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 7 - Week beginning 22/02/10

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

A month on since my last report in the Courier and I have very mixed feelings about my progress. It’s been a hard week in many ways and probably my lowest since I started training in January. I have had quite a stressful week at work and home, and I feel it has affected my running.

On Tuesday I ran 3.7 miles in very strong wind. It felt really hard and I was a bit wheezy by the time I got home but had enjoyed it and was running at just over 8 minute miles throughout, significantly faster than a month ago. My next scheduled run was Wednesday, but I didn’t go. When I woke up in the morning I felt unwell with a sore head and tiredness. By the time Neil came home at lunchtime I had decided (and was relieved when my personal physician agreed!) I wasn’t fit to run.

So my next run was a long one on Saturday. I ran out of town and up Newton hill, and out to Tannach. It was the same run that I had done the weekend before but it felt much harder this week. I felt tired and cold from the beginning and found it very difficult to have a positive mental attitude whilst I was running. Even the views were not enough to change my mood as I stomped out and back. I ran it about 20 seconds per mile slower than the week before. Not a big difference, but at the time I was so disappointed as my perceived effort was greater this time.

On Sunday I ran at lunchtime. It was a lovely day, cool but sunny and not particularly windy. I ran out the Wick river and back. Again it felt hard but I managed to sustain 8.15min/mile pace throughout so I was pleased given that it was just a day after an 8 miles run. My mileage this week is lower but this will have given my legs a break and is probably a good thing. I had been fairly consistent with my pilates but even that has been dropped this week due to tiredness and lack of time.

Given that I have felt so negative I decided to have a look back at my diary and compare times for some of my runs with my times a month ago. I was pleased to find my short, fast runs are 15-20 seconds per mile faster and I am able to sustain the pace for longer. My long run times have not changed at all but the distance has increased from 10k (6.2 miles) a month ago to 8 miles for the last 2 weeks. I have also made one of my weekly runs a speed/hill rep session rather than a straight 4-5 mile run. My weekly mileage has gone from around 15 miles to over 20 most weeks.

I think it goes to show that even experienced runners who are used to running four times a week and doing challenging sessions get disheartened from time to time. Looking back at my progress I now feel more positive about my future training. This week was tough and at times I wondered why I was running at all, but I should be able to put it behind me and attack next week in a better frame of mind. I plan to get back into a routine with the pilates and I will try to join the Harriers for an endurance session as I am getting a bit lonely running on my own all the time. I feel the need for a bit of a push to keep up the momentum....