2010 Progress Entrant - Iola Wilson

Contents:- -Intro- Report -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- -17- -Final-

Report 10 - Week beginning 15/03/10

The X-ercise Files - Diary of a 'wannabe better' long distance runner

It's been another good week of running for me, with my longest mileage yet. I've covered 24 miles and am feeling great. I've also managed to keep up the pilates 4 times a week but am finding getting up at 6.30am hard going - I have never been a morning person!

On Tuesday I made it through to the endurance session in Thurso again. I increased my tempo time from 4 minutes to 5 and the rest of the session was the same as last week. During the session I found it harder than the week before and couldn't wait to hear Sophie's whistle indicating the start of recovery time. I found myself thinking 'if I don't hear the whistle in the next few seconds I'm giving up and walking' several times. But I guess that means I was working harder and when I had a look at my splits at home my pace was faster than the week before. I felt stiff and tired by the time I got home but my hot dinner was ready and waiting, yum!

I ran on Wednesday at lunchtime in a t-shirt and short skins, the first time this year I've gone out in just 1 layer! I did my 5 mile round town route. Neil and the boys met me at the river (just over 4 miles) to take a picture of me running for the website. I didn't run fast and found the hills hard work, probably because of the effort I'd put in at the session the night before. It felt very much like a 'putting the miles in' run but I really enjoyed the warmth and the feeling of the sun on my skin.

By Thursday I was in need of a recovery day. My legs felt sore and tired at work which is a new thing for me and I think indicates how much harder I am trying at the moment.

Friday was Fiona's hill session at the harbour in Wick. I ran quite a long warm-up (about 1.8 miles), then we ran half-way up the hill twice at a comfortable pace (well, the first time felt comfortable anyway), all the way up the hill twice at a fast pace and half-way up as hard as we could twice. We had a cool-down run and some stretches at the end. Again I had shaky legs after the longer hills and found it difficult to breathe when we turned at the top to face into the wind. I also found the stretching pretty difficult as running has left me fairly inflexible, I suspect my genetics are also partly to blame. I would not be able to push myself nearly as hard on my own and having Fiona break away from me near the top of the hill pushes me to keep up (or at least try to). It was great fun and I was buzzing for a few hours afterwards.

I went for a long run on Saturday morning. Neil came back from his run and told me it was very windy but I think my brain didn't really kick into gear and realise that running out Newton Hill and through Tannach would not offer me much in the way of shelter.

So off I went, making good time to Newton Hill and even feeling the hill wasn't so bad after all, thinking to myself the hill sessions are obviously making a difference, I may even have been a little smug.... And then I turned the corner at the top of the hill and the full force of the wind hit me face on. What should have been a nice flat section and then a downhill required significant effort just to keep moving forwards. I found it difficult to breathe (not because of asthma but the force of the wind in my face) and couldn't hear my i-pod. However, I had been feeling good before this and my legs were not as tired as they had been the previous week so I pushed on.

At about 4 miles, on an uphill section, I started to feel tightness in my left calf. It was high enough up not to be my Achilles so, contrary to the advice I would have given any other runner, I kept going determined to reach 4.5 miles before turning.

Well, the tightness turned into a pain going back down the hill and I seriously considered stopping at a friend's house to phone for a lift home at about 7 miles but her car wasn't in the drive so I pushed on (passing her driving home when I'd made it up my last uphill and managing a cheery wave!).

I was very glad to make it back into the shelter of the town and continued to push myself when I realised I could make it back in under 80 minutes. Given the conditions I was delighted with my average pace of 8.48/mile. And burning off 1000 calories meant I didn't need to feel guilty about eating a piece of the chocolate cake I'd made for my little boy's 3rd birthday.

I have had a rest day today as I can still feel a slight tightness in that calf. I got a little exercise at the pool this afternoon, swimming 24 lengths before Neil and the kids came to join me. I'm hoping with another rest day tomorrow all will be well by my next session on Tuesday.