Day 23!

Ok, here we are at day 23 and I was about to leave work at 22.13 to go home and run.  I got in this morning at 7 as I had a huge amount to do.  But, I've decided not to run but to go straight to bed.  I did another cycle today on the Boris Bike, only about 2 miles but I think that that will have to do as I've another early start/ late finish tomorrow.  I really wanted to run every day, but running perks me up and I need to get to sleep when I get home.  tomorrow I leave for Edinburgh straight after work and won't arrive there until around 11.30, but I'm going straight out for a run in the lovely Herriot Watt campus, just a quick one as I'll have more time on Wed morning and Thursday morning for more decent runs.  I hope my fellow Janathoners are having a successful time.  Over and out.

Day 22 already

So today is day 22, only 9 days to go, but some challenging ones to find a time to run.  I have a mountain of work to finish today so just did a nice 5k, with a 1k cool down.  My 5k time was 29 mins, which was good as I felt very unfit for the first 2k, and my hips are killing me.  this is the first time that I have had problems with my hips from running, but for the last week or so, i am getting starp pains right at the top of my hips during and after running.  I have tried to adjust my posture while running, bought new shoes and am stretching more, but still the pains!  for the cool down I did .5K slow run and .5k walk.  It was a beautiful day so I ran by the reservoirs between Stamford Hill and Finsbury Park.  Blue sky, cold, and sunny.  Perfect running conditions.  I wish I had time for a longer run but work called.  Yet again I have forgotten my password for running free so will have to wait until tomorrow to log in.  Each time I try to get a new password it says it is not possible and then tells me to contact the administrator, but I've looked many times, and can't see any contact details...Happy year of the Dragon to all the runners...

Days 17 to 21

Okay, the fact that i haven't blogged since Monday is an indication of the week I've had.  The combination of my laptop being in the computer hospital all week and my office being locked up all weekend meant that I have been way behind in my work.  But, Janathon almost went on as usual.  Tuesday is my busiest day of the week and I was at work by 7.  I tried to leave at 6 to have a quick pre cinema run but time escaped me.  So, I had to run after the cinema.  A quick(well not really!) trot at 11pm up the down the main road and home again. I was happy to get out and run, but really wanted to hit the sack.  Oh well.  So, the plan for Wednesday was to get to work early (which I managed) and then go to the gym for more spinning and a short run.  It didn't happen, work was hectic, and I got home late, so I didn't run and substituted a quick 20 min cycle in instead.  I am a big fan of the Boris Bikes which aid my zooming around town.  On Thursday it was back to the gym, a short run to start me off, some weights and abs and a quick 2K row, then off to work.  Yesterday, Friday it just didn't happen.  I was at work for 7 again and had a hectic day of teaching and meetings and then went off to a friend's place for dinner.  If I had gotten up at 5 instead of 5.30 I could have had my run, but I didn't.  So, a fail for the 20th of Jan.

So, today I was determined to have a good run.  It was bright and sunny and warmer than I thought it would be so I wore my heaviest running jacket.  2K in I picked myself up a running coach, I generally prefer to run alone so was not too happy at the volunteer coach running with me.  As he pulled slightly ahead of me I nipped across the river and continued my run on the other side, but he came and found me so I gave in and let him coach me.  He gave me some good tips!  Anyway, I decided to cut the run shorter than planned so just did 9K instead of 10 with a slow final K after a bit of a walk.

So, not so many Janathon days left, but I'm hoping that I don't miss another day.

Happy running...

Day 16

I'm running a day behind with blogging about my exercise and a few more with logging as I can't get in to running free.  My password is not being accepted and each time I request a new password, they tell me to contact the administrator, but I can't find any information on the site on how to do this.  Oh well, I will keep trying.  Yesterday was gym day so my running was limited.  I just did 10 mins warm up on the treadmill, 40 mins of weights, abs etc and then 9 minutes and 3 seconds (2000m) on the ergo rower.  I had planned on running back home from the gym, but realised there was a spinning class just about to start so I did that (45mins) and then was very tired so got the bus most of the way home, I 'ran' the last k or so, I forgot to turn off my nike + when I got home so no idea of the distance as it includes me walking around the house once I got home!  Tonight I will do my quick mile as I have a long day at work and Tuesday is cinema night...

Day 14 and 15

ok, complete technological failure means that I didn't get to log or blog over the weekend.  Day 14 was Saturday and I had visitors.  We were up late on Friday night and had to get going on Saturday to meet another friend so I just did 20 mins.  I managed 3.5K so that was fine but I was determined that the following day (Sunday) I would up the distance.  I was delighted with my run yesterday (Sunday) as it was cold and sunny and dry and I decided to go for 12k, along the river lea and down to Hackney Marshes, such a lovely run, lots of dogs, people walking, cycling, rollerblading, running, rowers, people in the canalboats chopping wood...I managed to stay with an average pace of just under 6 miles per hour and when I finished my run I walked for another k to cool down.  The only down was that I forgot to bring a warm top for my cool down and it was freezing, it took me hours to warm up again.  I only really warmed up when I helped a friend move last night, 30 mins of up and down 4 flights of stairs carrying furniture, books, clothes etc got my heart going again and so I'm logging this too!!  Today is a gym day and I'm hoping to run home afterwards.

More later...

(un)lucky 13

So here we are on Friday the 13th, unlucky for some.  My only real brush with Friday the 13th was when my dog Max died tragically at the wheels of my big sister's teacher's car in 1981.  It was a terrible day, and my sis never forgave her teacher.  Anyway, I was supposed to get up and run immediately this morning, but work related anxiety meant that I headed to work very early instead.  I had to leave for a meeting at 12.15 and had a lot of stuff to finish off before then.  I managed it all and then nipped home for my run and to bring my unstable laptop into the laptop hospital to try to get it back to life.  I started off thinking I'd do a nifty 5K, but then the work related anxiety came along again and I decided to just do a mile, go home and head back to work.  So, here I am back at work trying to finish a paper with a deadline of Sunday, my laptop is in hospital, my office will be shut for maintenance or something over the weekend and I am logging and blogging....Tomorrow I will do a short run as I have a visitor and on Sunday I will try a longer one...

Day 12

So day 12 dawned and I was scheduled to head to the gym for a training session.  I went 20 mins early so I could have a run before starting.  I just did 3k in total and then did a killer workout for my legs, arms and abs. Much needed.  I really need to go to the gym more to build up my strength, it really helped 2 years ago when training for my first marathon.  Anyway, yesterday was a bit of a rush as I had to go to work straight after the gym and then get on a train to Southampton for a meeting, back to London and more work.  My laptop is playing up so I was unable to log/ blog last night so here it is.