Cold, Cold Evening

The minute I stepped out for my run this evening I knew I had to go back inside and pick up a third layer of clothing - my running jacket. It was 20:00hrs when I set off but after the 3rd km the temperatures fell even lower. I could see my breath now and my legs weren't responding very well to what I wanted them to do. Going back home for the jacket, I did think about wearing my jumper pants over my tights but chose not to thinking I'd be fine. MISTAKE.

The fact is that I was actually doing so well for the first 3km, after that things just went down hill. I don't know if the hinder was in my legs, or in my head but at some point I thought seriously of giving up. Then I remembered a piece of advice that someone once gave me; to build stamina I was to run for as long as I could and when I couldn't run anymore I would alternate walking with running. Most importantly I had to cover the distance at hand.

That is exactly what i did - cover distance. I want to improve my speed but more than that I want to increase my endurance so I did the 9km the best way I could with my stiff cold legs on such a cold, cold evening.

Summary of Week 5

This week, I managed to make two sessions out of 4 and enjoyed them immensely. They were also such an improvement as can be seen below.

Thursday - 5km: 33 min (goal: 30 min)
Saturday - 9km: 70 min (goal: 54 min)
Average speed: 7.92 KPH (YAY!)

Procrastinating, that it is what the problem is. I kept putting off the first run of the week until it was time for the second one. When I finally went out on Thursday it was 22:30hrs. It is safe to say I was in a hurry to get back because normally it takes me over 40 minutes to do 5km. It was already dark and too late to run around so I couldn’t go the planned 8km.

Thursday
Thursdays run was great and this is probably why:

1. Rest - Having run just 1 session the preceding 14 days, I was all rested and ready to take on the trails again.
2. Meals - With 8 small meals spread out through the day my energy was at a high that day. I used to do it when I primarily trained with weights and it worked wonders especially with weight loss. When I started running I stopped planning the meals that way - as it proved to be time consuming - to concentrate on the running.
3. The atmosphere was just right for running. The temperature was quite agreeable and the wind was mostly still. It was a bit humid but I like humid when running in the evenings.
4. Music always gives an extra oomph. With the bustle and hustle of the day off the roads, I cranked up the volume on my MP3 player higher than usual and took on the sidewalks  like I owned them.

Saturday
The 9km on Saturday was also very enjoyable. I incorporated the fartlek technique which meant that I could sprint or run fast between any chosen distances and then run extremely slow for shorter periods of time to recover. At times I walked but it wasn't for long.
To my surprise recovery was very quick and I was energized after the quick run as opposed to being worn out.

I had no clue how long I would be there so I took water with me. It was the best decision of the day.

I can still feel the (positive) effects of this run 24 hrs later so I guess it was about time I moved on to longer distances. I wasn't getting that feeling anymore. One problem is that my feet hurt like crazy.

I can’t wait to go out again.

Kids Make For Excellent Exercising Partners

After all the running I did this past weekend, my glutes are still wincing every time I move and that goes for every other muscle in my legs.

Visiting my sister, I always pack my running gear but never use it. Same story this weekend therefore none of that running had anything to do with training on my part. It had every thing to do with playing.

Playing hard

The girls out in the park

My sister has two beautiful girls under the age of 10 so playing is always on the agenda.

Saturday evening we skipped rope for what seemed like an eternity.

After jumping rope the younger of the girls dared me to catch her. I went for it; I still remember how much her mother enjoyed being chased around the backyard (she still does:)) so I am familiar with that game.

Before I knew it we were playing a game of tag, running back and forth in a minor playground that had all the conformation to work every muscle in my legs. There was a sand pit, two or three hillocks with patches of dirt and grass. There were also bicycle shelters, benches and of course swings so we had to make loads of sharp turns and slide a lot to avoid collisions.

When I thought we were done their mother joined the game and we started all over again. Then my other niece wanted in too but by that time it was getting a bit chilly so we carried on for just a little while longer before calling it quits.

With her having a cold and their mother and I feeling as bushed as we could get after 2 hours of hard-core cardio games, it was just the right time to stop. Next time I visit, I will leave my running gear at home to make room for playground gear instead. After all, these kids are excellent workout partners and where better to join them than on their own turf.