The Tintern Trot
The name of this race is misleading. There was no trotting involved.
I found out at the beginning of the week that it was a 600ft climb and this then considerably scared me. So much so that I so nearly didn’t do it. I didn’t make the final decision till the afternoon.
I arrived and saw the map and pretty much thought it was going to be like the paths going round vassals, and even if there was a really steep climb it’d be something I could really through myself into. The first 2 miles and a bit were like that. Then it got hard. Really hard.
At one mile (the person infront of me had a watch that beeped after every mile) and I was at 10.2mins. Sadly this lady soon got too far ahead of me for me to hear her watch again.
At 2.5 miles (roughly) I was having trouble breathing, I’d looked at the map just before I started the run and I thought I’d read it that it didn’t quite go up as far as devils pulpit. I was wrong. So we were at the bit where we were definiitely off road and it was almost steps in the mud like. I ran out of breath and started wheezing finding it much harder than normal to regain control of my breathing. The guy I was running with told me to stop for a bit (I had already walked a couple of short sections – about a minute max- but he suggested properly stopping for a few seconds, but then as soon as I did I went light headed. This didn’t help the breathing. Put my head between my knees, had some chewing gum which he offered then plodding on. My face felt so hot and red I thought it was going to explode!
The next mile or so was a little better, was pretty much on the level though getting used to the terrain took some getting used to.
At about 4 miles we were on about 55mins then came the bit I had not considered would be part of the equation. Going down really steep hills but not on concrete (which would have freaked me out enough) but proper earth worn steps, wet rocks and wet grass. Oh yes did I mention it was raining. I forgot just how much I hate going downhill. Somehow I’d forgotten till that moment – like I forget everytime I go hill climbing. – that I am so scared of falling over and falling down hills that I’m always slow walking down them and now I’m supposed to be running down it! Eek!
Finally at a mile to go the terrain got flat and was a lovely run. I got quite excited by this and tried to pick up pace to make up time then my calf cramped and I fell over, might well tripped too.
Got up walked a little and then kept going running till the end after a few more freaky clambering down steps. When I was running on the flat and got into a rhythm the person I was running with said I was wheezing and suggested I go to the doctors and get checked for asthma. I wonder if it was just hayfever. Finished at 1hr18 and 53mins
I found it really stretching and tough and seem to have hurt my ankle and bruised me knee again.
It would be good to.do it again next year (though I can’t quite believe I’m saying that because I wanted to cry and quit from not far in.
But my theme of the year is just do it, so I did it!
Run in the Sun
Monday I needed some head space so just wanted to run and not think about anything so I just did a tempo 2 miles. It was about 10 minute miles.
Yesterday I did the 6 mile run (a week behind but wasn’t so well over the weekend so didn’t get it done then.
MapMyRun – Home – Eastville 6 miles, pretty, in Kingswood, United Kingdom.
Times: Final time 1hr 03. 38
11mins: 1.2 miles
21mins: 2.15miles
34mins: 3.5miles
53mins: 4.4 miles
53mins: 5.5miles
2 stops (first was at 4.4 miles, after slowing down to cross roads, going up steps, etc found it difficult getting rhythm back. plus decided I MUCH prefer running in cold than hot!! (i waited till after 6pm to run but still it was hot) 2nd stop was at the top of the hill in Vassals at about 5.2miles. This again with heat was hard.
First 3 miles was hard again, miles 3-4 were probably the best, then 4-6 were rubbish. Though that is my best 10k time so far.
Miles 1-3 my left ankle and calf ached (not hurt, just ached) so I kept running through it and it got better.
You can’t book a place for the tin tern trot, but they said to just come along on the day and register so that’s what I’m planning to do. (though was feeling it was a bad decision half way through the run yesterday)
Interval running tomorrow morning, then swim on saturday (or today if I get time)
Have tried adding my route on here for you to see, my friend has this great watch where it takes the time splits for him and saves them online so others can see, along with showing the route, heart rate, elevation of route etc. Now that’s what we want! (they’re about £100 though!!)
Swim
did the 4 lots of 8 today, I don’t know whether everyone else at the pool was suddenly a lot faster than usual or whether I was just slower than normal, but I was definitely pushing myself very hard!
First set was 4 crawl, 2 no arms, 2 breaststroke
2nd, 6 crawl, 2 no arms
3rd 6 crawl, 2 no arms
4th 4 crawl, 2 no arms, 2 breaststroke,
the whole thing took 30-35mins (can’t quite remember when I went in the pool! :s )
Run on saturday morning I’ve decided. 
2 mile tempo
So did the 2 mile tempo today, esther carter joined me which was nice to run with someone, though we didn’t always stay the same pace the whole time, when I needed to push ahead I did.
First mile was easy and I think I started too fast, the 2nd mile took forever to finish. But I came in at 18mins 23 seconds which I was pleased with.
The second lot was harder, tried to pace it a bit better this time. After 9minutes I picked up the pace again but I must have been going slower to start with as I came in at 19:53 I was still impressed that it was just under 10min miles though. Planning on swim tw and 6 miler on sat morning.
