PB's VLM rejection and not running much

This blog is abit different... as it's mainly about me not running... but when I have run I've ran well!

Let's start with the Virgin London Marathon ballot though... drum roll please... I didn't get in BUT do have a lovely white wind breaker rejects jacket that I am keeping for a rainy day. Oh well there's always next year.

This lovely rejection magazine led me to thinking about races I can enter next year and I now have a lovely A1 wall planner with green stickers for races I have already paid for and entered and yellow stickers for races I have found that I want to enter, though I suppose I should really start getting into the swing of running again. Since hurting my ankle at Parkrun on the 1st September then being on holiday and some other things going on it has become apparent I haven't really ran in 4 weeks. Infact until this week I had only ran 6 miles since September 1st...not good. Technically I have been running a year now, I started out October last year and seem to have hit a platue with my running, either that or 4 weeks off is just too long and I am out of the running habit.

I will say one thing for not running though it can help? You think I'm joking right?... wrong!
My previous 5k pb was 29 minutes 43 seconds, on the 25th September 24 days after my last run I went out, head down, garmin watch covered by my coat, in the rain and I just ran and was totally shocked to find I had gained a new pb (or pr for those that only count pbs as events) My new 5k record is 28 minutes 45 seconds not a lot off I know but I was saying to myself the whole run that I'll be happy just to run 3 miles without stopping after having so long off so you can imagine I was rather pleased with myself.

Maybe I can get back into this running malarkey after all... or maybe not. Two days later I went for a run thinking I need to build myself back up to a decent mileage as I have a 10k coming up then a half marathon the week after that then two weeks after that I have my first (proper) Marathon... I managed to run 2.14 miles and went home. At the moment I am feeling like my legs and arms (for some reason my arms keep going weak and heavy when running) belong to someone else, I cannot seem to engage my legs and head to work together. Still I am trying with another 1.14 mile the following day, I know it hardly seemed worth going out!? and then a 3 miler I knew I had to get something half decent in so yesterday I put on my trainers and camel bak and went out the door, back to basics with my heart rate monitor on I thought I would try to go 7 miles at half marathon HR target. Once again legs felt dead, arms felt dead heck even my brain felt dead and I just couldn't be bothered but I ploughed on anyway ran up every hill and didn't stop once by around mile 4 I had given up trying to keep my heart rate down it was working at 185 bpm majority of the run so I changed my strategy to run a 10k and see what my time would be though I didn't intend to look at the timer until just under 6 miles. Coming up to 6 miles I changed from HR to timer and was pleasantly surprised that even though I was feeling dreadful all the way around and would rather have been sat at home doing nothing I was going to get a pb...if I really really pushed the last bit. So I did, forgetting the fact I was going to finish over a mile from my front door and hadn't bought my inhaler I just went all out and got a new record! My old 10k time was 1 hour 8 mins and 21 seconds... my new 10k record is 1 hour 3 minutes and 31 seconds!!

I then walked the rest of the way home trying not to have an asthma attack! I really do need to build up some sort of running base now before Rutland Water Marathon start of November else that isn't going to be a good day as I have heard the course is quite challenging.

Here's an update on future races though I do have lots of yellow stickers at the ready for Feb - March 2013

October 14th      Tamworth 10k
October 21st       Birmingham Half Marathon
November 2nd    Rutland Water Marathon
November 25th   Kingsbury Park 10k
December 1st      CATS 10k Charity run
December 2nd    Run For Fun Christmas 5k
December 16th   Enigma Christmas Marathon
January 5th & 6th Engima Winter Double Marathon
April 14th             Brighton Marathon
May 6th               Milton Keynes Marathon
June 2nd              Severn Way Ultra (58miles)