Double Milestone

Today marked a double milestone for me.

The first one is my inaugural run in my first ever marathon training schedule.  I've set up an 18 week training schedule that has just started and will end with the Dublin City Marathon in the end of October this year.  Although a bit nervous of the time commitment and the training involved I am looking forward to it.  I'm also going to try to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society while doing it so if you would like to support me please click on the mycharity.ie link on the right hand side of this page.  All support is very much appreciated.

The second milestone I've reached is that with this run, run number 57 of the year, I have equalled the total number of runs for 2010.  So in 6 months I've managed to get my legs out the door the same number of times as the full 12 months of 2010, a great improvement for me.  Now I have a nice target to beat, more than 57 runs in the final 6 months of this year.

Here is a comparison of both 57 runs a slightly longer distance in a slightly faster time.

Juneathon Meltdown

The first half of Juneathon went well.  I managed to get in 15 day of exercise in a row and blog about it.  My legs were tired but there was a nice sense of satisfaction at managing to get in 15 days of exercise in a row and I was starting to notice the difference from the core exercises.

Then meltdown.  I felt run down.  I know tiredness is a state of mind but I lost my motivation and a bit of my willpower to continue exercising everyday.  I also backed away from the Internet, so I've read no posts and written none since June 15th.  This is not to say that I have not ran during this period because I did, I just didn't do what I hoped I would.

I guess I found out how tough Juneathon is if you are not prepared for it.  I'll be back next year with Janathon and hopefully will make a better go at it then.

So since the 15th of June I've ran a total of three times.  Once for 17km, another for 6km both shown below, and I also ran a Half Marathon race, the strawberry half.  Race report to follow.  It's back on the horse again and the next run will be the first run of my 18 week Dublin City Marathon schedule, a schedule I hope I am better at sticking to.

Juneathon - Day 15: Exercises

Today I was pretty tired after work and left the little bit of exercise I had planned to do today until late. I did manage to get in 34 minutes of sit-ups, push-up parallel stretches and balance exercises. I feel really tired now and am off to bed. A 6 to 8km run planned for tomorrow.

I also got my sponsorship pack today from the Irish Cancer Society. I'm running the Dublin City Marathon on October 31st, my first marathon, and am fundraising for them while doing it. If you wish to donate to this cause please click on the mycharity.ie button on the column on the right. The marathon training schedule starts in July and I'm not sure what to expect but I am looking forward to it. But before all that starts I have a half marathon on Sunday week. I better get in a good long run this weekend to make sure I can still do it.

Juneathon - Day 14: Speed Workout

Today I didn't really know what I was going to do running wise.  I wanted to run at least 6km but how was still to be decided.  I was working until 9pm and when I got changed I decided to do a speed workout.  It had been a while since my last one.

The goal was a 1km warm up, stretching, then 500m fast followed by a 1 minute walk 8 times and then a 1km cool down followed by stretching.  In my head I said I wanted the target time for all 8 500m to be under 2:30 but as close to 2:00 as possible.  When the first 500m started I went off too fast and was unsure how I would mange 8 at that pace.  When I reached 4 reps I felt 6 is enough I'll stop after 6.  When I hit 6 I told myself there was only 2 more to go I had this.  Meanwhile I think my Garmin was playing tricks on me.  I could swear that the 1 minute walk was getting shorter and shorter.  Rep 7 came and went and then on rep 8 I decided to go for broke as the rain began to bucket down.

Finished and into a 1km cool down then stretching.  I felt great afterwards.  Good workout.  Here are my times:

500m:
1: 1:54.59
2: 2:06.45
3: 2:05.29
4: 2:09.38
5: 2:07.95
6: 2:05.34
7: 2:01.25
8: 1:53.63

Two of the 500m under 2 minutes.  Delighted

Juneathon - Day 13: Core Exercises

Today was another non-running day.  I got in 31 minutes of core exercises and balance exercises.  Enough to fulfil my Juneathon goal.  Tomorrow will be a running day.

Juneathon - Day 12: Running

This morning the weather was horrible and I was not looking forward to my run.  It was dark, wet, cold and miserable.  I needed to run as it had been a few days since I did and I knew I would have to go out in this.  I can't believe this is June.

When the time came to run the temperature had risen a little and rain had stopped.  I didn't bring the gloves that I was contemplating in the morning.  When I got to my starting point I left my jacket in the car, the weather had improved some more, and set off at a nice pace.  The idea for today was to try and hit 15km.  I'm supposed to run a half marathon in two weeks and I haven't run further than 12km in almost two months.

