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.

this is not a dress rehearsal folks

You only have one life so live it!! There is no point waiting for something to happen, waiting until....you retire, have enough money, until the right time comes along because you never know what is around the corner. 

Over the last few years people I have known  have been taken too soon; some through ill health, sudden catastrophe events or via tragedy. Equally I have close family and friends who have been given life limiting diagnosis's and are having to carry on living their lives.

After each tragic announcement I take stock, reflect on my life what do I enjoying, what is bringing me joy and what is brining me down. Because the saying is true life is too short and you never know when your time is going to be up or when you can no longer do what you once did.

You don’t want to reflect on your life and wish you had: laughed more, loved more, spent more time with loved ones, danced in the rain, sung your favourite song at karaoke, hung out and chilled with those you love. 

I encourage everyone to take stock; do more of what you love, reduce the time you spend on the things that don’t bring you joy. Try and find the balance between being healthy vs indulgent and if you struggle with being too indulgent then be active.

Learn to love yourself what ever shape you are in, your body is a wonderful powerful machine and there are many who are currently going through treatment who would wish to have the body you have.

When your time is up, no one is going to care that you worked those extra hours, or you had an empty washing/   ironing basket, a spotless house or not a wrinkle insight  what they are going to miss is you. Make them smile at the memories made together and they’ll take comfort in the fact you lived your life to the fullest!

Now go out let go of the anger, negativity as they only person they hurt is you.  Go and be around people you love,  make awesome memories and hold on to those things.

Just keep swimming

Following the marathon, with the next six months stretched and whilst we are waiting for summer to load I’m contemplating what to do with my next….. it’s true that marathon training really does consume you both physically and mentally, there is little time to think or do about anything else. 

This happens slowly and you don’t notice it happening, nearly every waking hour is taken up with thinking;

• about the route you will take, 
• the pace you will run, 
• have you got enough gels to get you though,
• will last night’s tea make and unpleasant reappearance where there are no facilities….
• do I have the energy to run again, 
• race day is T-minus x, 
• RACE DAY
• Finish line photos posted to the social media of your choice,
• retold the story about how the wheels fell off, or that you had an amazing race and yes you are pleased with your time!!

and then all of a sudden you have all this free time and mental capacity to do stuff….but you don’t know what to do with yourself. Personally, I’m not going to go on a 20 mile training run for shits and giggles if I ain’t got a marathon to do!  During my long runs, I’d dream about the stuff that could fill my day when not running, and now it is here I’m at a bit of a loss. 

So there was only one thing for it…sign up to a triathlon!  Which I have the North West Sprint Triathlon the end of September it’s a pool based Triathlon so (hopefully) there will be no getting out of the swim and bursting into tears! But what it does mean and with all this additional time I can finally get back in in the pool and back on my bike. 

So far it is week 3 of the new training plan and I’m keeping up my 2 early morning pool swims a week, it’s not easy and something I don’t enjoy that much, mainly because it is pure alone time with my thoughts…which is a scary place to be, because believe it or not I’m not very interesting. The strategy to keep me amused is to a) try not to imagine what those other weird floaty things are in the pool and b) remember what lap we are on.  Another good game is how many laps can I get done before other people join my lane Wednesday's record was 36.  But in the words of Dory “just keep swimming swimming”.

There has not been much in the way of bike training year other than spectating at the Potters Arf the other
week, so I need to up my game there but the awful summer weather hasn’t helped and my bike is need of some TLC maintenance to sort out the squeaking disc brakes.  Currently, my knowledge of how to sort this out has come from two YouTube clips and it looks easy enough what’s the worse that can happen...