Felt really tired but forced myself out for a 5k run – was hard work and gasping by the end.
Either results of cold last week, or some new bug incubating? Couldn’t stop sweating when I got in 
I had recieved a new running top as a birthday gift the other day, a long sleeved Nike dri-fit running top with a zip up collar. So I wanted to try it out, at the same time I was feeling pretty lethargic. Still, I forced myself out into a somewhat bluster and overcast and chilly day, and the Garmin took a while to find signal as I began to shiver and considered going back inside!
Soon the signal was found though and I set off, determining as always that I have the option of stopping if it really does get too much. The first ticked over in sub 6 minutes without my feeling I was really going any faster than the other day, so I just determined to try to keep up the same pace. There were moments in the run where I speeded up, particularly towards the end when I felt the runners’ high kick in a little and got a second wind, and went a bit quicker! In all shaved off 43 seconds off last week’s 5k run, which means the improvements are still coming.
That’s 2 PB’s within a few days of being 40 – admittedly, I have some way to go before I can start getting anywhere near real PB times again 
I apparently became a veteran of some kind yesterday – in more ways than one. I turned 40. They say life begins at 40, but I wonder how that applies to runners? Certainly, my category positions may go up a little now, but there are plenty of people 10, 20, probably even 30 years older running a heck of a lot faster than me! Still, I had to get out there and prove I can still run, now that I am middle aged officially!
I don’t know if it was the general busyness of the last few days, and a birthday of mixed feelings yesterday (no alcohol, btw) and just generally being in a transition period, together with the fact I hadn’t run since last week, but this run was tough, and that is reflected in my time – very slow, really, but I felt if I’d upped the pace, I wouldn’t have managed the distance. I was teaching my new writing course later in the afternoon so there was no space for heroics.
Still, I got my first PB (in training) as a 40 year old – is a running milestone I will easily surpass! The run also helped me focus on my group work later and helped settle my jitters over starting something new – which helped me get back in touch with the reasons why I started running in the first place
Finally a run worthy of the name Of course, they’re all worthy of the name, but it was nice to ease past another milestone today by completing 5k and doing it in under 30 minutes too, which is a sign my fitness really is starting to ratchet back up. It wasn’t easy – I am learning that I never find running easy! I was breathing hard, very hard towards the end, but I just settled in and kept going, and felt like I got my teeth into the run. So the other day I did 3 miles, and now it’s 5k, the milestones keep coming, I hope I can keep it up.
So no silly beggars for me going for sub 6 minute miles just yet – and if I do any intervals, it will be at a set pace and not as bloody hard as I can. And of course avoid the hilly park run at Woodbank, which is a pity, but my knees wouldn’t like me if I did those hills again, I think…
Anyway, running, and life, is good 
Yesterday I thought I wasn’t going to be be running again for a while… I had a bit of an altercation with a car, it wasn’t going very fast, but it kind of blind sided me while I was fiddling for my phone and it blasted its horn at me, wasn’t even going very fast. Unfortunately this made me wobble the wrong way (for my knee) and my cartilage thing (or kneecap thing, depending on who you listen to) wobbled out of place and my knee locked. Rather than go into contortions on the street I wobbled home and then proceeded to spend the most frustrating hour trying to pop my knee back into place. Usually bending it right back with foot touching arse seems to do the job in a few goes – not this time! Eventually, I lay on my back and gripping my ankle and raised my knee to almost above my ahead, and finally, finally straightened it and it straightened up normally with no pain (trying to straighten it when it’s locked can be agony, and it will buckle under me). My last physio said there wasn’t much wrong with it though and it was probably my kneecap and couldn’t possibly be cartilage. His assistant said it was most likely my cartilage (is it any wonder I stopped the physiotherapy!). Anyway, such is the joy of running and other sports injuries. The odd thing is, my knee never ever seems to go when I am doing something like running, running around, or doing some kind of sport. The recent occasions have been – getting up off my office chair, turning around to look at something in town, in the middle of sex, and now crossing the road
Anyway, after all this messing about my hamstring felt tender, which it has been for a few weeks, and I must have aggravated it with all the knee-popping contortions. So I set off for a run and was very aware of a niggle there. The knee hurt briefly then settled down, I was almost going to stop, but decided to just plod and see how I went, and managed to plod around 2 rather slow miles.
Still, it was a run, and I had only planned an easy run anyway. Hopefully reach the 5k mark this week, hamstring permitting, as long as my dratted knee stays in one piece
A very hot day, but wasn’t deterred from attempting my longest comeback run to date, 4.83KM, or 3 miles – I am taking the little stepping stones seriously!
So off I went, was tough at first especially in the blazing sun, but I got there! Next stop 5k, hopefully in sub 30 mins. Running sub 24 seems a very long way away, but if I go slowly the speed will come back, if that’s not a bit of a running oxymoron
