Category: Running

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Fit for task

Pic of the week 14/10/18

I like this “grabbed” snap of the three of us on our way to Yoga (Sam was going for a walk around the block.) Tuesday and Wednesday were glorious days with wall to wall sunshine – very different from the last few days when Storm Callum has lashed us with wind and rain.

I’ve been doing a lot of referee-ing of late – and really enjoying it, although it hasn’t mean I’ve done much running of late.

And for much you can substitute any.

Due to a late cancellation, I found myself at a loose end this afternoon so I went for a run – my first since August 26th!

Not the ideal time to run (2.30 ish, rather than in the morning), it was windy (the lingering wake of storm Callum) and I was overdressed in two layers, but I didn’t find it easy.  Ran my Upper 6K route, the time wasn’t too far off normal, all splits sub 5 mins, except for the hill which was 5.12 but it did strike my how I’ve lost my easy running rhythm.

I’d still describe myself as fit – possibly fitter than I have been for some time, cruising my way around the pitch as referee, but it just shows how fitness can be task specific.

Anyway, with half term beginning to appear on the horizon, the opportunity to once again pound the streets of Street will soon be here and I can eat up those miles.

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Decking, Park Run & Robin’s Nest

Pic of the week 3/6/18

So half term draws to a sunny conclusion.

Weatherwise, its been an odd one – started of hot & sunny, but by Tuesday that changed and it has, at times, been wet, wet, wet. But yesterday and today have been scorchio – brilliant azure blue skies.

Midweek I set to building the new (final?) deck and graveling in front of the sitting room French doors. All materials bought from Bradfords, am pleased with the results.

Yesterday I ran my first Park Run. Enjoyed it, running with others was an enjoyable change, and good for my pace. Ran the 5k in 22:49, the fastest I have run since my injury and it did help me run a little quicker today (ran my 7K loop.) Will run the Park Run again in the hols.

And we’ve got a robin nesting in one of the small metal trugs opposite the kitchen door.  Its been flitting in and out all week and now there are eggs in the nest. Hope they survive the attentions of the neighbourhood cats …

On the garden front,  at the start of this week I pulled up the Forget Me Nots and at the end of the week, planted runner bean and pea seeds.

Mini brake warning light came in so booked it in for the pads to be changed. Alas, the anti-rattle spring had corroded into the brake caliper (dis-similar metal corrosion: spring is aluminium, caliper, steel) so had to have a new caliper as well. Ouch! No change from £470. At least the sun has been shining, allowing some top down motoring, which is fun.

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Sunny weather

Pic of the week 20/5/18

The sun has been shining of late.

Not mega hot heat wave temperatures, but pleasant blue skies and bright sunshine. to set of the vivid greens of the new growth on trees and shrubs.

Sam’s GCSEs have started in earnest, he’s not feeling the pressure, Becky is.  Sophie started her A level season by doing Core 1 on Wednesday.  Both can now begin to see the finish line on the horizon.

I’ve managed to get in a couple of runs, but times are slow: the  bounce is still missing from my stride.  Hoping that half term in week or so gives me the chance to get some miles in and get back to old ways.

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First Run Back

Its been a long time – over two months (4th March) – since I last ran. My tooth, then my knee, have taken their toll.

Yesterday afternoon, I set out rather gingerly to see if I could run again. It felt slow, it was slow, but my knee held up.  I ran 5K (down to the levels and back) in just over 25 mins, averaging about 5:04 per Km. The endorphins that kicked in on my return reminded me why I do it.

Its now the following morning – I am “aware” of my knee, it doesn’t hurt but I can feel it, although not necessarily in the place it hurt when I damaged it. Off spinning this morning.  Will continue to monitor the knee, but hopefully I can begin the build up to proper running again.

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Maximum Jeff

Same T-shirt, two Jeff’s

Pic of the week 22/4/18

I had plenty to write about today, but (probably I’ve got plenty to write about because I’ve been busy) today’s post will be reduced to a series of bullet points for brevity.

  • What a difference a day five years makes!  Same T-shirt, two different me’s. The first picture was taken in the summer of 2013, the right hand shot yesterday. Becky & I went to see “The Band” at the Bristol Hippodrome and the pic was taken after lunch, en-route to the show, which included my favourite line:
  • “You are looking at maximum Jeff.”  Show was great, but it did continue the tendency to stereotype “Jeff’s” as middle aged, boring, old men. Couldn’t be further from the truth!
  • As this post is, in part, dedicated to my vanity, it is only appropriate that I record my first “waxing” – on Thursday I had my back done, not as painful as I feared!
  • The weather has, at last, been fantastic. From Tuesday we’ve had wall to wall sunshine and, apparently, the hottest April day since the ’70s. After the cold wet Spring we’ve had, the good weather was long overdue.
  • Garden notes: planted up some lobelia, geraniums, hostas.  Gave everywhere a good tidy.  Over seeded the (barren looking) lawn.
  • Boiler – on Friday the boiler annoyingly started playing up, only giving hot water intermittently.  Can trick it into action (turn hot tap on, turn boiler off and then on) and it will (usually) stabilise and maintain hot water. But a pain. My money is on the PCB …
  • My knee continues to improve, but still not able to walk normally.  A lot less painful than it was and I have been able to swim on Friday and today.  Not sure if I’ve just forgotten how to walk!
  • Back to school tomorrow, holidays are over.  Still, the summer term is always the best (and the shortest. Are the two related, I wonder?)
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Broken

Pic of the week 15/4/18

I’m in pain. Again.  Not the tooth this time, but my knee, my right knee which I thought had pretty much got better took a big hit on Friday.

