10km Final run of 2008

Decided to make this my final run of 2008 - so i was determined for it to be 10km, which is the furthest that i am running at the moment.

I haven't been feeling too good the last few days, so I was not interested in a quick time, just in getting round.

It was very cold and I was glad the Garmin found the satellite quite quickly. As i started I checked the time and was under 9.00, so I slowed down to 9.00 pace and tried to stay as near to that as I could.

The run felt uncomfortable, difficult, slow, long and cold.

However, in the end I finished off with a 56 minutes 23 seconds which is just over 9.00 pace. So i was pleased with that.

Splits
1 - 9.05
2 - 9.17
3 - 9.18
4 - 9.14
5 - 9.06
6 - 8.57

So that is it for 2008. Hoping to keep going in 2009, although the thought of running in cold weather does not inspire me at all!

5km Christmas Day

Christmas is not celebrated by everyone in Albania. In fact my mother-in-law went to the Post Office today and said that it was a normal working day.

I decided I would have time, with the boys off school to get a run in before lunch.
Unfortunately, I haven't been well this week and have a virus, so i decided that 5km should be the maximum for this run.

Decided not to time it nor do my heart rate, but at the last minute I took my Garmin with me.

As i started to run I saw a friend and I think that made me run a little quicker. I saw I was under 8.00 pace.
Too quick!

I don't know what it is about this course but the Garmin that is usually very accurate does not pick it up.It is about 200metres out...so all the other runs over this course have to be unofficial , including my under 26 minutes PR for 5km.

There were far too many people on the roads, and a number of times I had to either take a slight detour rather than the shortest route possible. At one point I got squeezed between 2 card and had to run back and round them.
Still I felt good all the run.

As I came towards the end I felt I should up the pace, but was totally unaware of the 5km spot. I added a little onto the run, rather than my usual stop and checked the time at different spots.

I make it that i ran about 100 metres more than 5km.

My last check point was 26 minutes, so I reckon the time to be about 26 minutes 15 seconds.
I am making this my official record time for 5km.

I still feel I could have upped that and beaten it, but still it felt good.

I am a little cold now...which is not good. That was how I was feeling earlier in the week.
My chest was also bright red after the run. I was hoping it was the dri-fit shirt and the cold weather and not a rash. I am not convinced as yet what it is.

Here are the splits.
1 - 8.00
2 - 8.27
3 - 8.09
last - 7.27

Day 97 - 3 month review

Time for a review.

It has passed 3 months since I started to run.
There are a lot of good things that have happened since then, and I am really pleased at the progress.

I did a 5km last Friday and that kept my goal of 15km a week through the winter period.
yesterday , I think, was the shortest day of daylight, so the nights should be getting lighter and spring should be on its way.


Not much chance of that, for a while.
I always feel that February is the coldest month in Albania....so I reckon we have some cold weather to deal with, and I will see how things go.

Positives.
Have been keeping the running going - so far so good.
Weight loss till now has been encouraging. The 3 month weight was 79.6kg
No injuries.
The desire to run is still there.

Negatives
Just been at 2 weddings over the weekend, and with New Year coming up I can see the weight going back on. I am already back up over 80kg.
Not looking forward to running in the (very) cold weather.
4 weeks of almost non-stop rain have hindered me slightly.
Longer runs are more boring. I don't know if I should start using the i-pod. Unfortunately my ipod is too big and bulky for running and my wife is away today with her i-pod - which I would have tried. The other problem, is that running in Albania, you need to watch the cars, and with an i-pod, you sometimes can;t hear them speeding up behind you!

Told my wife to keep an eye on the New year sales for a new pair of running shoes when she is in the UK.
that may inspire me to get out running in the cold!

Day 89 - slow 10km

Not having run for a few days, I was determined to get a run in today - especially as the forecast is more rain.

As it was dry, I went out as soon as I picked the boys up from school.

I programmed 10km on the Garmin and started to run.
the whole run just felt uncomfortable, slow, lethargic, heavy legs...nothing about it was very good.

Ran a reverse route, and that it made it slightly more interesting, but this is one of those days that running is not much fun!

10km in 1 hour 24 seconds.

Splits
1 - 9.06
2 - 9.38
3 - 10.25
4 - 9.58
5 - 9.56
6 - 10.04
end 6.45

Day 85 - Running in the rain

My boys were out of school early for a parents meeting, so after hearing the report on my eldest son, I thought I would get out for a quick 5km.

However, the rain started. Undeterred, I got ready, took off my glasses and headed out. It was raining lightly and I really thought it would go off, but it actually got heavier as I went round the course.
Never mind, it kept me cool.

I started off, and I knew I was running quickly - well quicker than normal.
I started to slow down a little as I convinced myself that I could up the pace nearer home rather than in the beginning.

At approx. 2 miles I checked my watch to find how far I had run, and saw that it was exactly 2 miles and the time a little over 17 minutes.
Immediately, psychologically I felt out of breath...
But, I decided that if I ran that pace it would be a PR - so I kept going.

As I came along the last 1km I felt out of breath, but could see I was running an easy pace, but quickly. As I turned onto the last 500 metres I managed to up the pace but without sprinting.

The final time was 25 minutes 58 seeconds.
8.20 pace

Splits
1- 8.35
2- 8.27
3- 8.04
final - 7.24

65% heart rate in Zone 5, so I was running a little faster than I should, or what is comfortable.

39 seconds quicker than my best 5km up till now.

Weigh In yesterday
79.9kg

Glad to still be under 80kg - but it seems to be itching to get back up over 80kg and New Year is approaching...

Day 82 - 10km

This really is my first 10km.

the last one on 2 December was around 5-600 metres short of 10km. The cloudy, thundery day affected the reading.

Today is Bajram, a holiday in Albania, so I managed to get out in the morning for a run.
Checked my watch at a half mile and I was at 8.30 pace. Too fast.
Slowed down, but it was till 8.40 pace.
Slowed down again, and tried to run 9.30 pace.

I was trying to run in 9.00 pace for the 10km and to finish in 56 minutes.

I felt reasonably well during the run.
A slight feeling of cramp at the back of my right leg, from 3 miles onwards.
Feeling tired in general having had a late night, staying up to watch the Steelers-Cowboys game which had been on TV.

Didn't try to up my pace until the last few hundred metres and it was then that the satellite reception gave in.

Kept running and stopped at 56 minutes.
In fact 56 minutes 01 seconds....right at the 10km mark according to GMAPS.

here are my splits...
1- 8.55
2- 8.59
3- 9.18
4- 9.16
5- 9.13
6- 8.45
final - 7.30

My run started off in Zone 5 for the first mile but then dropped to Zone 4 for almost the whole run. I just didn't push myself at all.

Slight blister on my middle right toe, and chaffing on my left inside thigh. ( Man that is a pain. I should have wore my running tights - under my trackie bottoms of course! - I just don;t know what the Albanians would make of my running tights. I get enough strange loos without my tighter than tight running tights! But, today a woman did say to me as I ran by, "Oh ti, të lumtë" which roughly translated would be, "Good for you!")

5km - unofficial PR

Slightly disappointed again that I ran 5km quicker than ever before, but am unsure of my times. the Garmin misread the distance again. I double around the route, but it appears to be somewhere at the beginning that disrupts the Garmin.

however i knew where the 5km marker was and ran until then, and stopped the watch, only to find that it had registered until i got back to the house.

Around 3 km was 24 minutes 45 seconds.

So i reckon the time must have been around 26 minutes.

Bit disappointed that I have no way of knowing the actual reading.

Last weigh in was last Wednesday which was 79.4 kg.
Again surprised by that, as it was the lowest reading for the week, and I have ben over 80kg twice since then, so I think 80kg would be a truer reading.

Still I am encouraged and in all the rain that has fallen, and it was thunder and lightning a minute ago, I am glad that i have run more this wee than any other week.

Splits
1 - 8.24
2 - 8.14
3 - 8.32

Day 76 - 5km

( I have left this post as I first wrote it. having written it, I remembered a funny read out from my Garmin including an area that I did not run. Strange - so I checked it on GMAPS ... and I realise that I only ran 4.7km. So, that is the reason for the super-fast time. I am annoyed now...not that I did not run the time below...but that I did not get my TRUE personal record. With only less than 300 metres to go I would have still had a PR and blasted my last time. Still the next PR may only be one run away.)

After running 10km last Sunday, and with rain forecast, I was thinking of a run towards the end of the week - give me a chance to rest, and also a chance for the weather to improve.

However, I suddenly realised that if the rain stayed off, I could get out for a quick run this evening - so I headed off for a 5km.

To start with, I just felt good. I felt strong, no pain in the legs and I decided on a different route.
there were a number of things in my favour tonight.
- the weather was warm
- new trousers, not cotton
- an unexpected run, always feels better
- a new route

Well, it was not exactly a new route....
It started off just outside my house and quickly cut into my usual last 500 metres...then I ran an old route - even doubling part of it to get up to 5km. Anyway, it always feel good running close to the house.

As I say, I just felt good the whole run.
I used the trainer on my garmin and could see I was ahead.
Having set the 5km to 25 minutes I was surprised but kept kicking on. Checked again and could see that I was still up....

I had to change the screen to see the distance, to make sure I was running 5km, and also to know when I could think on raising the pace.
It worked out really well and as I came to the home stretch of approximately 500 metres I felt I was kicking on at a good pace.
the only problem was the watch still had me under 3 miles. I saw I was on a really good time so I just tried to keep going. I suddenly realised that to keep going would mean crossing a busy street....but just as I got there the cars flew by and left me a clear way across.

Quick check of the watch...

It was touch and go to break 25 minutes....

So I sprinted.

Man that felt good.
I run 3 miles and I still can sprint full out.( This must be my first real sprint in years!)

Looked at my watch and it had stopped at 5km.

24 minutes 54 seconds! - a new PR. ( Wow just checked and that is 103 seconds quicker than my previous PR for 5km)

Splits:
1 - 8.04
2 - 8.14
3 - 8.04
The last stretch, my Garmin had me at 5.34 pace

That is 8.00 minute pace.
Now you would think I would be pleased...but I sit here thinking that 7.59 pace would have sounded a whole lot better, and had I not been delayed a millisecond by a cyclist at a blind corner, then it may have made all the difference.

Still, I am really pleased with my progress.

Day 75 - My first 10km

( Just checked on GMAPS and this appears to be 5-600 metres short of 10km. The cloudy rainy day I think affects the satellite reading. It was only today 8th December that I realised that I had run further and still the 10km mark was the same spot. Still a good run all the same. ) Yes, my first 10km, and it felt good!

I am really surprised because this week has been forecast cold and very rainy with thunder showers - Not the weather for running - especially as I have not and don't plan running in the (heavy) rain.

Therefore, I have been feeling really good at running back to back 5km at the tail end of last week.

Today was cloudy (it is now raining very heavy) and it is very warm. After church I decided I might squeeze another 5km in before lunch.
Got ready, was feeling very good, and decided 5 miles would be better than 5km. I started off and just felt good, no aches, no pains - it felt quite fast , but I decided just to keep going and not to look at times.

At 1 mile I checked and saw it was 8.40 pace that I was running at that moment, so tried to keep the rhythm going. At just over 1 mile I headed out on a new route. I have planned this route but did not want to run it in the dark. I am glad about that decision, as it was far longer than I thought, and it turned back on to my old route. I told myself I should cut the distance to 4 miles...but at the turn off point to head home for the shorter route I just kept going. I decided I could still cut it short to 5 miles, but in the end I kept going and had to extend the run slightly to get the last 0.2 miles for the 10km.

I had to run through a building site, over some very rough road especially between mile 5 and 6 which probably accounts for the slow time.

Here are the splits.
1- 8.27
2- 8.50
3- 8.51
4- 8.58
5- 9.08
6- 8.50
last - 8.46

10 km in 55 minutes 10 seconds.

Feeling really good at running 10km!

Day 73 - 3miles

Was not expecting to get back out for a run until probably Sunday...and I arrived home tonight and realised that I had forgotten to pick up my son's medicine from my mother-in-law.

What a great excuse.
"I'll just run down and get it!"

Extended the run a bit and ran just over 3 miles.

Time was 26 minutes 13 seconds.
That is 8.38 pace, and to be honest I felt i was running easy and quite fast, but not that fast.

the surprising thing is that BIM has me under 3 miles and with some strange readings that has me over 28 minutes....so unless it included my stops to pick up the medicine and buy bread...then I can't understand what happened!

Still pleased that I was out running, but heavy eating today and am sure breaking 80.5kg for this week will be good! :-(

Day 72 5km - slow progress

Was in Tirana all day and got back at 5pm. had a meeting at 6.30pm, so decided I could squeeze in a quick 5km, but then found we had no water - so a shower afterwards was out of the question.

Just when I thought a run was off - the water came back on, and so I headed out.
The Garmin is picking reception up really quickly which is BIG bonus and so I headed off.

At first I thought I was running really quick. the humming or numbness or heaviness in my feet was gone which was good and so I glanced at my watch. It told me 9.30 pace, which was a lot slower than I felt I was running.

I had a tight feeling across my chest, and knowing that the last run had been 98% in Zone 5, I decided to take it easy. Half way round I looked at my watch and saw the heart rate was 168, so that was good. Still a bit tight across the chest, but I put it down to tiredness and wrong diet/lack of fluids. I looked at the watch and my heart rate was up to 178...a few seconds later it was up to 190...then 200...then 210. Something was seriously wrong, so I stopped running and checked my stats...I then realised I was on the wrong page of the Garmin and I was reading my calorie burnt count.
DOH!
Off running again, and back at 9.30 pace.
Didn't push myself, didn't feel tried...just always a little out of breath.

A slow finish in 29 mins 18 seconds.
Probably one of my slowest 5km...but still any 5km is good, surely!

the other strange thing is my weigh in.
Usually Wednesday is a non-running day, and yesterday was no different.
Usually I am teaching at church in the evening and come home famished.
No different yesterday.
usually my weigh in, gives a result of the highest reading of the week.
Not so yesterday.
I weighed in yesterday at 79.9kg.
That has broken the 80kg barrier.

I am a little worried as I have not been under 80kg all week, and I stuffed my face last night, and still the reading was low. I think it may be a false weight, so anything around the 80kg next Wednesday will be my target.

Still, it is encouraging!

Day 68 - 4 mile shuffle

Weather forecast is for rain for the next few days, and although my legs still seem to be a little sore, I decided to go out for a run in the afternoon.

Decided for 5 miles but again as soon as I started I realised that 4 miles would be better - even went through my mind 3 miles, but I kept on for 4.

I had to change the route slightly, but the whole run just felt clumsy, laboured and slow.

I checked my watch at about a mile and saw I was 9.35 pace...and thought that was aboutt right. The final half mile, I felt I was running on the spot - but checked my watch and saw i was under 9 minutes...

Strange.

Splits...
1 - 8.55
2 - 9.09
3 - 9.28
4 - 9.10

The final mile I took easy, and except for stepping up the pace when i saw my neighbours ( Ah...pride, it lives in us all!)....I just kept running at my "normal" pace for the day.

Surprised to see a time of 36 minutes 38 seconds.( BIM 36m 32 sec)
That is no PR, but it is not too far away from my usual runs - except they all felt good, fast and comfortable....this felt the opposite.

What was surprising is that my heart rate was 97% in Zone 5.
Can't figure out why that should be.
The last 2 runs, my heart rate was high for the first half mile before settling down to Zone 4, until I stepped it up for the last mile.
Tonight it was just high all the time.

Don;t know if that is the reason why I felt so bad...or if in general I was tired and unwell and that made the run more difficult.

Still - I am pleased to have got out and run again.

Running can be difficult sometimes!

Day 65 - a difficult run! 5 miles

Last run, that I thought was 5 miles, was not!

It was around 600 metres short of 5 miles, and therefore my super-great time was over "less than" and not a full 5 miles.

That may explain why tonight was a little different.

Started out, and immediately felt terrible. Felt it was a slow shuffle.I mean slooooow.I just couldn't get going. I felt like I was running in moon boots. My feet felt like lead.
This was NOT good.

No problem , I thought....I am probably running quicker than I think.
Checked at around 1.5 miles and saw it was 9.15 pace. Not great, but still good compared to how I was actually feeling.

Checked at 3 miles - still 9.15 pace. Was the Garmin broken!!
i felt a bit better, but still not normal.
Suddenly felt chaffing between my legs.
This run was not fun.

Consoled myself that it could be the cold...it could be my ultra-quick time last time...it could be the jacket I was wearing....but I still could not find the real reason why I felt bad.

Decided that I could stop at 4 miles...but QUITTING was not on my mind tonight.
In fact after last run's encouragement (even though it was a false time, I was not aware of that during my run), I had decided to run 10km...but as soon as I started I knew that 10 km was not on.

I am glad I never went for the 10km.

I suddenly realized that i was not sweating half as much a normal, and as I took off my jacket, I felt cold.

At the decision point for 4miles and turned and kept on for 5 miles.

The last mile was probably the most comfortable, and the last half mile I really kicked on. I came to the 5 mile marker in my head. Well it WAS 5 miles according to the Garmin the last time, but this time it told me that it was 4.7miles ....I was running full out....I wondered if I could keep it up....but I managed.

I completed 5miles in 46 minutes 02 seconds.

That is 9.11 pace.

Splits...
1 - 9.12
2 -9.19
3 - 9.12
4 - 9.23
5 - 8.44
( again BMI gives strange readings....they total 45 minutes 50 seconds. Where the other 12 seconds go to, I really don't know!)

Went home and checked the distance on Gmaps and found that tonight's run was 5 miles and last run was not.

This was not fun.
This was not easy.
Glad I ran, but worried that I am going to have to convince myself to take my running shoes back out of the cupboard!

Legs are quite sore...I don;t plan a run till Monday...Sunday evening earliest.

Weigh in yesterday - 80.9kg
I realise that Wednesday is my top weight and the other days are usually lower, so it probably is a good day to have the weigh in.

Day 62 - 2 month review

It is now 2 months since I have started running.

( I don't want to burst my own bubble, but I never ran 5miles. It was 4.7miles. Some glitch with the Garmin, and that resulted in the impressive times!. This will go down as a non-day, and PR's will not be counted)

Tonight I ran 5 miles.
That is impressive in itself.