The first 10km were nice but then the dreaded IT band, on my left leg this time, began to play up.  At 11km I stopped to stretch it out and again at 13km.  At 13.1km I stopped and walked the short distance back to the car.  I didn't want to push the knee too hard.  I did this in December and it resulted in one month trying to get past 2km without my knee giving in.  I'm hoping the problem is related to Juneathon and daily exercise and that my body is a little tired.  I'll know next week how I'm feeling when I run my long run if the half is doable or if it is better I sit this one out.  I hope next weekend is better.

Juneathon - Day 11: Core Exercises & Yoga

My wife is in college today and tomorrow so me and my son get to spend some quality alone time together.  We went to visit the grandparents (my parents) and the great grandmother (my grandmother) in the afternoon and just played around for the rest of the day.  My wife was going to out after college and wouldn't be home til late so there was no opportunity to go for a long run today.  We don't have a treadmill in the house, not enough room for one but I still needed to get in some exercise.

So I got in 31 minutes of core exercises and yoga today to meet my quota.  My wife is home early from college tomorrow so I'm going out for a run and I'm aiming for 15km.  I've said it here so hopefully I'll hold myself to it.  Hope Juneathon is going well for you.

Juneathon - Day 10: Disaster

OK so today was a disaster of a day.  I never made any real adjustment to my schedule to get in any form of exercise during the day and when I got home from work we had someone coming over to do some work in the house.  After he left I really should have gone out the door and hit the road for a run but laziness took over and I spent the night in with my wife watching TV.

The only think that I could put down exercise wise is that I went for a walk today for approximately 1/2 a kilometre, not really worth mentioning and not the 30 minutes a day target I had set myself at the beginning of Juneathon.  I'll try to do better over the weekend.

Juneathon - Day 9: Core Exercises

Another flat 30 minutes of core exercises.  Didn't really have the inclination or desire to do any more than that, but got in my 30 minutes for the day.

Juneathon - Day 8: Running

Again time was short today to get in some exercising so I decided to go out for a 6km run and to try to complete it a good bit quicker than Mondays 6km, which was run in 35:40.  I also needed to be done quick as I was going back to college and tonight was orientation so I had to be home, showered, changed and out the door within 90 minutes of leaving to go on this run.

I started comfortably and ran for 1km.  Here I stopped and stretched a bit before hitting the road again.  I decided to push it the 2nd km and slow down the 3rd.  Push it again the 4th km and then take it easier for the final two.  I was hoping to get as close as I could to 30 minutes and that would fulfil my goal of at least 30 minutes exercise every day in June.

1km: 4:58
2km: 4:30
3km: 5:24
4km: 4:28
5km: 5:11
6km: 4:51

This, surprisingly, gave me a total of 29:24.  I actually had to run a further 36 seconds to hit my 30 minute target.  As soon as I got back to the car the rain poured down so I stretched quickly the areas that have been sore lately and drove home to stretch out properly.

Everything worked out well and I was out the door on time.  Great workout.

Juneathon - Day 7: Yoga

For day 7 I squeezed in a 30 minute session of Yoga before bed.  Not much to report on but the body seemed to cope better with it this time around.  I am a bit tired though after 7 day with no break from exercise.

Juneathon - Day 6: Running

6km was the plan for today as I was feeling a bit tired and my calf muscles were a bit sore.  I had planned to run in the morning but the few drinks last night stopped that.  I woke up this morning and decided that more sleep was needed and rolled over to sleep for another 2 hours.

It was after 8pm when I did get out and I didn't want to go.  If it wasn't for Juneathon I may have stayed at home.  It looked like rain as I left the house but thankfully it held off for the run.  My legs were very sluggish, I guess exercising everyday has left them a little tired.  The first km was in 5.51 and I was tired.  I stopped to stretch out and then continued. The next two km were 5.58 and 5.59.  I can't remember the last time I went out on my own and ran this slow.  The next two km were 5.52 and 5.56 with the 6th km a 6.02.  The legs were tired and it showed.  

At least one positive of the run was that my average heart rate was 150bpm.  I read somewhere that the if you can maintain a heart rate of 150 the pace that you run is a good pace for completing a marathon.  Of course you still need to train the legs to run long distances but this would be a good gauge of pace.  If that is the case them my goal time at this stage for a marathon would be 4 hours 11 minutes.  I'd be very happy with that time, a good goal to aim for.  I'm going to use Juneathon to build up a base fitness and marathon training will begin in July.