I did a tournament at Kingweston on Friday – good standard, a mix of U15 academy & district FA sides – I ref-ed four 35 min games and lined another. By the end of it my knee was hurting. So much so that I cancelled that night’s spinning.

It’s now Sunday afternoon, and it still hurts. Cancelled yesterday & today’s games (middles) and tomorrows line at Glastonbury U18. My season is over.

The last month has been a painful one – first my tooth, and then my knee.  I need to remember that I am only just shy of fifty years and my body can’t take the hammering it once used to.  This weekend I’ve realised that, and come to some conclusions.  I can’t do everything.  I’ve really enjoyed referee-ing this last week, but I’m really not enjoying the pain and enforced idleness that is the result.

Straight lines – I need to stick to straight lines. That means running, swimming and spinning. My body can cope with that, its the twisting and turning (football, referee-ing) that imparts those loads. Not sure when I shall start to run again. Hope to be able to spin on Tuesday, but will cancel if the knee doesn’t feel right, and swim this week.  Running the Glastonbury 10K may now be in doubt.

In other news, weather has been rubbish, but yesterday the sun came out & I found my spot at the bottom of the  garden. More rain today, but it is forecast to heat up next week.  Here’s hoping …

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Target met!

Pic of the week 17/2/18

I’ve only bloomin’ well gone an done it!

Ran 10K today in 46 mins 41 secs, thereby completing my target of running of running 10K in fewer minutes than my age in years – and I didn’t even need to wait until after my birthday in March, when I gain an extra minute!

Wasn’t sure how far I was going to run today as I set off on my six K route, legs a bit heavy after last night’s spinning, but splits were good and as I approached the leisure centre at around the 6K mark I was feeling good, so I thought I’d try a new “extra” loop by running up to the lights, straight on, and then right into Portway, right again and then back via the High Street.

Did mean a bit of a punishing climb from Strode ’till beyond The Elms, but kept on going.  Had to do a little extra loop at the end to take it to 10K.

Chuffed with the time and distance. Job Done!

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January review

Pic of the week 4/2/18

So January has been and gone.

To me, it went quite quickly, which is no bad thing as it is always a cold, dark month with little to commend it.  The mornings seemed dark long into the day and the evenings not much better.  February can be a cruel month – and we are set for a cold snap – but at least it is now light at 5pm, and that makes a big difference.  The couple of pics above show that the garden is beginning to wake up and showing signs of hope, signs that one day, warmth and sunshine will return.

I began the month feeling slow, sluggish and fat – I end the month fitter and thinner. Today (OK Feb, not Jan) I ran 9K, clocking up a PB at each of the major markers:

5K 22m 45s,  6K 27m 18s,  7K 31m 50s,  8K 36m 27s,  9K 41m 05s

Those times don’t come from being idle: in January I ran 57.14Km in 4h 33 mins, I’ve kept to my goal of swimming each week and in Jan I swam 264 lengths – that’s 8.8Km – and I’ve spun for three and three quarters of an hour.

My weight is beginning to come back under control. I’ve taken Friday as my weigh day, it had been down to 12 stone 9 and .75, but was up to 12 10.75 this Friday, but that was a blip as I did an extra duty on Thursday evening (and therefor tucked into a snickers bar at 10.45 pm)

So only a week ’til half term – always a major milestone when one can sense that the back of winter has been broken as the days lengthen and warm.

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Run, run, run

Pic of the week 28/1/18

When the new year dawned, I hit the roads, but slowly. I knew Christmas, and my pre-Christmas injury (pulled left hamstring) would have taken their toll, but I must confess that I was surprised as to how slow I was running.

Four weeks on, and that has significantly changed. Today I ran 9K (my typical 7K loop, with the extra 1K from the Hinhayes loop added on, but continued onto the High Street to push it up to 9K) and I ran those 9Ks quickly.

To be fair, last week I was fairly swift around 8Ks, but today I logged PBs for 7K, 8K and 9K:

  • 7K 32 min 3 secs
  • 8K 36 min 48 secs
  • 9k 41 min 27 secs

I’m impressed with myself.  Next step must be to start making 9K the standard Sunday run (although, ironically, shan’t be running for next two Sundays: refereeing next week, Legends game the week after) and then push it up to 10K.

And  the pic of the week? Nothing to do with running, but Becky’s been painting the bathroom. Today we ordered the lino, so in three weeks time, it’ll all be done.

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Rainy days and Sundays

Pic of the week 21/1/18

It’s been a wet old week, and today it has not stopped raining at all.

What do you do with grey January days? Not a lot. Get up, go to work, come home. At least the evenings are noticeably lightening – on a bright day its still light at 5pm, but on another, when the clouds cover the skies, its just damp and gloomy.

Went for a run today in the incessant rain. Perhaps it was the desire to get back into the dry and warmth, but I’m covering the k’s quickly – did 8Km in 37min 00 secs, a personal best. Chuffed with that.

Was due to referee today, but the game was called off yesterday – must admit I was pleased about that. I enjoy refereeing, but it takes up too much of my Sunday when it is my only day off.  Have settled into of a nice routine of getting up, running, stretching, showering and then enjoying my breakfast, before just loafing for the rest of the day (which will include reading & snoozing in the afternoon) Have just been appointed to ref a cup game in a couple of weeks, which I’ll do, but don’t think I’ll offer many/any other working week Sundays to the whistle.

On a side note, just been out to do the compost and noticed that some of the daffodils are starting to show their flower heads.  Still sometime ’till they’ll bloom, but a sign of promise of what is to come. So here’s a pic of some daff’s in the house: