll find it easier to make the time.
It all sounds really simple right now, but in practise it can be difficult. I'm going to make notes of these goals and leave them places I'll see them to remind myself of what I want to achieve.
Blue Tuesday
I hold a deep mistrust of Tuesdays. A seemingly unassuming little day, I think it hides behind Monday, trying not to be noticed, but it's been my experience that Tuesday can be just as evil, or possibly more evil, than Monday.
Tuesday is sneaky. Tuesday is the used car salesman of weekdays. Tuesday must be approached carefully from the side, without making eye contact. Make no mistake, Tuesday is out to get you.
Tuesday can get away with it's malevolence because nobody suspects Tuesday.
It raises the hair on the back of my neck.
I'm not certain that Tuesday presents any hazards that other days don't...or why I am so suspicious of it. In morbid moments, I think I'll probably die on a Tuesday.
Tuesday is a day for being hit by buses, finding out you have cancer, losing your wallet.
Tuesday is a day for painting the devil on the wall.
Tuesday is sneaky. Tuesday is the used car salesman of weekdays. Tuesday must be approached carefully from the side, without making eye contact. Make no mistake, Tuesday is out to get you.
Tuesday can get away with it's malevolence because nobody suspects Tuesday.
It raises the hair on the back of my neck.
I'm not certain that Tuesday presents any hazards that other days don't...or why I am so suspicious of it. In morbid moments, I think I'll probably die on a Tuesday.
Tuesday is a day for being hit by buses, finding out you have cancer, losing your wallet.
Tuesday is a day for painting the devil on the wall.
Monday, August 9, 2010
iPhone love
Like the most exquisite lover, it is delicate to the eye, responsive to handle, and exquisitely sensitive to the slightest touch.
I am deeply, inappropriately in love with my iPhone. It's my first one ever, the new 4 model, and it's shiny and fun and just AWESOME. So amazingly helpful in every conceivable part of my life that after owning it for just one week I've no idea how I ever managed without it. I've bought some amazing apps, downloaded some great music, and it's made my life so easy.
I'm rerunning the c25k to build my speed and endurance. In the bad old days i used a timer to organise my intervals, which had to be reset before each interval or for different length intervals, and sometimes didn't work properly or at all.
Now I have the c25k app, which happily runs in the background alongside the iPod function, times all my intervals for me and cues each run with a friendly voice....what's not to love?
I used to try to work out distance by logging on to the computer to map out my runs online (imapmyrun, etc). Now runkeeper uses satellites to map it for me, including distance, average speed, pace, etc...and it was free!
I can log my hydration each day, dietary input (take THAT, last ten kilograms!), read books, play games, listen to music, surf the web, check the weather, watch tv....oh, and it also makes phone calls.
I am deeply, inappropriately in love with my iPhone. It's my first one ever, the new 4 model, and it's shiny and fun and just AWESOME. So amazingly helpful in every conceivable part of my life that after owning it for just one week I've no idea how I ever managed without it. I've bought some amazing apps, downloaded some great music, and it's made my life so easy.
I'm rerunning the c25k to build my speed and endurance. In the bad old days i used a timer to organise my intervals, which had to be reset before each interval or for different length intervals, and sometimes didn't work properly or at all.
Now I have the c25k app, which happily runs in the background alongside the iPod function, times all my intervals for me and cues each run with a friendly voice....what's not to love?
I used to try to work out distance by logging on to the computer to map out my runs online (imapmyrun, etc). Now runkeeper uses satellites to map it for me, including distance, average speed, pace, etc...and it was free!
I can log my hydration each day, dietary input (take THAT, last ten kilograms!), read books, play games, listen to music, surf the web, check the weather, watch tv....oh, and it also makes phone calls.
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