Juneathon - Day 5: Core Exercises

5 days in and core exercises again.  Today was a nice 3 minute jog for a warm up followed by 40 minutes of core exercises and a 2 minute jog for a warm down.  Nice session and speaking of sessions I'll be going out tonight for one.  Tomorrows run should be fun...

Juneathon - Day 4: Running

Day 4 of Juneathon and time for another run.  It was another beautiful day and as I said yesterday the aim was to run 10km.  I decided that I would run along the banks of the local river and enjoy the morning.  When I started running, albeit sporadically the year before last I ran a lot up along the banks of the river as not many people would see how slow I was running.  I would usually run 3.5km up the river and then turn back.  Today  the aim was 5km up and 5km back, so I would see a new part of the track.

I decided to set out from work and run a 1km warm up, 10km run and finish with a 1km cool down, a nice 12km morning outing.  Here is how it went.

Warm up km: 5:41 followed by some light stretching.

2km: 5.33
3km: 5.27
4km: 5.13
5km: 5.22
6km: 5.18

So I ran the first outward 5km of the 10km in 26.53.  I found these kilometres tough going and when I hit the turn around and began the return journey I though of the quote that running is 90% mental and the other 10% is mental and tried to change how I was feeling to enjoy it.

7km: 5.18
8km: 5.07
9km: 5.03
10km: 5.01

With a kilometre to go in the 10km I realised that I was close to my official fastest 10km time of 52.31 and that if I pushed I might beat it.

11km: 4.51

The 5km return journey was done in 25.20.  Gotta love the negative split.  10km in 52.13 a new unofficial PR.

Cool down km: 5.23.  All in all an enjoyable morning.

Juneathon - Day 3: Yoga

Third day of Juneathon and my third fitness activity.  This evening I did a 36 minute yoga workout.  The aim I'm setting myself during Juneathon is to exercise everyday for at least 30 minutes each time... so far so good.

This evenings exercise was a little sore.  I know it was a short session but stretching is not a skill of mine, I happen to be one of the most inflexible people around.  I'm lucky to touch my knees, let alone my toes but hopefully yoga, if I keep it up, will start to change that.  I really found three of the exercises today difficult, well more difficult that what would be normal for me.  The sun salutation, downward facing dog and especially the half-moon poses hurt.  I guess after the core workout yesterday my stomach muscles were still a little tender and those poses gave them a nice going over, again.  I guess the tenderness must mean I working these muscles for the first time in a long time and maybe that I'm doing something right.

Tomorrow is a running day.  I hope to get out early in the morning and run 10km.  Bring on day 4.

Juneathon - Day 2: Core Exercises

No running today so what to do instead.  I thought core exercises would be interesting so I spend 35 minutes running through various different core exercises and I have to say today the stomach muscles are a little tender.  I'm not a frequent core exerciser and I guess it is something that I should spend more time on.

I really think this Juneathon idea was a great idea and many thanks to Joggerblogger for coming up with it.  I'm going to try some Yoga tonight for day 3 and then back to running tomorrow.  I've a feeling that I'm going to be in much better shape by the end of this month and who knows maybe I'll establish a habit for myself.

Juneathon - Day 1: Running

Over the past month I've been very bad where exercise is concerned.  To try and get myself out of the bad habit and back into the good habit I've had for the first three months of the year I decided to try Juneathon.

The rules of Juneathon are:

"Run or do some form of exercise every day.

Blog about it within 24 hours.

Join the Juneathon group at the Running Free website and log your runs/exercise.

Visit other blogs and leave comments, giving your support.

Link to the Juneathon website and display the 'Juneathon Participant' logo (above).

And that's about it really. Simple, huh?"

So the idea is to exercise every day in the month of June and today I went for a 6km run.  I know I won't be running everyday but this gives me a great excuse to finally take the bike out of the shed, fill the tyres with air and start cycling to work again.  I don't need the car everyday and I don't live too far from work so I really should bike in the days I don't need the car.  Core exercising and yoga might fill in other days when I won't be cycling or running.

So here's to Juneathon and the challenge it is going to give me.  If you are interested it's not too late to start.  Head over to the website and inform yourself and enjoy the exercising month.