I’m back
So,
back jog blogging again,
This week I achieved the intervals and the swimming though for only half the amount of swimming as anticipated.
The intervals weren’t easy but were satisfying (am loathed ever put that anything is easy on here else I don’t know what you might give me to do next time!) However, I definitely prefer the longest one first then getting shorter, seems easier to do psychologically than the pyramid ones or even the 9 minute ones. Think I’m slowly getting my head around intervals. No almost fainting this time either but felt like my core muscles had had a good work out which must be good!
Didn’t get a long run in this time though.
Aiming for everything to be achieved this week though.
I did it!!
A cold, but pretty chuffed me with my support squad!
Half marathon completed:
Chip time: 02:27:20
10k time: 01:05:41
I’m dead impressed, didn’t think I’d really beat the 2hrs 30 boundary so I’m pretty chuffed!
Next plan is to do the Frenchay 10k! so watch this space.
Oh by the way, if you haven’t sponsored me yet, there is still time at http://www.justgiving.com/Ruth-McConnell thanks!
11.88miles
So managed 11.88, took the advantage of not really mile counting to go a brand new route and make it up as I went along, this was good and helped me enjoy it more!!
Stats I’ve worked out since I got back
1hr 10 was at the 5.5 mile mark
2 hours was at about the 11 mile mark
However
My knee hurts quite a lot. There where a few hills in the route (up and down) but I didn’t charge down any of the hills, in fact I felt I used them quite well. However, when i had 30mins left my knee started to be painful, I didn’t think much of it, apart from that I felt quite painful all over really! just in the way that my body was obviously working hard to keep me going. (this was probably between mile 10 and 11) It hurts when I walk, (it feels as though its twisted or something is in slightly the wrong place. When its bent its fine, it the making it straight that hurts, and hurts more over time. While I’m sat here, my right ankle is also a bit painful (though it wasn’t while I was running) My knee is a bit swollen on the right hand side of the knee cap (as i’m looking at it its at the 2’0 clock postion where the swelling is)
At the one 1hour 10 mark my left foot felt sore, (this is the one I got cramp in the other week) But it’s fine now and wasn’t too painful to keep on running on.
I’m going away for the weekend, and was going to go for a 3 mile run but wont now. I also was planning on going for a 9 mile walk, but maybe its not such a good idea with the knee? I’ve got to admit, this has worried me slightly, so close to race day. And the fact that its my knee too.Have put some anti-inflammatory gel on it (suggested by lesley broadfoot) and do have some anti-inflammatory tablets left from when my back was bad over the summer I could take if necessary. Should I buy a knee support do you think?
Psychologically, it was really tough getting the last 20mins done, partly because of my knee, and partly I just felt so spent!
A bit of a dampener on what should have been an encouraging run, it still is, but yeh…
swim
Went for the 30min swim yesterday, woke up too late after night shift to do the 2hour20 run, but am in my running gear now, waiting for my breakfast to have properly gone down to start running.
Swim was good, felt a lot fitter swimming than I have done previously but also still felt like I was pushing myself a lot which is good!
Will update on how far I get on the 2hour 20 run in about 3 hours time!!
Interval (happy intervals!)
Just got back in from my interval run. It wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it was going to be.
all 6 intervals were 8 minutes but I’ve worked out a few of the distances.
The first interval was about a mile (might have been just under, but not much)
2nd interval was about 0.9 of a mile
Can’t remember where I started running and finished running on interval 3
interval 4 was 0.78 of a mile
interval 5 was one of the hardest, and was more up hill than some of the others (not too considerably but enough to feel difficult) was just over 1km (someone had helpfully painted km markings on the cycle track!)
last interval was .83 of a mile (was quite hard and my legs were pretty sore by this stage – the rain had turned heavy too, really going to pray for no rain on the Half Marathon day!)
The song that kept me going on the last interval was Daft Punk Stronger, Harder, Faster: Work It Harder Make It Better
Do It Faster, Makes Us stronger felt appropriate!!
I’m quite pleased with that run, I kept what you had put as your last comment about I can do more than I think I can and that helped when it was hard. I’m pretty chuffed I managed a few 8 min miles in that. Lets see what the 2 hour 2o min run will turn out on Thursday.
till then, adios
sunrise tempo run
So did a sunrise tempo run down to Eastville park on Sunday morning to take some photos with my friend. The fact that I’d only just left myself enough time to get there meant that I seemed to go quicker. I can’t quite believe my time. I know its mainly downhill but I fell over on the ice at the beginning (didn’t realise it was as icy as that until I slipped) I don’t remember stopping the watch when I fell over but but I might have done. Didn’t seem to do any damage and my final time was:
34.32 minutes and the route came in at 3.41 miles.
Did feel like a hard run in places, really was pushing myself to get there in time.
Felt like I had to prove something to myself after the fateful run on thursday.
Interval run tomorrow afternoon.
