Winter is the hardest part
I listened to The Infinite Monkey Cage podcast on my run today - episode The Mind v The Brain. Definitely recommended, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are an entertaining pair and the subject fascinating. It hit the nail on the head for me during what has been a pretty dismal training week. Its New Year, the weather has been dreadful, its dark. What's to like?
My running NY resolution is simply to do daily yoga. No duration specified, no commitment to yoga-humiliation in classes, but just to do some. I feel ridiculously stiff and I'm pretty sure that more flexibility would help reduce injuries and general body pain. This runner is getting no younger. Anyhow the point is that I have not set any running targets for this year. Last year I had three (and managed to make all three), so this year is a year off running resolutions. Although last years resolutions are now this year's business-as-usual, so I'm not getting off that lightly. For the record that was (1) run every day (2) complete at least one Ultra (3) have enough points to qualify for a CCC application.
However I have decided to try and crank my weekly distance up to 70k at least up until The Oner. This is week one of that. It hasn't been a great week so far!
Monday was New Year's Day. I managed an early 6k run before family NY activities - 5.29/k which was pretty speedy for that circuit, but I remember feeling grotty despite NYE having been minimally indulgent.
Tuesday was my Sandhills 8k circuit. Its a really good circuit, with a decent flat first half, then a crazy climb, descent and a second steep climb. Kind of like intervals in a loop. I managed 6.04/k on Tuesday, again feeling fairly rubbish - tired and not especially motivated.
Yesterday was my long run. I was planning on at least one run approaching 20k this week, ideally more than one. For family logistical reasons I ended up running back from Guildford. Its a lovely run out of town along the Wey Navigation tow path. The river was in near-flood with the tow path muddy, much muddier than the Down's Link was the other week. Useful as I still was unsure about whether Thames Trot was a road or trail shoe run. Now I remember what winter tow paths are like, there is no question - I'll be packing the Roclite 305's.
Therein lies another annoyance. I bought the 305's a few weeks ago, after realising that my 280s offer poor protection for ultra distance off roadies, certainly for me as an imperfect striker. I ordered a pair of ridiculously expensive size 8's (if you know anywhere selling them at a discount please let me know), and the size 8's feel at least a half size smaller than my 280s of the same size. I can run in them, but they feel close, and I don't fancy doing 80k with no swell space, so I will be trying to find a good price on a pair of 8.5s. Apart from the size, I love the shoes.
Guildford to home started well, along the path, with the 305's doing their job. I enjoyed the first hour. After that I started to feel really dreadful - drained, bloated, sick. I had no idea why. I had the Strava tracker switched on, and started hoping Anne might swing by and offer to give me a lift if she saw my pace slowing, or I might even throw the towel in and DNF the route.
In the end I walked a bit, ran a bit, walked some more and ate fruit pastels. I gradually felt better, but never really enjoyed the second half and limped home with an average pace of 6.34/k
Today I woke not really sure what I would do, although thought I might run in the afternoon, after a planned meeting in Guildford. I was wandering back to my car after the meeting, feeling sluggish, when a runner can up the hill of the High Street looking effortless. I watched him (in a non-stalky way), admiring his energy and feeling inadequate in comparison. Do I really have to run later? Wouldn't it be nice to have a day off, I thought.
On the way home I was thinking of my options. Doing nothing wasn't really one of them. The great thing about "Run every day" is, obviously, you have to. "Nothing" is now my minimal 3k loop, which means my minimum possible weekly distance is now 21k. I would have been happy with that as an average some years ago. I decided to go for the 8k again, it is a favourite run. Once home I had a cup of tea with three sugars (ultra style) and got changed.
Once out I felt better, and settled in to a decent and comfortable pace. I enjoyed the whole run, and ended up coming in at 5.26/k, I think my second fastest for that loop.
Which is where the Monkey Cage and "Brain v Mind" comes in. I have no idea why I feel sluggish this week, and why it feels like a bad week, but it sure is something up there inside the skull putting the brakes on. And that is ok. Its ok to feel tired, its ok to not feel like running, its ok to feel like quitting. Its winter, and by definition mostly rubbish (Oh how much fun was the head-wind today?)
So I share this because I suspect lots of us are feeling winter rubbish right now, and although we all have our own way of moving through phases like that, for me part of it is simply accepting that rubbish is normal, and rubbish is therefore good, as it is a phase that passes. Just don't allow rubbish to mislead you in to assuming that rubbish means bad and bad means stop.
Rubbish today just means your great days are still to come.
Happy running.
My running NY resolution is simply to do daily yoga. No duration specified, no commitment to yoga-humiliation in classes, but just to do some. I feel ridiculously stiff and I'm pretty sure that more flexibility would help reduce injuries and general body pain. This runner is getting no younger. Anyhow the point is that I have not set any running targets for this year. Last year I had three (and managed to make all three), so this year is a year off running resolutions. Although last years resolutions are now this year's business-as-usual, so I'm not getting off that lightly. For the record that was (1) run every day (2) complete at least one Ultra (3) have enough points to qualify for a CCC application.
However I have decided to try and crank my weekly distance up to 70k at least up until The Oner. This is week one of that. It hasn't been a great week so far!
This is a scary number :-)
Monday was New Year's Day. I managed an early 6k run before family NY activities - 5.29/k which was pretty speedy for that circuit, but I remember feeling grotty despite NYE having been minimally indulgent.
Tuesday was my Sandhills 8k circuit. Its a really good circuit, with a decent flat first half, then a crazy climb, descent and a second steep climb. Kind of like intervals in a loop. I managed 6.04/k on Tuesday, again feeling fairly rubbish - tired and not especially motivated.
Yesterday was my long run. I was planning on at least one run approaching 20k this week, ideally more than one. For family logistical reasons I ended up running back from Guildford. Its a lovely run out of town along the Wey Navigation tow path. The river was in near-flood with the tow path muddy, much muddier than the Down's Link was the other week. Useful as I still was unsure about whether Thames Trot was a road or trail shoe run. Now I remember what winter tow paths are like, there is no question - I'll be packing the Roclite 305's.
Therein lies another annoyance. I bought the 305's a few weeks ago, after realising that my 280s offer poor protection for ultra distance off roadies, certainly for me as an imperfect striker. I ordered a pair of ridiculously expensive size 8's (if you know anywhere selling them at a discount please let me know), and the size 8's feel at least a half size smaller than my 280s of the same size. I can run in them, but they feel close, and I don't fancy doing 80k with no swell space, so I will be trying to find a good price on a pair of 8.5s. Apart from the size, I love the shoes.
Guildford to home started well, along the path, with the 305's doing their job. I enjoyed the first hour. After that I started to feel really dreadful - drained, bloated, sick. I had no idea why. I had the Strava tracker switched on, and started hoping Anne might swing by and offer to give me a lift if she saw my pace slowing, or I might even throw the towel in and DNF the route.
Strava Beacon - useful for avoiding "when will you be back" texts!
In the end I walked a bit, ran a bit, walked some more and ate fruit pastels. I gradually felt better, but never really enjoyed the second half and limped home with an average pace of 6.34/k
Today I woke not really sure what I would do, although thought I might run in the afternoon, after a planned meeting in Guildford. I was wandering back to my car after the meeting, feeling sluggish, when a runner can up the hill of the High Street looking effortless. I watched him (in a non-stalky way), admiring his energy and feeling inadequate in comparison. Do I really have to run later? Wouldn't it be nice to have a day off, I thought.
On the way home I was thinking of my options. Doing nothing wasn't really one of them. The great thing about "Run every day" is, obviously, you have to. "Nothing" is now my minimal 3k loop, which means my minimum possible weekly distance is now 21k. I would have been happy with that as an average some years ago. I decided to go for the 8k again, it is a favourite run. Once home I had a cup of tea with three sugars (ultra style) and got changed.
Once out I felt better, and settled in to a decent and comfortable pace. I enjoyed the whole run, and ended up coming in at 5.26/k, I think my second fastest for that loop.
Which is where the Monkey Cage and "Brain v Mind" comes in. I have no idea why I feel sluggish this week, and why it feels like a bad week, but it sure is something up there inside the skull putting the brakes on. And that is ok. Its ok to feel tired, its ok to not feel like running, its ok to feel like quitting. Its winter, and by definition mostly rubbish (Oh how much fun was the head-wind today?)
So I share this because I suspect lots of us are feeling winter rubbish right now, and although we all have our own way of moving through phases like that, for me part of it is simply accepting that rubbish is normal, and rubbish is therefore good, as it is a phase that passes. Just don't allow rubbish to mislead you in to assuming that rubbish means bad and bad means stop.
Rubbish today just means your great days are still to come.
Happy running.
This is definitely a hard time of year for running. It can feel pretty miserable grinding out a few sluggish miles in the the gloom, or for me even worse being stuck indoors because it's too icy outside, but as you say feeling rubbish isn't necessarily actually rubbish. Happy running this year and maybe see you in Chamonix (I'm down for the 'baby' race though!).
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