Use it or lose it!

More recently I have been questioning if I have the ability to be as quick as I once was. 

Looking at my power of 10 results for the last 9 years of running, there is a clear purple patch for my running between 2013 and 2014; the majority of my PBs were achieved; it was at this time I started to introduce interval sessions and the long tempo runs and the results can clearly be seen.

Although I have continued to keep up with the interval sessions and the occasional long tempo run, you can clearly see the decline in my results for the last 5 years… my heart wasn’t really in it.  I often refer to this period as straining my CBA muscle which, I have to say, is worse than any bone or ligament issue.  You know you should do it, but the burning lungs sensation and aching legs all feels little too uncomfortable so you back off or decide on another easy shorter run.

I have been quite honest about the lack of running mojo for the last couple of years and this year we turned a bit of a corner when it comes to running mojo, it’s definitely back…although I’m still not wanting to push myself into the uncomfortable place of training; the burning lungs and aching legs.

To be honest I’m often torn between wanting to be quicker(getting back to my PB ways) and worrying that this is where it all went wrong last time and why I felt out of love with running.  Perhaps I just need to go with the flow, continue to enjoy the running and trust the process. And to be fair my average pace per mile is coming down, slowly,  and in the last couple of months my parkrun times are coming down to the 25-26 minute range and I even ran my fastest parkrun in 3 years in June.

Over the next few months, I’ve a couple of half marathons (GNR, Bilbao) and sprint triathlon (North West) coming up and the aim for the half marathons is a sub 2:00 for the GNR, possibly a seasons best for the Bilbao and for the triathlon it would be nice to get an overarching PB for this and possibly try for a quick 5k at the end. 

So perhaps the question is not do I have the ability to get quicker,  as we know there are many veteran lady runners who are much quicker than me, but is more about do I have the desire to get quicker and what is the cost I’m willing to pay.

Can you fool yourself in to being positive

So it has been a while since my last blog; NO I have not fallen off the face of the earth, NO to a life changing lottery win and NO I have not found my fame and fortune on Britain’s Got Voice Factor. The past couple of months have been a little be meh’ when it comes to running and finding things to blog about.  I normally come up with my blog titles and themes during my runs, but I have been drawing a blank recently. 

At last tonight’s running club post run 'chippy tea' a fellow runner asked me if I have been injured as they had not seen in a while, I thought about this for a minute; said no the physical injury but yes to a MOJO injury!  Can you injure your MOJO? I am not sure if it is burn out, fatigue or just simply a bit of a slump but when I’m not running I think about how great it would be running but then when I’m running I just want to stop and crawl under a rock. Strange but true, having said that I have just recently run the Great North Run and the Nottingham Half marathon, so although my MOJO is telling me to stop, my iron will is keeping me moving forward! 

Something positive

can you see us ?

I really enjoyed the Great North Run (GNR) this year; this wasn't a target run for me, that was Nottingham, so I had offered to pace Emily to a personal best, Sharon who was also running GNR had said that she would jump on the pace bus for fun.  Everything was going well and we were hitting the splits, but it was getting hotter and hotter, unfortunately this was not suiting Emily and she was struggling.  So we decided to change tack and we slowed down a little and made sure that we catered to her every need, raced off to water /refreshments stops and making sure she was hydrated, keeping up her spirits with lots of positive re-enforcement and generally enjoying our run with those around us! It was fab, we all crossed the finish line holding hands and with smiles on our faces. I have to say that I was one race I thoroughly enjoyed for the 1st time in a long time! 

Something else positive

Nottingham was going to be my target, but my training had not gone well with self-sabotaging thoughts. I reassessed my goals and went out for a  personal best this year, but the mojo deserted me 3 miles in and my mind started to go off on one about how crap I was and why didn't I give up!  Well I didn't I carried on a ticked off the miles, the splits were not what I was after but, hey I was moving forward which was good.  

It was a good job I carried on as I helped a distressed runner; between 9/10 miles, saw this chappy running and he was running very strangely, leaning back and looping very slowly, so I stopped and went back to have a chat with him.  He assured me he was fine and for me to carry on, so I asked him “if he always ran like this”, “no” came the reply, “well you are not fine then”, then two other runners came to my aid and we escorted him over to the side of the road.  I shouted for the runners going past to send back a marshal and a lady got him a chair to sit on.  Fortunately but the time we left him he was looking a bit brighter and I hope that he got the medical attention he needed. Then I carried on my run, my goal had gone out of the window but you know I didn't care, I helped someone out in need and that was more important!

Something productive

With all my negative thoughts I am trying to do something’s to put the spring back in my running step;

1. Tackling cross country never done it before, hated it at school but hoping the club and team environment will help me get my MOJO back
2. Reading (or listening to) Chimp Paradox by Prof Steven Peters, if it is good enjoy for the GB cycling team it is good enough for me
3. Scaling back the running during the last few months of the year
4. Contrary to point 3 looking to take part in Go-Vember again trying to run at least a mile every day during November 

Something to look forward to

• I have got my good for age place at London, this time I want to enjoy it a little more. My first London, I was so in awe and focused on getting a good time it took all the fun out of it.  So next year it is all about enjoying it and the time is irrelevant.

• I have booked my races for Feb, March and May and I am looking to do some different ones that in the past, so we are off to Blackpool half and a 20 miler, Milton Keynes half and I am hoping to do Ashby 20 as well.

• I am part of the Team behind bringing back the Potteries Marathon, which is fun, exciting and exhausting all the same times…not sure what the Potteries Marathon is all about click here.

• I;m doing the Thunder Run again next year with a large number of my club mates which is going to be awesome, fortunately not the 5 laps like this year (I don’t think that it helped at all).

Well that is my lot, again apologies for the lack of posts over the last couple of months, fingers crossed normal service aka bad grammar, spelling and general confused posts will resume soon!