Back home this week, back to work and back on the road. After a nice week of not running I went back on the road today. I ran a nice route from work out towards Oak Park, which is a crop research centre. It is a nice place to run through as the scenery changes with the seasons. From there I turned around and headed back towards town. On the way back I ran past the local athletics club, which was packed full of children running. It is true what they say, they really know how to run. Since I hurt my knee at Christmas I've been reading a lot about running form, barefoot running, etc. They seem to really have the correct running form, forward lean, mid foot landing, etc. I need to work on my running form.
As a round up this was a good month for me. I ran 105.73km this month, a new best. The goal I set myself at the beginning of the year was 1,500km in 2011. To do this I would need to average 125km a month, getting closer. So far I'm down a month already, but still think it is possible to catch by the end of the year, especially with a marathon in October. Hopefully that training will help me reach my goal.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I'm Registered
I've just gone and done it. I went through the terror and signed up for my very first marathon. I've been humming and hawing about it for over a month now and could never bring myself to actually do it, but it's done now. I'm going to run and finish the Dublin City Marathon on the 31st October 2011.
I've decided that while I'm doing this I'm going to try and raise some money for a very deserving charity, the Irish Cancer Society. The Irish Cancer Society is financed entirely by voluntary contributions from the public and receives no government funding. Cancer is one illness that doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, fit or unfit and everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, either directly or indirectly. In my family one of my uncles died of bowel cancer at the age of 50, one of my cousins has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and I have a very good friend who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.
To help me raise some money for the Irish Cancer Society I've set up an online fundraising page. Any support would be very much appreciated.
I've decided that while I'm doing this I'm going to try and raise some money for a very deserving charity, the Irish Cancer Society. The Irish Cancer Society is financed entirely by voluntary contributions from the public and receives no government funding. Cancer is one illness that doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, fit or unfit and everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, either directly or indirectly. In my family one of my uncles died of bowel cancer at the age of 50, one of my cousins has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and I have a very good friend who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.
To help me raise some money for the Irish Cancer Society I've set up an online fundraising page. Any support would be very much appreciated.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Short Run
We travelled up to the centre of Portugal today. My brother in law is celebrating his 30th birthday on Saturday so there will be a big party. Of course I brought my running gear with me and when things had settled down a bit I went out for a run, not my best one this year but OK.
It was getting late and the sun was about to go down but I still went out the door. In Pinhel there are not really any footpaths and running from there to Autoguia again no paths. I ran about 750m when I decided to look at the Garmin to see how I was going. My first thought was "oh, that's strange". My second thought was, "I forgot to turn it on". I hit start and after 250m stopped to stretch. After the stretch was a big hill. Half way up I began to think that I didn't remember this hill being this tough. Three quarters of the way up I was contemplating walking and it took all my energy to keep going. Once at the top there is a nice straight road with a little place on each side that the cars won't knock you down when passing and a full loop is about 1km. Running in this small space didn't stop a car from trying to hit me though. A car decided to park and thought I looked like a good location to drop the car on. OK I probably should have been wearing some reflective gear and with the sun going down I decided the safest option would be to go back to the house.
On the way back I got the run down the nice hill hitting some good speeds along the way. Coming around the corner another car decided it might try to aid my run by giving me a lift on the bonnet. I swerved and declined. I then sprinted out the final little stretch and home. 3.75km on the Garmin, 4.5km in reality. Hopefully I can get out tomorrow again to make up for the short one today.
It was getting late and the sun was about to go down but I still went out the door. In Pinhel there are not really any footpaths and running from there to Autoguia again no paths. I ran about 750m when I decided to look at the Garmin to see how I was going. My first thought was "oh, that's strange". My second thought was, "I forgot to turn it on". I hit start and after 250m stopped to stretch. After the stretch was a big hill. Half way up I began to think that I didn't remember this hill being this tough. Three quarters of the way up I was contemplating walking and it took all my energy to keep going. Once at the top there is a nice straight road with a little place on each side that the cars won't knock you down when passing and a full loop is about 1km. Running in this small space didn't stop a car from trying to hit me though. A car decided to park and thought I looked like a good location to drop the car on. OK I probably should have been wearing some reflective gear and with the sun going down I decided the safest option would be to go back to the house.
On the way back I got the run down the nice hill hitting some good speeds along the way. Coming around the corner another car decided it might try to aid my run by giving me a lift on the bonnet. I swerved and declined. I then sprinted out the final little stretch and home. 3.75km on the Garmin, 4.5km in reality. Hopefully I can get out tomorrow again to make up for the short one today.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Lisbon Half - Recovery Run
With my legs still a bit shook from Sunday I went out for a run. I probably should have done this run on Monday but decided a family day out walking Lisbon Zoo was a better option that day. I had forgotten to cut my toe nails before the half and some toes were not in great shape, but on the mend. The legs were complaining that they didn't want this but I knew they really needed it.
The weather was great. A cool 16ºC with a lovely breeze. The idea was to try for 6km but if the legs were still too tender to cut that short. I ran 1km and stopped to stretch and legs felt much better after that. 5km later I was back at the house and after a bit more stretching was finished a nice slow, easy run. Feeling better today.
I've a 10km race in Dublin in just under 3 weeks time. I learned my lesson after the last half where I had no races planned when it finished. As a result I got lazy and ran only four times in the following 3 months. That won't be happening this time around.
The weather was great. A cool 16ºC with a lovely breeze. The idea was to try for 6km but if the legs were still too tender to cut that short. I ran 1km and stopped to stretch and legs felt much better after that. 5km later I was back at the house and after a bit more stretching was finished a nice slow, easy run. Feeling better today.
I've a 10km race in Dublin in just under 3 weeks time. I learned my lesson after the last half where I had no races planned when it finished. As a result I got lazy and ran only four times in the following 3 months. That won't be happening this time around.
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