What is more impressive are my splits.
My Garmin had the time as 43 minutes 28 seconds which was 8.41 pace which was amazing. However, when I transfer it to BonesinMotion, they have different times.

1 - 7.24
2 - 9.26
3 - 8.50
4 - 8.59
5 - 8.25

( That would be 43.04 for the 5 miles and for the first 4 miles 34 minutes 39 seconds)

Taking into account the fact that I think the splits are wrong by 24 seconds overall, then the times may be slightly different. But even adding on 24 seconds to the first mile, then I still ran the first mile in under 8 minutes and far quicker than anything I have ever run!( It probably was a reasonable split, because my heart rate was WAAAAY up for the whole of the first mile, before dropping back to Zone 4)
The 4 miles would be a total of 35 minutes 03 seconds, which again would be my quickest.

What is amazing is that Shkoder was in darkness and running past vorrezat Katolike, and for a whole mile through Kiras was pitch black. In fact I got a bit of a scare as I almost ran in to someone right outside the graveyard!
Scary!!

Anyway, my thoughts after 2 months.

Positives.
Weight Loss - really encouraging and feeling thinner, and lighter!
I am down to what is "uncharted territory , so that is good.
Food - I am still managing to treat myself. Visitors yesterday and I had 2 helpings of curry - so the weight is still coming off, even though I can still enjoy a feast - now and then!
Stress - definitely a positive. Leave it on the streets! And I feel so much better after a run!
Running - it is a lot more fun than I thought it would be!
Distance - looked back at a month ago, and saw that i was worried about increasing to 5km. 5 km came and went - and I am now thinking of 10km. I certainly seem to run easier after 3miles! Strange!
Exercise bike - got it fixed, so hope to be using this over the next few months as well as running!

Negatives.
Winter - the colder weather is coming and that will be problematic.
Darkness - running in thew pitch black can be really scary. Tonight I had to slow down between mile 2 and 3 because I was running in the darkness and literally was struggling to see anything in front of me. Again at 3-4 miles I struggles as the road is very uneven, but I couldn't see a thing and stumbled over potholes - just trying to keep my rhythm.
Rainy days - worried that cold and rainy days will keep me off running, and that I will give up!
Exercise bike - I hope this does not replace the running! That is a worry!
100 push-ups - failed the second week. Kept putting it off for next day and fogot about it. Need to restart this - again!

Overall, very happy with my progress and am so happy that I started to run!

Day 60 - 5 km (PR)

Haven't been out running for a few days. I have been busy, and yesterday was my first chance, but just as I got free the rain came on, and was quite steady, and as I would be running in the dark...I called it quits and decided to run today, as Sunday is forecast heavy rain.

No problem with the Garmin - it found the signal almost by the time I had dropped off the rubbish - so it was straight out to the course.
The only decision was should I run 5km or 4 miles.

I decided it would be 5km.
there were a number of reasons for this...
1) It was the earliest i have run ( 12 noon)
2) It was quite warm and sunny , and I was a little worried I might not have drunk enough before running. ( i quickly drank 2 glasses of water before heading out)
3) I only had eaten a couple of weetabix's and a cup of coffee all morning and had not eaten much last night, so i was worried my stomach may have been empty.

So, having settled in my mind for 5km I headed off.
Immediately I was in my stride, and running felt good, and easy again!
I was held up at the first corner by a traffic jam, and had to improvise my route slightly running close between cars and a wall. that slowed me down, and I had a quick glance at my watch and saw it was well under 9 minute pace.

I thought about slowing down, but to be honest I felt comfortable so I kept going, although I tried to feel relaxed.
Glanced again at my watch as i felt I was not running very fast, and it was again under 9 minute pace. decided I wouldn't look at my watch again.

Everything went well, up to the last mile when I realised that running on an empty stomach is not a good idea. With a half mile to go, I felt a little sick, and decided the pace needed to slow, but as I turned into the last stretch I felt a lot better. I did not feel strong, and I could not increase the pace, but I managed to keep going and finished in a new record... 26 minutes 37 seconds. (8.33 minute pace)

Really pleased with that.
Obviously I am lighter in weight than previous runs, but it does look like I am stronger and I enjoyed the 5km. It certainly is a fun run!

Splits.
1 mile - 8.47
2 mile - 8.31
3 mile - 8.27
last - 0.52 seconds

Day 59 - Weigh In.

Weighed in on Wednesday and was down to 81.1kg.

Good progress again, and am looking to keep at the 4 mile runs, and even soon to extend it to 5 miles.
Rain is forecast, so running might be limited...but I have put the exercise bike in to get fixed, so i hope to be able to keep training in good AND bad weather!

100 Push Ups Challenge

Started this a few weeks ago and did the first week, then I repeated the first week, as it said that was a good idea - knowing that I am the world's worst for push-ups.

Then, as I was thinking of week two, I suddenly realised that i had not completed week one - I had only done day one x 3 times. I did not read that day 2 and 3 were more than day one . Doh!

...so back to the drawing board.

I have just completed week one.
Day 3 of week one is...
4
5
4
4
at least 5.

Man that was a struggle.
I managed the first 4 and 5 no problem, with just a little pause between the two. Then the next 4 was a struggle. I realise that getting another 9 done was going to be difficult. I rested...or to be honest I did some weight training with a couple of 5lbs weights. I thought that might make my muscles wake up....but no luck, they seemed to drain all the energy out of them!

How I managed 4 more I do not know, but I decided on a 2 minute break...that extended to 3 minutes, and I gave the last 5 a try....but I just collapsed in a heap - no strength in the arms at all.

i was determined to do the last 5.
I rested for about 5 minutes and got 5 done, but the last one was really difficult.
the advice on the site says...
"The 60 seconds rest between each level should allow you to complete the workout, but I promise it will get tough towards the end."
Understatement!!

repeating week one this week!

Day 56 - 4 miles - The Wrong Trousers!

New problem tonight.
It wasn't Mr. Moaner or Mr.Quitter inside my head telling me how difficult it is, or to give up...this was a greater problem - my jogging pants and underwear kept slipping down.

Now, this may be a good sign that my waist is getting smaller, but it was a struggle at times, just to keep them up. I tried running and hitching them both up every 500metres or so, but in the end I resorted in pulling the underwear up and over the top of the running pants, and then doubling over the waist of my running pants 2-3 times.

With that sorted I could concentrate on the run and trying a 9.05 pace.
To be honest I saw I was running under 8 minutes while I was trying to sort my pants out! - so I had to really slow it down in the first mile.

Anyway, the run was pretty event less except for the pants.
Felt very good for the last mile and could feel myself running a lot quicker and very comfortably.
I had ( and still have ) a little pain below my left knee which came on as I walked my son to school. I stepped off the kerb and had a pain immediately in my knee. Hopefully it is a jolt pain that will go away in the next couple of days.

Splits.
1 - 9.14
2 - 9.08
3 - 9.04
4 - 8.35
(Bones in Motion give me a 36 minutes 01 seconds for 4 miles)

New PR for 4 miles 36 minutes 04 seconds.

Had I known I was close to breaking 36 minutes I might have pushed on before, but I was under 8 minutes for the last 400metres or so and felt really good, so I am pleased with the progress.

Interesting to see my heart rate compare to last run.
Tonight I was hardly in Zone 5, with almost 80% of my run in Zone 4. Seem,ed to be very comfortable out there - apart form the underwear discomfort!

Day 54 - 4 miles in the afternoon (PR)

My earliest run to date - 3p.m.

However, there was not much fun in this run.
from the very start I just felt out of rhythm. I tried to keep the pace to 9.10 and tried to make sure I was not running too fast in the beginning.

This seemed to have a further negative impact on my run and I just felt bad.

There could be other reasons....
I ate a pizza for lunch. Probably unwise prior to a run.
I never drunk anything all morning or for lunch. Doh!
I was running in the afternoon and it was a lot warmer than usual - even the sweat fell in my eyes - man that can burn!

However, I completed the 4 miles....and there were some positives.
1) The secret to having good feet, is to wear thin polyester socks and then your coolmax socks INSIDE OUT! ( that can be quite important) The socks were very comfortable today!
2) The last mile was again quicker and felt the easiest. That is encouraging.
3) My Nike top is NOT for long runs - nipple burn today and that can also be painful.

My splits were...
1 mile - 9.13
2 mile - 9.07
3 mile - 9.16
4 mile - 8.45
(Again the Bones in Motion time splits are slightly different 36 minutes 21 seconds)

It was a PR 9.05 pace.
36 minutes 22 seconds
What was interesting today was my heart rate was in Zone 5 for 74% of the run...that is a lot more than normal, and that could be one of the reasons that I felt bad.
maybe a little to do with the water( or lack of water intake) and a little to do with the heat.

Any run is a good run, and sometimes it can be quite positive afterwards knowing you ran when you didn't feel 100%.

Day 52 - 4 miles

Was hoping to get a run in today, but just as i was heading back from Koplik into Shkoder the rain started. I was disappointed, but on arriving at the house the rain stopped. I got ready and by the time i was ready it was raining again. However, i decided I would go out anyway. I mean, what is the point in buying a wind/rain jacket if I don't use it!

I decided to leave my glasses behind as they would only get rain all over them blocking my vision, or else get steamed up. that was almost a big mistake!
I was running partly a new route.
the first problem i had was on a very dark part of the road beside the catholic graveyard. A car was coming straight towards me with bright headlights so I moved onto the pavement. As soon as it passed I jumped down and right in front of a cyclist that I never saw in the dark...fortunately he saw me and managed to steer clear.
then, just around the corner, I clocked up the first mile and decided it was time to take off the jacket, tie it round my waist and continue the run in my running top. As i was doing this, concentrating on keeping the same pace and getting the jacket tightly round my waist, a dog attacked me barking at my feet. Yes - my heart rate jumped up 10 beats a minute at that point! Fortunately, I turned round , faced the dog and although it made a couple of attempts to bite me near my feet, I managed to get away untouched!

I had completely forgotten that the extended run tonight was on a road that I had never run before, and although it was well paved, it was pitch black. A couple of dogs looked menacingly at me as I passed them and I mistook the road back on to my main running route and came back a different way than planned and probably about 50 metres too early.

I was trying to run at 9.30 pace, and was fairly sure that the first 2 miles were done at that pace. As I reached the 5km mark I noticed that it was under 30 minutes and I was trying to work out how fast it was, but thought it to be around the 9.30 mark, so just concentrated at going on at the same pace. With 1km to go, I glanced at my watch and saw that I was doing 8.30 pace...
That was a surprise...however, that sometimes happens , as a quick burst of pace changes the reading before dropping back to your average.
I kept going assuring myself that i was nowhere near 8.30 pace, as I would be gasping for breath if I was, so i glanced again just to confirm what I thought was a slower pace. Again it said 8.30.
I thought that it could not be right, as I felt very comfortable and I can't remember ever running that pace.Surely my final mile should be tougher - not easier!

I kept right on running and actually could feel the speed and realised that I really was running quite fast. Got delayed by a car and the turn for the last 500 metres, and crossing the road toward my house made me sure that I would drop pace , but I finished the 4 miles in 36 minutes 50 seconds. I was very pleased with that I was trying to run in under 38 minutes.

I was amazed when i got home and checked my readings and splits with the garmin. It really is fun to have !
Mile 1 - 9.36
Mile 2 - 9.18
Mile 3 - 9.15
Mile 4 - 8.33
(These splits are from Bones in Motion web site and give a time of 36 minutes 42 seconds)

The fourth mile , which was me running further than ever before, and I would have thought slowing down...was in fact my quickest mile pace ever!
I really cannot believe that!

Really encouraged.
I ran in the rain, so that is also encouraging, although it wasn't real rain - Shkoder can have some VERY heavy rain falls, and I wouldn't want to be out running in THEM - not to mention that the lanes would all be blocked!

Pleased with myself, and felt good progress made today.
Only downside was my new Wrights Running Socks. They gave me a blister on the middle right toe. I think I need some inners for my socks!

Weight Loss

Got the scales back, and yesterday after 2 days without a run I was 81.9kg.

Quite encouraged by that, although i have been as low as 81.2kg after a run.

The weight is coming off slowly and I hope that will improve as I try to eat less, eat more healthily and cut down sugar, bread and chocolate intake.

I also hope it will improve as i star to extend the running distance.
I have already tracked out a 10km which is really an extension of my 5km.
I am hoping to start on my next run and be running 10km by the end of the year.
The obvious problem is going to be keeping the increase slow...sometimes I want to reach my goal too quick.

Patience is needed!

Podgorica Marathon

Just noticed that yesterday was a marathon in Podgorica, about 2 hours from Shkoder.

Now, there is no way I could do a marathon - certainly not at the moment, but there was also a half marathon - which still would have been too far for me, but it is interesting to know that there is opportunity to run something like this close to home.

What I found interesting was that there were 6 entrants from Albania for the half marathon.

Nexhat Xhemale, Suad Jegeni, Kajo Myftarago, Vashi Faniro, Tonin Shiroka, Sotir Qiriaqi.

What I found interesting was that all these runners were over 60 years of age, and the first 2 home were Nexhat Xhemale and Suad Jegeni, who came in together at 1:51:12.
That is a very good time indeed!

...and Nexhat is 72 years of age.

Well done you guys!
I hope I can run a half marathon in that time when I am 72 years of age( God willing!)

I was hoping that at the Ultra-Marathon (50km) in April , they would have had some 5km and 10km races, but it doesn't look like it.

Garmin 305 - my thoughts

I have had the Garmin 305 for about 2 weeks now, so I will give you my first thoughts.
It is not a full review on the Garmin 305 as I have not fully become aware of all that it does, but for what it is worth, here is what I think.

Why did I go for the 305?
A number of reasons...
I wanted a heart rate monitor. I am 44 years old and have no histroy of running , and for quite some time no history of athletic activity, so I wanted to ensure I was not overdoing it. Therefore I wanted a heart rate monitor.
I also wanted something that i could read easily. I didn't want a crammed small screen that I would have to slow down and analyze just to see what pace I was running!
The fact that the 305 has a personal trainer swayed me - I like the challenge. I am trying to run, but with little experience, I felt the trainer might push me on and I don't like getting beaten!

Thoughts:
Very , very happy with it.
As I thought the screen is plenty big, and has plenty of readings.
However, I do like the first screen, which tells you your time, pace and distance the best.

It doesn't take much effort under street lighting, or using the Garmin's own light to see the readings you need.
I was a bit worried about the size, and it being a little heavy, but that has proved to be needless worry.
The size is large, but as i say, I need to see quickly the readings, so I would not want it any smaller!

The trainer has proved to be inspiring, and on some of the more tedious runs, I have noticed that seeing myself ahead of the computer does give me that desire to keep going.

I should have checked as to exactly what a heart monitor was...
I never realised that I would be attaching a band around my chest to get the heart reading. At first, I thought that this would be a hindrance and would annoy me - however from day one I never really noticed it.

The other thing that i REALLY like is getting back and studying my times and splits, and seeing my heart reading. It was funny once seeing that my speed and heart rate jumped drastically as I got chased by a dog. Funny afterwards, but at the time not very funny.
Anyway, I usually go to Bones in Motion website to get their readings. I don't know what other people use, but I find this the best.

I did not switch the monitor off at 5km, so the final 0.11miles is not given, although on the Garmin training Center it gives you the split as I fed into the computer that i was running 5km ( another great advantage of the little tricks and tools on the monitor).
It was interesting as I got to compare tonight's run with my previous 5km(PR). I saw in my first PR the first mile was quicker, the second slower...I had almost identical times tonight , except the first mile was slower and the second mile quicker. The last mile was almost identical, and the only real difference was the final 0.11 mile.
Great website!

So, although there is still so much to learn from the monitor, I think it was a wise investment!

Day 48 - 5km (PR)

I wasn't planning on getting out for a run today, but it looks very likely that Friday will be my first opportunity for another run and the forecast for Friday is not good - so I took advantage of tonight and decided on a short run.

However, as soon as I was ready, I decided to run a 5km, with the option of a 4km if I was struggling.

Started at a slow enough pace and felt really good. It is far better and easier running in daylight!
At 0.33 mile I saw that i was directly on 9.00 pace although at that point running a little quicker, so i decided to keep going. Up until that point, and even at that point I had not thought of running fast.

So much was I not thinking of pace that I missed the mile marker and I was at 10.22 at 1.15 miles. Couldn't be bothered trying to work out my pace, but saw that I was on 8.40 pace so tried to keep that up.

Again totally forgot the 2mile marker and as I was running over uneven roads with lots of potholes ( such is life in Shkoder) I just kept going.

Checked at the 4km mark and I saw it was a fair time, but did not think I was on for a PR. About half a mile from the end felt a slight twinge behind my right leg and decided to slow down - maybe even stop. Checked the watch and saw it was a reasonable time , so again kept going as the pain didn't seem that bad.

As I approached the last 250 metres saw I was on for a PR and increased the pace. Psychologically, my stomach realising that it was a quick pace, told my brain that there was no fuel left...but I just kept going. Finished on 27 minutes 26 seconds.

Very pleased with that, although feel it was a little quicker than I should be running.
I also feel that running on consecutive days is not for me, as I need the rest days to recover a little!

Day 47 - 5km

Managed to get out tonight after the kids meeting in the afternoon.
In fact it worked out quite well, as I switched on the Garmin 305 and by the time I had gone and picked the kids up on the bike I had reception and so could immediately head off for a run.

I thought the first mile was quite quick, so I tried to slow it down and maybe up the pace towards the last half mile.
the 3 miles were
9.30
9.07
8.44

That is my quickest last mile, and I am encouraged that I am able to up the pace when i want to, and still have some energy left!

Finished the 5km in 28 minutes 17 seconds, which I think is pretty good. A little quicker than "comfortable running" for me, but still a good workout.

Day 45 - 5km (PR)

Didn't think I would get out for a run before Sunday, but the weather was good today and as I finished slightly early, got our for a run at 7pm.

Did a bit of shopping wearing my Garmin 305 - still no signal - so hung about at the bottom of the apartment waiting for a signal.
Man! that is a pain. It is the worst thing about the Garmin! - waiting for reception.

Anyway, walked to the nearby park, and almost immediately it picked up reception.
I'm going to try this next time, as the park is away from tall buildings.
Hopefully I'll get quick reception.

Was wearing my new RoadID name tag and reflective wrist and ankle bands.
Started at a good pace, meeting a friend on the first corner and managed to greet him without stopping. Thought to myself, that I was running a pace that I could speak at...but as I met him at about 50 metres the tiredness had not kicked in. In truth the pace was quicker than I should be running.
Having said that I was in Zone 4 (80-90%) for my heart beat for most of the run and for all of the first 2 miles.

As I was running faster than I should have been , I felt a stitch come on about half way round. By the beginning of the second mile it was quite bad and I ran the last mile with it bugging me.

I was pushing myself. I knew I was under 9minute/mile pace, so just wanted to keep going.

About a half mile from the end, I started feeling bad. A little sick and I promised that the next time the pain came I would slow down. remarkably, the pain left and I had a second wind. I pushed myself to what I believed to be the 5km mark...only to find I was approximately 200 metres from the end...I kept pushing and the end seemed further than I thought , but I finished in 27 minutes 32 seconds.

That is 8.50 mph pace.

Surprisingly the first mile which is very slightly uphill was my quickest. 8.44
My second mile which was very slightly downhill was the slowest 8.58
the last mile on the flat was 8.50.

Very pleased with the runs this week.
Looking forward to getting new socks I have ordered, and upping the distance ( but running at a slower pace than tonight!)

Weigh in later tonight, as the scales are back, and that will be under 82kg :-)(it would have been, but I have put the weigh-in off for another 5 days and with visitors here for meals, I may be battling the 82kg mark)

Day 42 - 4km in the rain

After yesterday's discouraging run, I was not in the mood to run today. In fact I was looking at every way possible to put off the run. However, it was not that easy!

The next 3 days are forecast rain, and due to having a busy schedule, i do not think I will get another chance this week for a run.

I got ready around 6pm and set out. I hoped that the satellite would work today, but although it was almost getting reception, for some reason it just would not connect. Very frustrating when you are waiting for a run!!
In truth the problem may have been that it was overcast and ready to rain, but I did not know that at the time.

Felt very easy for the first mile and by my calculations, I ran it in around 9.20 minutes. The satellite had picked up after about half a mile. I can see that it was working because speed and heart rate take a MASSIVE jump when I got chased by a dog!

Not very pleasant!

Just as I was getting into the run, the rain started.
I couldn't believe it...especially as I was approaching the half way mark.
I decided to push on as it was only spitting and ran the rest of the second mile in drizzle and thought I could keep going and finish the course.
The next section is over broken pavement and the rain was heavier and I was running into the wind. I was not dressed for the rain, and did not want to get soaked. I turned back for home completing the 2.7 miles in 22 minutes 55 seconds.

Not a bad time considering the first mile was at a slow pace.

Encouraging things....
- I ran when I didn't feel like running
- I was able to "up" the pace without any problem and breathing was easy.
- my feet felt better, having taped on some cotton wool to the toes and wearing 2 pairs of light socks.
- I did not get soaked as the rain continued drizzling rather than heavy rain.

Feeling a bit of pain at the back of my right knee, just to the inside of my leg. Not sure if it is muscular or not.

Anyway, it could be 5 days rest, so I am not too troubled by it.

Day 41 - Bad experience

Got out for a 5km run this evening at 7pm.

My footpod for the Garmin 305 arrived today, so I was really pleased that I could just go out, switch the watch on and run...however it wasn't that easy.

For a start, the watch kept telling me that the footpod wasn't switched on - even though it was, and then when I started to run it didn't pick a signal up.
I waited for about 15 minutes trying to get either a satellite signal or the footpod to work. In the end I gave up and started to run...as soon as I started the watch picked up the footpod signal.

However, the calibration is not right and it said I had run 0.7miles when I was at the 1 mile marker.

Having waited for about 15 minutes and getting more and more frustrated, i think all my adrenaline was gone by the time I started to run.

I did not enjoy the run.
My legs felt heavy.
I felt I was running slow.
I finished and was glad to get home.

Just over 5km in 31minutes 50 seconds.

I reckon I probably completed the 5km in just over 30minutes.

Need to go out tomorrow and sort the calibration of the watch.

happy I ran, but not feeling very good tonight. Scared I will have to force myself to get back out next time.

Day 40 - Day Off

This is the second of 3-4 days off.

The first 2 days off are by choice, but the next 2 likely through being too busy.

Unfortunately, I have found that I have a blister on my foot.
Running the last half mile Friday, I noticed a burning pain on my toes. However, the blister is not there, but is on the ball of my foot.
Very unhappy with that and wondering what i should do.

It is not the greatest of blisters, and I hope it won't stop me from getting back out for a run as soon as I can.

The next problem I have is that I have a slight cold and had a sore throat all night and am feeling a bit weak. I always feel really tired as the clock's change, so I am not too worried, but I have hope a good night's rest will see me with renewed energy for tomorrow.

The final problem is that the scales will not be back in the house for another week or so, and we have had friends round for supper the last 2 nights with more coming tonight!!
Normally I have a very light evening meal - crackers and cheese, or something like that, but tonight it is soup, lasagna and cake with some beautiful red wine from Puglia, Italy!
Great! - but no so good for the calories :-(

Day 38 - another 5km

I should be busy the next 3 days so it looks like they will be rest days.

Apparently rest days are important, but I would far rather being out for at least a short run. (That would be 2 miles for me!)

So, knowing I would be off for 3 days, I went out for a run tonight.
Was very pleased that the satellite took only about 3 minutes to find reception and so I was off.

Ran a slightly quicker pace of 9.23 minutes/mile....but I switched off the watch at 3.1miles, just short of 5km, at 29 minutes and 15 seconds. I probably would have broken 30 minutes, but I was just glad to get out and run the 5km, and to get round again so easily.

Had a little leg pain, a twinge in the right knee and just to the right of my left knee cap, but this is the longest I have run in 2 consecutive days, and I am looking at running 5kms with at least one day rest between, so I am not too troubled by the pain.

Had a good meal as a reward, and a glass of wine.
Visitors for the next 2 days....so more eating and less running. :-(


Still no scales for the weigh-in.

Day 37 – My first 5km

Thursday 23 October 2008

Was away all day in the capital city, Tirana, and that usually means that i am tired when i come home. However, I knew that if I got the chance I wanted to get out and run.
I wanted more than anything to try 5 km…

I have realised a couple of things.
1) the calories burned are the same no matter how fast you run, so there is no point in always looking for a new record.
2) I need to slowly increase the distance without increasing the pace. I can work on the pace when my body is used to running longer distances.

So, I decided on a new route and headed out at 5pm for a 5km.
Unfortunately it took around 15 minutes for the Garmin 305 to link up with the satellite and just as i was ready to run, I realised that I did not have on the heart monitor.

I don’t know if that made me more aggressive…but I had no negative thoughts the whole run.
I ran at “talking pace’ ( that is a pace that you could easily communicate with someone else running with you) and headed off.

This was by far the best and easiest run I have done.
My legs felt good, the pace was good, no stitch, no negative thoughts, no desire to drink water, no lack of energy, no cramps or pains….smooth running all the way.

I finished 3.21 miles which is a little over 5km in 30 minutes 27 seconds.
That is not very fast , but I am really , really pleased with myself and very encouraged at the progress.

Tonight, I had on my new climalite Adidas long sleeve shirt.
It was soaking but I think it really helped me.
My recovery time was remarkably quick and I was not sweating half as much as usual.

Weigh – in should have been yesterday, but the scales are not in the house, so I will weigh in when we get them back.

Day 34 - Further progress

Well I did not realise that yesterday's run was ONE MINUTE faster than my previous 4km, and that included a full stop of around 10 seconds in traffic!

I felt so bad, bloated, and slow that I really thought it had been a slow run and the same as last time.

Tonight I was out earlier bu an hour and it was still quite warm. I only had 40 minutes to get the run in and as usual, when you are rushed, you cannot get the satellite to link up with your watch. I waited, but could wait no longer and headed off. Fortunately after half a mile the satellite kicked in...and I got a reading for the last 2 miles.

I was running 8.46 pace for the last 2 miles.

I actually run approx. 4.2km so the first section would be just over half a mile and I must have run that in some similar time.

I finished the run in 22minutes 15 seconds which was a new record.

Must admit that I felt very easy for the first mile and a half....the next three quarters of a mile was tough and the end I seemed to get some extra energy.
I was really pleased at running, and squeezing in the time as tomorrow is forecast for rain and Wednesday I am teaching so it looks like the next couple of days will be days off.

I am pleased that the weekend 2 day break seems to have given me more strength and that the heart rate was slightly down (average 162 bpm), however still above what I would like it to be.

Very encouraged, and after a shower I found myself saying ..."that was fun!"

I guess I must be enjoying running!

Day 33 - 4km

Rested the last 2 days, and fully expected not to be out for a run today. Sunday is usually my day off from running and I was invited out for a birthday lunch - lots of eating, drinking, cake! - Nothing that a runner should eat :-(

However, the lunch finished earlier than I thought and I managed to get out for a run around 5pm. the weather was still in the 70's and very warm...so i was looking forward to running although I felt full and bloated.

Completed the 4km ( well it is about 100 metres or so more than that) in 23 mins 22 seconds. ( That is a mistake, it was actually 22 minutes, 22 seconds, a whole minute faster than I realised. It took me a day to realise that it was quicker!)
That is one second less than the last time.

That was very encouraging, as the whole way round was a struggle, and I had to stop for up to 10 seconds for a truck that blocked the road.
Again lots of negative thoughts about not being able to run 4km...but I ran it!

feeling good now, although the run was not particularly enjoyable.

ONE MONTH

It is now a month that have started to run.

I have thought about it for a while, even started once when i was in Scotland, but struggled and was very quickly out of breath. So this month has been a real encouragement.

Bad things.
Rainy days - I still don't have the proper equipment. I am running with a cotton t-shirt and a long sleeve cotton t-shirt on the top of that. I wear thick cotton sweatpants and they are SOAKING with sweat at the end of the run. I have just bought some cheap clothes from E-Bay and am hoping to get clothing that I can go out in the rain. Still a bit worried at having wet shoes the next day. The roads would probably be blocked with water anyway, so for now it will running on dry days only!
Distance - not too optimistic about extending my runs.I think I may struggle at 5km.
Weight Loss - I managed to lose some weight earlier in the year and found that down to 82kg the weight came off really easily. This time the weight is coming off really slowly, and I would like to get into "uncharted territory".

Good Things
Running - I am actually enjoying running. This is a real surprise. One day I struggled round my course, then got back, happy that I ran but feeling that the whole run had been a fight...and I found myself saying. "That was fun!" Where did THAT come from ? I also thought that I would need my mp3 player...but I am finding that I am enjoying running far better with it!
Weight Loss - Although the weight loss hasn't been dramatic, I have found that I feel so much better, fitter, happier, and that my stomach seems slimmer and also my treble chin seems to have disappeared. (One more to go!)
Side effects - I find that i can leave a lot of stress out on the road. I find that rather than being over tired, I have more physical strength.
Desire - I have a far stronger desire to run than I ever thought I would. I really thought the whole thing would be a drag...but it has been fun!

Running is fun!

Day 30 - 4km

Decided to try to squeeze a quick run in between picking up my boys from school. I have 45mins, so I thought I could do a 4km run.

I have bought a Garmin 305 watch/heart monitor, and so was anxious to try it out.

The watch couldn't find the satellite signal and I couldn't wait, so I headed off just on the timer. The watch picked up the signal after one mile, so the readings were quite interesting. To me my speed slowed down and heart rate rose in the last 500metres, but that was not the case!
Good average speed, and maintaining heart beat and pace throughout.

I finished the 4km in 23 mins 23 seconds.

47 seconds quicker than last time.

That was encouraging, although again I had a stitch the last 300 metres. Lots of negative thoughts this run. No ipod just running, and enjoying the beautiful day!
I seem to enjoy running without an ipod better than with music, but there is no denying that the music can inspire you!

Day 30 - Weigh in

No run yesterday, and it looks a bit thundery today, and I have a meeting in the afternoon so I probably won't get out today which is discouraging.

However, yesterday was a weigh in.

83.1kg

That is a big encouragement.

In truth I have been really trying to watch my weight and keep it down this week.
I am on medicine for intestinal candida - so they recommend no sugar, no coffee and no alcohol ( and no bread!!)

So i am cutting down, but I have STRONG sugar cravings.

Still, a loss of 600g in one week is good.
Very happy!

Day 28 - 4 km

Worked out some routes on the internet.

The above one starts at the purple mark and the purple course is the first mile, then green is the second mile and red the final half mile.

The distance is 4km...just a little further than the distance I am running at the moment. As i was not planning a run tomorrow and the following night it appears I will be too busy, then I was determined to run just a little further and take the next 2 days for rest.

Took the run nice and easy, and although a bit tough at the beginning, by half way round i felt very good.

Towards the end, i think psychologically the finish makes me tired.

Ran the course in 24 mins 10 seconds.
At no point did I feel I was pushing it, and I was just trying to run an easy 4km...although I had a stitch towards the last 2-300 metres.

Encouraged, and hoping to enjoy a couple of days off and rest my legs.

Day 27 - Progress

Another 2 miles in the evening.

My quickest time, although I did feel i was running a little too fast, and I felt a bit empty stomached and sick towards the end of the run.

Finished in 18 mins 49 seconds, 15 seconds quicker than any of my other 2 mile runs.

Very encouraged and pleased with that. Especially as the run is actually a couple of hundred metres longer than 2 miles.

Met one of my neighbours before I set off and he encouraged me in the run. After completing the run, had to go to buy milk and met another neighbour whom I do not know, he also encouraged me.

I love running through my neighbourhood!

Weight Loss (again) (Day 26)

Bought myself a couple of bottles of Gatorade. My favourite is the Lime flavour...but typically it wasn't available. I have read to be careful with these drinks as the calories are quite high and you can replace the calories you have lost almost immediately after a run by drinking too much of them!

So I decided to just have a little drink after each run.
I always drink fruit juice, realising that sugary, fizzy drinks like Coca Cola are not good for running!

I went to get a drink of fruit juice yesterday and noticed that the calories were 54 kcal(227kj) for 100ml!
WHAT!!!!!
That is twice the calories of gatorade.
No wonder my weight is coming off slowly!

Fruit juice is out for the moment!
Looking for another good low calorie drink!

Day 26 - The Good Samaritan

Yesterday went out for a late run near 8p.m.

At first I switched off the stop watch by mistake, but noticed that quite quickly.
However, half way round the run I saw a man lying in the gutter. he was wet, without a shoe and his crutches were lying on the ground. I stopped and went over to help him. He was drunk. He only had the use of one leg. I got him up onto his crutches but he just fell over. I pulled him over to the nearest bar, and sat him up against the wall. I then asked the bar staff to call an ambulance to take him home.
There wasn't much else I could do. He was so drunk he couldn't speak!

I then stopped off to buy bread before heading back home.

The watch just kept running and I have no idea how quick or slow I was running. i was just glad that the stops had not put me out of stride, and I managed to get back quickly into my rhythm.

Would have liked a decent run and time, but it was not to be.

Interestingly I have run 11 miles this last week, which is the same amount as all other days put together.
I feel comfortable on the 2 mile run, and plan to do 2 miles this week again, at least 8 miles and then see about upping my distance.

This week looks busy. I already have meetings on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.I may manage a late run on Mon. Fri, and Sat , but Wednesday looks out.
I hope the rain stays off!

Day 24

Was another beautiful day, and looking forward to a run.

Measured out my run on Tuesday to be 4.8km (so not the 5km I had previously thought) but it was 3 miles.

Was at the teenagers class tonight, but one of the mother's had prepared petulla (like a sugarless donut) and I ate 3 of them.
When I arrived back in Shkoder i felt a run was out of the question.

As soon as I dismissed a run, I felt that I wanted to run - even though I was not feeling too good.
As soon as I started to run I felt bad.
However, I just kept running - slow pace, but I just wanted to get through the 2miles.

About half way round, my run was completed blocked by a guy getting out of his car. Then about 1km from the end I was running past a car when it turned and blocked me into the wall. the driver then opened his door and stared at me as though he wanted me to complain.
The song on my mp3 player just happened ( does anything just happen by chance?!) to be "Psycho Killer" by the Talking Heads.

"Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run away"

I though to myself..." far better run run run run run away!"
I told him to continue and I ran away!

Slight delay on these 2 stops and it did break my rhythm although my time was not affected too much.

In the end I completed the 2 miles in 20 mins 33 secs.

Again, not my greatest run, but I was very pleased with myself.
I ran when I really did not feel like running.
I ran with a bit of pain and a bloated stomach.
I ran through the pain and completed the 2 miles.
I feel good about running 2 miles now - even when I don;t feel that good!

Day 23 - Back to 2 mile

No run yesterday.
I was teaching at church in the evening and had not time to run. I am making Wednesday my rest day as I am teaching in the evenings.

I was glad to have a rest as my legs were quite sore and stiff after the 5km run on Tuesday. I think I took on too much.

Good:
1) I ran my target distance.(5km)( edit. Not quite...it was 3 miles but only 4.8km)
2) I felt good

Bad:
1) Don't think my body was ready to increase the distance to 5km. Should have stuck to running a few more 3km as I originally planned.
2) I am needing recovery time. I feel dehydrated and after yesterday's teaching was feeling pretty tired.
3) Got to look at this as a slow, long term thing and not a get-fit-quick program!

Weigh in yesterday was 83.7km.
We had a family round for supper after church, so that meant I ate more than I normally would have done, but still the weight loss (or lack of it) is slightly discouraging. I have lost 100g since starting. That is terrible!!
The strange thing is I think I have lost weight on my my stomach and my face, and I feel a lot better.

I must write 100 times...."This is a long term, slow run to fitness and weight loss"
God willing, Summer 2009 is my target to be 77kg and below.

Tonight I had 2 meetings arranged, so I thought I would not get a run in...but one meeting was cancelled so I was able to get out for a run after getting my son from school.

5pm was the earliest I have run and it was a beautiful night, and very warm in the 70's...so it was the hottest night so far for a run.

To be honest I decided 3km was the maximum for this run, and my legs felt far better than at any other time...however it just felt a struggle the whole way round.
When I got back, I had to climb the 4 flights of stairs to our apartment...and no-one opened the door. That was a terrible feeling. When you get home , you just want to get in and get relaxed and warm down....I started to feel worse. When my wife eventually opened the door, I was not feeling too good. Not sick, just a little empty stomached and weak. I saw a packet of crisps and ate them, feeling better almost immediately.
No doubt putting on more calories in one minute than I lost in the whole run. :-(

Still, I ran, and I believe it is doing me good.

Time was slower than last time, but still under 10 minutes a mile.
19 minutes 38 seconds.

Think I need to keep at 3km for at least another week.

Day 21 - Success - 3 miles

I was ready for a run yesterday. Picked the kids up from school, just relaxing and as it was a beautiful day I was looking forward to running just before the sun went down.

Then, I got a call from one of the teenagers wanting me to go and speak to him...so I put off the run. I planned a run yesterday and 2 days off to rest, but it meant that yesterday was rest day and tonight after picking my son up, I had a meeting with someone.

As soon as that finished I was off for a run.
I had been out on the bike earlier and gone over a potential route but it looked like I would try it in about 10 days time.

However, as I hit 1km, I felt good and really wanted to try the new route.
As I came back on to the old route I thought it was likely to be short of 5km. I estimated this without looking at my watch, as I did not want to see the time. I was only going by the songs on my mp3 player ( this is the first time I have run with the player, but most of my other runs have been short). As I came back up to finish I saw the time was well under 30 minutes, so was sure that the distance was not 5km. Feeling reasonably good, i extended the run another 500km.

I finished on 30 mins. 36 seconds.

I have no idea how far officially it was. I am pretty sure it was 3miles...and it could have been very close to 5km.(edit: measured at 4.8km)

Feeling good.
Legs a little sore, but nothing worrying.

Feeling very encouraged!

Day 19 - 2 miles

No run yesterday, so was looking forward to getting back out today, which should have been my rest day.

It has been a beautiful day. My afternoon meeting was cancelled, so I had time to go for a run after picking up my son from Sunday School.

First of all I think I need to stretch more before starting. I cycled to church and back with my boys on the bike and I thought that would be a good warm up.
Then, I did some stretching but immediately on starting I had a feeling of a sharp pain down the front of my right leg.
More stretching needed!

The first half km I felt my legs heavy and felt I was running well within myself. Then I remembered that I had not drunk a couple of glasses of water which i usually do about a half hour before running. That was psychologically bad. However, I pushed myself to keep going. On getting round the new route and coming back on to the old route I looked at my watch and saw that i was at least a minute up, and decided to push on, but there was no energy. I started to feel bad. I could sense my body searching but my stomach was empty. I decided to keep on at the same pace. As I turned to the last straight my mind said "kick on" but my body said "stop". I managed to keep going and right round to the end.

Looked at my watch and it 19 mins 04 seconds.
That is 2 mins 9 secs secs quicker than 2 nights ago!

WOW!! That is awesome!

It also means I was running 9.32 secs miles!

I am impressed with that!

It felt good. I was a little out of breath at the end and must try to slow down a bit till I am used to the distance.

Very encouraged!

Day 18

No run.

heavy rain and thunderstorms. Cleared up in the afternoon and hopes to run in the evening after the teenagers class. the heavens opened and the roads were blocked with water - a run was totally off.

Drove round yesterday's route.
3.3km (maybe near 3.4km)
That is over 2 miles!

I actually ran to the bottom of a road that I have thought about running but thought it was WAAAAAY too far. In the dark, and feeling good I extended my run and actually ran to the bottom of this road without realizing it!

feeling good. Looking forward to getting out tomorrow(hopefully)

Day 17 - Progress

Today I ran 3km.

Not 100% sure of the distance but at least it was 3km.
I ran a new route and will need to check the proper distance. It took 21 mins 13 seconds and it felt GOOD!

Was not thinking too much about a run, just a little disappointed that the weather was rainy and forecast heavy showers. the evening was beautiful and warm and after the teenagers class in Koplik I was out for a run.

I had measured a new mile run that crosses my old run...this gave me the option of running the new mile or a further longer run, taking in the last part of my original route.
I must admit, I was determined to run further than a mile and I just felt good the whole run.
I am so pleased with myself. As I completed part one I had actually run 11 minutes. Slightly slower pace, but some lanes were pitch black and i was running on unknown roads. i was scared of the many open manholes!

As I got to what must have been a mile I felt so good and I continued. No real pain, no difficulty in breathing, no desire for a drink.
I extended the home run a little to try to make it nearer 2 miles...but am unsure at the exact mileage.

Absolutely delighted with myself and my t-shirt was soaking with sweat!

Running is fun!

Day 16

Another mile run.

10 mins 10 secs.

Far quicker than any of my other times,( 33 seconds quicker than last run, and 1min 23 secs quicker than my first mile!) and I really felt comfortable. I had a slight pain down the front of my lower legs at the beginning which I think came from stretching exercises before the last run. I also had the feeling that a "stitch' was coming on in my left side as I approached the end, but my breathing and general energy was very good.

AS I approached my house, my neighbour was there and spoke to me. Had this been one of my first runs I would have embarrassingly spluttered and been unable to speak from lack of breath. However, I managed to say, very casually, "Oh yeah, just out for run!".
Great feeling!

I actually felt as though these were not my legs - they just seemed to keep going as though at times they defied my brain.
Everything on tonight's run seemed shorter. Probably because I was running quicker.

I actually believe the circuit is further than one mile, so that would mean that i ran 1 mile in under 10 minutes.

That is encouraging!

Feeling good tonight!

Back to square one!

Weigh in yesterday and I was back to 83.8kg.

That is not bad as i was 900g more than that last week(84.7kg), and the weigh in was on a rest day.So i am pretty pleased at the weight loss. I do not want to lose too much weight too quickly, so realistically am looking to lose around 600-700g each month.

If I can do that then I should be down to BMI normal in around a years time.

There will be good days, and there will be bad days.
I feel I need to be disciplined and to keep running.

(Forecast 3 days of heavy showers. these are 3 days that I want to put in a mile on each day - so hopefully the rain will keep off as I still do not have the right clothing for a run in the rain)

Weight Loss (Day 15)

One of the reasons that i am running is to lose some weight.
I do want to get fit, but I also want to lose some weight.

Last week I ate too much and I put on some weight.
Running is a real problem for an overweight middle-aged man, trying to get healthy, fitter and smaller around the waist!

Problem 1)
Running means i need to eat.
A car burns up petrol as it travels on the road.Therefore the need to fill her up with petrol.
A runner burns up calories as he runs. Therefore the need to stock up on some calories.
Just the very thing I am trying to avoid!

Problem 2)
I feel good about running. I am challenging myself. I am being disciplined. I am completing the tasks.
I deserve a "reward".
How about a Mars bar!
Result - I add on in 30seconds more than I burn off in my mile run! :-(

Problem 3)
I complete a run and come home ...hungry!
I have an enormous appetite after running.

Problem 4)
Running builds up muscle, putting on weight. Obviously this muscle should burn up more fat and calories as I use them later on...but the very beginning I need ENCOURAGEMENT and weight gain is NO encouragement!

So, last week was a disaster. This week i have cut back on my soft drink intake - only drinking sparkling mineral water, and Zero Coca Cola, and very little of that!
I have cut down my bread intake. I live in Albania and am used to warm, freshly baked bread, which you can easily eat 3-4. And that is THICK slices.

I feel like I have lost weight, but the weigh in will be after the meal tonight, and it is a rest day...so I will see how things go.

Day 14 - Struggling

Today was a holiday - Bajram.

Nice an easy day, and went for a run a little earlier than usual. The route that is normally quiet was crowded.
Maybe I am selfish, but now that it is MY route, I don't want lots of people walking and milling around. I got delayed by 2 cars that could not squeeze past each other, and it looked like it was the call to prayer as whole families walked to the mosque!

But that was the least of my worries.
I did some stretching exercises before starting, and almost immediately felt a cramp like pain in the back of my right leg. Then, turning to the main straight I juts felt plain bad. Running on empty. I decided at least to make it to half way, and was urging myself on to put pain at the back of my mind.
What a wimp, if I can't run a mile!
So I kept going. I was sure I was running ultra-slow and was just looking at finishing. I did not want to stop as psychologically felt this would be a set back. In the end I made it, feeling encouraged at overtaking a cyclist as I made it towards home.

Time - a very surprising 10 mins 43 secs.
That is seven seconds quicker than yesterday!, and the quickest I have so far run. Almost a minute up on my first attempt at the mile.

I did not think I was running quicker than yesterday.
However, i am not too encouraged, more disappointed as the last 2 runs felt good, and this one felt bad.
Still glad that I run, as tomorrow will likely be a rest day given that I am teaching at church in the evening.

Total miles run for September - approx. 7 miles

Starting to Run

Here are some web sites that might help if you are thinking of starting to run!

Couch to 5k

and

Running Injury Free ( lot of good advice here!)

Day 13

Yesterday was a day of rest , so back out today.

To be honest, was not looking forward to it. Feeling kind of lazy regarding running today. I think I would have far rather gone out earlier...but I ended up going out about 7.15pm.

