I worked out it was Wednesday by about 8.30am and decided that going to BMF would get my exercise done for the day without engaging too many more brain cells (using my right arm and left leg at the same time during the class did slightly overtax me a later!)
I wore my Garmin and this is where we went…
and this is how long it took…
As you can see my excellent crab crawling skills do wonders for my average pace.
Juneathon day 12, 1 hour BMF class, 3.24 miles.
We have two groups at the BMF classes I go to, which means we are split into a harder class and a less hard class, and the reds (intermediates) are divided between the two groups. At the beginning of the week I force myself not to be lazy and make sure I join the faster (green/red) group and do some work. On Friday’s, after run club the night before, when my legs are aching, I make very sure I am in the slower group (red/blue).
Some days I just stand in the middle as they count out numbers and let fate decide. Today was one of those days and I stood in the middle of the line, in a daze, yawning and just made the cut… into the red-greens. Aghhhh. I woke up very quickly as we ran off and I realised I was at the back and needed to wake up and get a wiggle on, sharpish !
(For those interested, the main difference between the two classes is the pace run at and the distance covered during the hour, the exercises being the same. All groups still have a mix of abilities, some people are stronger and others good runners. Very fast Greens or very new Blues need not worry because within the classes the instructors are very able to pitch the class to the group’s ability. They give different reps for exercises and normally know who’s not stretched and needs an extra little run before catching up! So it shouldn’t matter which class you’re in.)
This morning we ran, stopping for the odd press up or burpee. We ran round circles of trees doing more burpees while our partner ‘rested’ doing squat thrusts. And when I was fully awake and sure I was not going to be sick we got to a new stretch of grass and I prayed for a rest and some situps. They came later, but first we did shuttle runs and a few more shuttle runs before some nice tuck jumps, squat jumps and burpees all rounded off with a 200m sprint to earn our swig of water. I wasn’t last, just. Actually I was being nice to the greens who had to be in before all the reds! Honest.
Juneathon day 10. 1 hour BMF class, about 3 miles run.
10 days done, 20 to go!
Is they can ride up and ride down at the same time!
Today was one of those rare warm days when you need your lightest shorts for a run. I found my favourite pair (there aren’t many I will wear and I’ve tried lots). I waited until nearly 6pm for it to cool down before I went out. I’d missed the opportunity to run or go to BMF this morning, when it was cool because I was waiting for builders who didn’t show.
I’ve not worn today’s exact running top and shorts combination before. My experience is a good example of why you should always test out what you plan to wear for a key race! I spent the first mile or two in an uncomfortable struggle to pull various items of clothing in different directions.
I finally became less aware of moving clothing but then began to worry about the gap between my ridden up top and falling down shorts was exposing too much flesh. (There’s nothing wrong with exposing midriff in public, but it’s probably best saved for people a tad younger and certainly more sun tanned than me!) By half way round the Serpentine in the warmth, I’d seen a lot worse and worried less. On the way home feeling hot and tired, who cares!
Juneathon day 5. 5.7 mile run to and around the Serpentine in the sunshine.
My gym this morning. I can’t complain about that, nor the fact that is was a lovely warm day, even if I was wilting in the sun at 9 in the morning. It’s amazing the power of very simple exercises, burpees (again), squats and shuttle runs put together and performed in sets of intense blasts of 45 seconds with only 10 seconds rest between to reduce me to a quivering wreck. Some very simple Pilates core exercises were equally innocent looking but had me melted into the grass.
I was thinking of adding an easy run around the block tonight, after a boring day working at my PC, but distractions by my sons, both taking exams, and both in need of encouragement to do a little preparation led me to a glass of white at 6pm instead. I will make up for it tomorrow. Famous last words.
Juneathon day 4. 1 hour PT session. (Some running involved.)
Yes, I went to British Military Fitness this morning. Where else would you, all in the space of an hour, be found running, lying in the grass in Hyde Park with arms and legs in the air (yep, that was the dead bug bit), crawling backwards and forwards, doing far too many burpees and more press-ups and plank combinations than you can count? And that’s before the water break.
