A Stalled Journey

After last week seemed to pass by quickly, this week has stalled a little in the unknown lockdown countdown. It has not felt horrendously tough, it has just seemed long, and the routine I have been developing suddenly a little tedious at times. My pattern of morning running and then having enough work to do at home keeps me going, however it is the weekends which are becoming more of the dread - motivating yourself to get up and find things to do to fill a day is weirdly tiring. I am thankful I shop for a vulnerable couple on a Saturday morning as it gives me a reason to get going; they are always so appreciate of me doing their weekly shop, but I do not think they realise how much it helps me too. Sunday morning this week was a struggle though - I woke up and just felt so flat and it took me a while to find the energy to go out for a run, half putting it off, as I knew once it was done I was faced with finding more things to do at home...

MONDAY: if the 2.6 challenge was supposed to replace the London Marathon then the running challenge I set myself on Sunday did a pretty good job of replicating the intense DOMs and impaired mobility I usually get post marathon! Shuffling around my house during the day I was not sure if I could attempt my evening online exercise classes, but I gave them a go, taking comfort from the fact at least no one could see me! I actually fared better than I thought and went out for a walk straight after whilst my muscles were warmer to try and loosen up my body further. 

TUESDAY: my legs were better but still sore today, so easy miles were on the cards. I planned another new 10k loop and just enjoyed allowing my legs to move - it was a bit like a post marathon recovery run, although thankfully slightly less sickening than some of mine have been in the past!

WEDNESDAY: I decided to try and keep running a bit easier again today, Sunday's challenge clearly had tested my body and I needed to respect this. I ran 7 miles, and whilst my pace crept up a little, generally it felt a comfortable run. 

THURSDAY: I opted for a slightly easier (maybe on paper!) speed session today rather than our set Run Club activity and ran 5 miles with 10 x 300m reps and 100m recoveries. My sister gave me the session to do from one of her old training plans and it appealed as it was a different interval distance to run. The short recovery period meant the intervals came thick and fast, but it did make the distance fly by. My paces were also good and it made me feel like my legs may be back to normal again.

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: maybe I was a little optimistic thinking my legs were 100% or maybe I was a little over confident buoyed by last week's speedy 5k. Whatever the case, this week's 'not Lincoln parkrun' was tough, and not an enjoyable tough. I started quick and it felt like hard work within the first mile, there was also a brisk wind whipping along the river which didn't help on the return of my 'out and back' route. I struggled home in 21:28 - which I know is not a horrendous time by any means - it just felt horrendous!

SUNDAY: after my battle to get out the door today my legs seemed to feel equally as lucklustre as I did. The 13.1 mile route I planned felt like a plod at times, and I just let it be that. My pace was not actually that slow for a longer run, hovering in the late 8:20s/early 8:30s but sometimes numbers do not correlate with how something felt. 

On a positive note, we did announce the full route for the Lincoln City Half Marathon this week which can be found here. I hope people appreciate how hard myself and colleagues have worked to create a diverse route, central to the city, which also has had to account for the nightmare that is the road network in Lincoln! The event is due to be held late September and I hope things will have calmed by then to allow it to happen, as I feel it will be a real celebration not just for runners but the city as a whole. Time will tell, but for now we remain positive.