This run was a little hectic as it was the night of Bajram and a LOT of people and cars on the road. This made me a little apprehensive, but it probably took my mind off the run. By the time I was half way round , I realised that a few of my mental checks (the barber shop, the shoemaker) had passed unnoticed.

I really felt good this run, and thought i must be cruising and not going particularly fast. As i finished I really felt very easy and was surprised to see the mile done in 10mins, 50 seconds. That is a full TWO seconds quicker than last time.

have not been keeping my eye on the watch recently as my aim is to complete
10 x 1 mile runs ( done 4 already)
10 x 2 mile runs
then go for 3 miles ( roughly 5km)
I hope to be doing 3 mile runs comfortably by the end of October.

Been encouraged today.
feeling good. eating a little less, and hoping to see some weight off. My stomach feels like it is pulling itself in, so I'm hoping to be under 84kg at the next weigh in. (2 days away)

Day 11 - Steady

1 mile run late this evening.

10 mins 52 seconds. A full 45 seconds quicker than the last 2 days.

Positives.
3rd run of a mile in 3 days.
Quicker time.
Psychologically, I ran through times I thought I might not make it to the end of the run.
Continued with 12 press ups today.

Negatives.
More visitors - more eating.
This run tonight was quicker but I also felt I had run enough. I couldn't have gone on any further.
Think I need a rest.

Overall, very encouraged at the progress.
Forecast rain tomorrow, and am planning a full day rest, as I am taking the teenage class to the movies in the evening.

Day 10 - Progress

Back out for a run after the thunderstorm.

Was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to a run. then the rain came on, but as I was busy, by the time I was finished the rain was off and I got back out for a run.

1 mile = 11 mins 38 seconds. ( 1 second down on yesterday's time, although I had a couple of delays on the run)

Felt really good!
Enjoyed the run tonight!

Just running straight off is far better than the "couch to 5k plan".

Day 9 - Running backwards

One giant step for man...two giant steps backwards.

Weigh in yesterday = 84.7 kg.
Almost 1kg up on last week! ( Ouch, ouch and double ouch!)

Now, i am consoling myself that last weeks weigh in came after a run, and this weeks came after a heavy meal, so the difference may not be THAT much, but it has been a poor week.

Encouraging things:
I started running, and have the desire to run more.
I have been eating more healthily.
Press ups were completed. ( the last 2 days I did 12 without stopping. really felt good about that!)
I have cut down on fizzy drinks and am drinking Zero-Coca Cola, when i do.

Negative things:
Heavy rain...that has dampened my progress.
Cold that stopped me running for a couple of days.
I have been eating more healthily - emphasis this time on MORE!( not really my fault. My Italian sister-in-law just sent a hunk of Italian cheese and sausage!)
I want to run, but have negative thoughts that I will fail.
I do not drink enough water.

My present view is to start running...not the couch to 5k program but just plain running, slow and as far as I feel comfortable to do.
Probably won't be much, but I need to cut down on food intake.
The Ryder Cup didn't help as I munched through packets of salted peanuts.

Joe's blog is still a MASSIVE encouragement!

Edit:
Just back from a run.
This time I just ran. No walking, and I did a mile in 11 minutes 37 seconds.
This was a slow run, a pace just a bit quicker than a very quick walk, but it still felt good!
Very pleased with myself for making it!
I'm sure I could have run more - and in fact had a real desire to go the "extra mile", but chose to break myself in slowly.
Also trying to cut back on my food intake, but very encouraged today after a poor day yesterday!

Day Seven

The only thing running today is my nose!

I have a cold and almost lost my voice. I think it came from getting caught in a couple of thunderstorms last week rather than out running, although it could have come from the last run that was quite cold and windy.
I have to speak at church tomorrow, so a run today is out of the question as I try to look after my voice and not do anything to make it worse.

Disappointed and frustrated at the moment.

Day Six

Wow - there's a shock!

Just did my BMI test.
1 metre 75cm : 84 kg = 27.42
That is in the middle of overweight!
Now I knew that I needed to lose a little weight, but I thought 5kg would get me well down to normal.

Now I find that i need to lose SIX kg just to break into normal.

That would mean that I need to lose 8-10 kg to be in the middle of normal.
I guess I need to cut back on what I eat.

Next weigh in is 2 days, but I seriously am not expecting much below last weigh in. I know I have been exercising, but I also have been eating normally - maybe a little more than normal :-(

I am feeling okay today. Putting running to the back of my mind. I will see how much time, weather and how I feel for a run in the evening.

Edit:
Got ready for a run, but as i went out for the boys from school at 4pm the rain started and the wind blew up. I was really disappointed as I wanted to do a run as far as I could without stopping.
Later, i started to feel a little ill, with a temperature and I have a slight cold, and the rain got heavier so I am glad I never went for the run.

Complete day of rest today.
been following the advice " feed a cold and starve a fever"...and I have diagnosed myself as a cold so I am not looking forward to the next weigh in.

Day Five

No run today.
Day of rest!

To be honest I am glad of the rest as I feel pretty weak. I guess that I will feel worse before I feel better - and that for a few weeks the running will be more of a pain than pleasure.

My bones are creaking and I am not sure whether to continue the press ups or not.
Cycling on my bike with the boys today, i really felt my legs heavy, so I was glad not be having a run tonight. The wind was blowing again like yesterday. The next couple of days are forecast rain, so i am hoping it will be dry enough at least one day to let me get a run in during the evening.

Edit:
Just did the push ups for today.
2, 3, 2, 2, and last 3.
Man that was a struggle. Seriously, I am beginning to question how unfit I am!

Day Four

Really was looking forward to a run today.

Was thinking of different things i see on my run.
It is a fairly short route and I run it twice, but I still like passing the barber shop, the man repairing shoes, the guys playing billiards, the mosque( I never knew there was one there before) and the carpenter's shop. I will post photos of some of these one day.

Anyway, I got out for a run this evening and am not long back.

I had thought the day off would help my muscles but i was feeling worse today than yesterday. I ate muesli for breakfast, spaghetti and shrimps for lunch and a banana in the afternoon. I felt good about my diet. Unfortunately I really thought I would see them all again on the run, as I felt physically sick at one point.

The first minute was really good and light running, I was enjoying myself.
The rest period dragged on and I was pleased to be at the second minute of running. Then I felt bad, my legs were sore, the muscles were burning and I was really glad to get the rest period. I turned the corner for the longest stretch of the run and the wind was strong in my face, I started wishing I hadn't come for a run. This was not fun.
I started to think of doing a half run, and the wind was giving me negative thoughts.
By the time I reached the end of the straight I was beginning to console myself that at the turn the wind would be at my back. Little chance. The wind dropped, but I made it quickly back to the start and was on my second lap. Each rest period seemed further away and I was really struggling the last 10 seconds of each run. I was running like the Hunch Back of Notre Dame. It certainly couldn't have been pretty to watch!
This time the wind seemed to have died down a little and I had more difficulty in pressing on to the end of the one minute of running.
As I turned to the back straight I knew I was in difficulty, but with only one more minute of running I convinced myself to put pain at the back of my mind, stop being a wimp and finish the run.That minute ended with a big feeling of "I'm going to be sick". I had no strength to walk back to the start at any great pace and I arrived 20.29 seconds.

A new record, but to be honest I was just happy to finish without throwing up!

I am sore all over, I think some muscles are aching from the 100 push ups course I started yesterday.

No fun today at all!

Don't know when I will be back out.
Tomorrow I plan a day of rest.

I have convinced myself that the main problem was dehydration. I drink very little water, and often have problems when flying due to dehydration. I have already tried cutting back on Coca-Cola, and am drinking fruit juice, but I see that I need to increase the water intake.

A little discouraged today. Think I won't have lost any weight as well.
Next weigh in - 4 days.

Day Three

No run today.

In truth i think a rest will do me good, but I was really looking forward to running and maybe completing the circuit in 20minutes.
All day I have been thinking of the route and looking forward to getting back out, but we planned on visitors staying the night but they could not come. This resulted in my wife paying them a visit, so i am at home with the boys.

Disappointed, but really i should take this slowly. The plan i am on is for 3 runs a week.
I have done 2 in 2 days , so I should not be too quick in trying to achieve my goals.

As a consolation I tried out the 100 push up course that I found on Joe’s website.
The schedule is for 3 times a week, so between running 3 times a week and push ups 3 times a week, I should be able to do them alternative days and still get a complete day of rest!

I am the world’s worst at push ups.
I can do a really good push up. I get down low, the body is straight and my chest touches the ground, and then as I push up, my wrists just burn, and give in. And that is that, one really good push up!
Well, if people were watching and asking me to prove myself, i probably could go to maybe 10 but I would totally wasted by the end, and would only do that to prove some kind of macho image for myself.

Therefore I went for stage one.
2 push ups - rest 60 seconds
3 push ups – rest 60 seconds
2 push ups - rest 60secs
2 push ups – rest 60 seconds
At least 3 push ups.

The first push up was accompanied with cracking of bones and I really thought I wouldn't make the second one. It was only the thought of 60 seconds of rest that made me carry on.
In the end I completed day one's schedule and the final set with 5 push ups!

I was encouraged by that, although out of breath and actually starting a sweat! ( How out of shape can a man be!?)
However, I think at the end of the week I will repeat week one, as I still feel I will struggle in the future.

Between push ups and running, I would far rather go running!