I was quietly relived that we ran a little less than average today as I felt I’d run enough over the weekend and because I am tentatively thinking that my aching Achilles and dagger pains in my calves have gone away. I don’t know what the reason is for this miracle cure, could be the 4 days off I had pre Juneathon or a tip I picked up at a barefoot running session the week before. ( I’m not particularly trying to run barefoot, but as a natural mid-foot striker who prefers minimalist type shoes I’m always open to suggestions on improving form and one of the things I learnt was the need to make sure that after landing on the mid-foot the heel ‘kisses’ the ground before toe off to prevent overloading the calf and Achilles. I’ve been thinking about this a bit when I run so who knows?!)
If you’re curious about Burpee conditioning… It is, 15 seconds of Burpees, at least 6 expected, then 15 seconds off (in press up position if you’re hardcore), while it’s your partners go. Repeat 10 times. Jelly legs guaranteed. Apparently we will build up to 20 sets and longer intervals.
The dead bugs is too long a story to describe but it did have an exercise goal (I think hip flexors were mentioned) and was not entirely for the amusement of our instructor and passers-by.
Juneathon day 3. 1 hour BMF class including 2.5 miles running.
I have been thinking recently about how I feel now that Spring Marathons are in full swing and that I have pulled out of the Milton Keynes Marathon.
I am full of admiration for everyone who has made it through marathon training this winter. The weather has been foul and the cold has certainly contributed to some of my niggles. How anyone finished a 20(+) mile run in the sleet this March with the added wind chill is amazing. I didn’t even manage to get out for one lap of my 20 mile race let alone 5!
I am a little envious of everyone’s successes so far and that wonderful feeling of achievement that many friends will get when they complete their marathons over the next few weeks. It all takes hard work and putting the hours in on long runs. It was trying to fast forward and catch up my long run distance after injury that made me admit I was over doing it and postpone my marathon number 2.
I am tempted looking at other marathons later this year or for next and still hold ambitions of improving my marathon time but I think too much about the ‘whens’ and ‘ifs’ of the training and best timings with other commitments.
So my thoughts always come back to long runs and I have to admit that I just don’t like doing them. I can’t help but think that maybe if I liked them a little more I might not have been so quick to drop out of my marathon training. I am happy to run 8 or 10 miles (and race a half marathon) but over that and I get a bit of a mental block and dread them before I start. It was at the 12 mile point (or maybe it’s the magic 2 hour curfew) of a long run when I admitted to myself I was bored, cold and fed up and probably trying to push myself to hard too soon after injury (so got on a bus) and made my decision.
I then had a bit of a running slump week. I cross trained and went to BMF where the runs are short before picking myself up with thoughts of shorter races. I did manage to force myself out for a long run last weekend because the odd long run is still a necessary evil for half marathon training. However even with a pre planned 12 mile route my legs somehow brought me home after 10 miles! I dragged out another mile looping the block before I had enough muscle aches and pains to justify calling it a day.
Fortunately my recent saviour of my running mojo has been BMF run club. I’m lucky that BMF Hyde Park is one of the BMF parks that holds a run club for members. I’ve meant to go ever since I’ve been a member and after 6 or 7 years I finally ran out of excuses! (Dark won’t kill me and being home at 7pm for dinner and bed time for my sons, now 16 and 14, isn’t an issue anymore.) There I have really enjoyed running some fast intervals.
It’s hard to describe the buzz I get from it which I don’t get from long runs. I know it’s going to be hard work beforehand but don’t get that feeling of dread. It’s amazing how you can blast out a km or more at best effort, thinking you’re ‘all-in’ but after 90 seconds recovery bounce off to do it all over again, and again. Running in the dark doesn’t bother me and it’s great to be running at my pace but within a group. Fortunately both times I have found myself well placed mid-pack where there is the challenge to chase the front-runners and comfort of not being at the back.
The tired feeling after speed intervals is better too! I sleep so well afer a tough speed session and my muscles feel happily tired rather than being painful and stiff after long runs. Speed is giving me a spring in my step. It’s great to find some pace again and my legs are feeling lighter now that I am leaving the slow shuffling heavy legged long slow runs behind me.
Good luck and well done to everyone who has or is about to run a marathon in the next few weeks. If like me it’s not happening for you either this time, our time will/may come! Or maybe as with many things in life, each to their own, embrace our differences and maybe admit we are more suited to other distances.
The weekend before last, thanks to Carla and New Balance, I went with a group of running blogger friends on a guided sightseeing run in London with City Jogging Tours.
We joined their Royal London Parks and Palaces Tour starting at St James’s Park tube station and took in 4 Royal Parks, Horse Guards for the changing of the guard, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Serpentine, Princess Diana Memorial fountain and the Albert Memorial to name a few and finished in front of Kensington Palace. The run was about 4 miles (7K) and run at an easy chatting pace with plenty of stops to discuss the landmarks along the way and allow runners at the back of the group to catch up. We were led by Amy an experienced runner and as we found out at the end pretty quick (as in elite start) marathon runner.
This tour is a great one for visitors to London but possibly not the most exciting of their tours for me because Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are where I spend many an hour running or at BMF classes. However our guide was very knowledgeable and told us about landmarks, statues, monuments and the Royal Parks so I actually found out a few new things about my running neighbourhood.
City Jogging Tours also have tours of Riverside London, Iconic London landmarks, Primrose Hill and Regents Canal, Maritime London and Hampstead Heath. They vary from 7 to 10K, for recreational runners or gentle jogs as scheduled group tours or bespoke tours.
Definitely a great way of combining sightseeing with a running workout for visitors to London and great fun for Londoners too.
New balance also kindly sent us all a pair of one of their new models of running shoes. I received a pair of their new cushioned model, 1080v3.
I have to admit that these are the first pair of New Balance running shoes I’ve ever tried. They are soft and cushioned, without being too spongy with a very plush heel counter. I am impressed how lightweight they are and that New Balance has lowered the heel a bit. They were great straight out of the box for the tour plus a few miles home. I haven’t run in them much more since seeing as they are pretty and white and I would like to have one pair of running shoes which are not caked in mud, but they will join my shoe rotation this summer. I think they will be a great warm weather long distance road shoe.
Janathon day 22. 8.28 miles. Total Janathon mileage 90.5 miles.
I had a great BMF class today in Hyde Park and realised that running in the snow can be fun. Especially if it’s on fresh powdery snow over grass. Although an hour, on and off, running up to my ankles in the stuff is hard work!
Janathon day 21, 1 hour BMF class including 2.5 miles running, more squats, far too many star jumps, several minutes of plank (can’t do sit ups either at the moment… shame), several snow balls thrown and a winning team tallest snowman!
I planned to do my marathon long run today. With all the fuss about the weather forecast for this weekend I thought 9 miles plus on Saturday or Sunday might be difficult so I sensibly decided get it in the bag today while doing some nifty work, housework and ironing pile avoidance.
However I failed to take into account the 200 squats I did yesterday at BMF. I had quite achy legs and glutes this morning but assumed the run would help loosen my muscles up and help get over the DOMS. I set off mid morning, starting very slowly as I tried to warm up and loosen my legs. However it was so cold that my legs never warmed up and my muscles got stiffer and more painful. I tried to run through it thinking that by 3 or 4 miles I would feel fine but when I stopped to crouch down and take a photo of birds on the frozen Serpentine I had trouble getting up again! At this stage I abandoned my 10 mile plans and waddled home.
For those of you who have asked, I’m following The Runners World improvers marathon training plan to train for the Milton Keynes Marathon. (RW’s January 2013 issue.) For the first 3 weeks during Janathon I am making sure that in running every day I at least cover the plan. I will then follow it closely, give or take. It’s a 16 week plan, assuming base mileage of 25-30 per week and starts at 25 miles a week building up to 50 miles at peak. I also find the Runners World online smart coach very useful for giving target paces for speed intervals and long runs based on past race times or target marathon time.
Janathon day 17. 7.65 miles at long slow run pace (less some)!
