Alice's Adventures in Running Land
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

The 'Downtime' Week

12/1/2019

0 Comments

 
I say this is the week of 'downtime' however it has in fact been incredibly busy, with lots of positive things happening professionally and personally. I use the term 'downtime' more to refer to my running this week - I gave my all in one final push around Doncaster 10k on Sunday, and I have just felt the need to press pause again these past few days. There are five weeks until my London Marathon training starts and I will then be back in full marathon mode. I need to enjoy the rapidly approaching festive season, relax and feel refreshed ready to tackle the training challenges, both physically and mentally, especially as I want to be chasing a big goal. I am not going to be slobbing out on the sofa for the next five weeks - I do not think I could ever do that! - but I am going to allow myself as much freedom as possible. 

MONDAY: I was sore after Doncaster 10k - a level of DOMs which shocked me at first, but then made me reflect on how much I must have challenged my body on the day. It was perhaps a good omen that my intended Body Pump class was therefore cancelled. 

TUESDAY: tonight was something very different for me running wise as I volunteered along with other members of my Run Club to support a local Hospice with an event they hold to remember loved ones during the festive season. As part of their planned Torchlight Procession they require a number of runners to run from a local church carry lit torches, to then light up the torches of the thousands of people gathered to take part in the procession. Running is only a very small part of the event, and I did not volunteer because I wanted a running challenge, it just seemed like a lovely thing to support, and  I ran to the meet point and home again after logging 5 miles of my own 'training' away. The event itself was wonderful, although a little scary at times carry what essentially are these massive wooden ticks which are set on fire! 

WEDNESDAY: with my legs still a bit sore from Sunday's race, this morning's 5 miles were taken easily, whilst squelching through huge puddles and embracing the downpours of rain.  

THURSDAY: after some pretty easy paced running so far this week, I was looking forward to some speed work at Run Club. On the agenda were minute reps completed as many times as possible during the time duration. It was a great session, with a mile warm up and cool down allowing me to catch up up with a few members, with then the 'all out' efforts in the middle. I managed ten reps, with a recovery jog in between, and despite completely messing up my Garmin programming, I was able to decipher later that I had been very consistent with the amount of distance I was able to achieve each time, averaging roughly 6.20 min/mile during the effort periods.
Picture
FRIDAY: Rest Day

​SATURDAY: when it takes you over ten minutes to de-ice your car you know it is pretty Baltic outside! This morning's parkrun was indeed cold and frosty, with a glisten of ice and frost on the paths and grass. 'Not a day for PBs' our Lincoln Run Director rightly warned us! I did not run too bad, finishing  in 21:38, but just did not feel confident enough with my footing to push myself fully at certain points on the course, especially as the footpaths become a bit slipper the more people had ran on them. I would of course rather run parkrun safely than not at all though!

​SUNDAY: Saturday night was our Run Club Christmas Party and we had a wonderfully jammed packed evening, starting at an Escape Room, followed by drinks and nibbles at a Board Game Cafe, and then a few of us headed out for some more drinks in other bars across Lincoln. Somehow I did not get home until nearly 3am - I am not even sure how that happened but shows you how much i was clearly enjoying myself! Time just flew by and a fair bit of gin was consumed along the way.... needless I was not really feeling Sunday morning's longer run. I do not really drink much anymore and also seem to need my sleep - so a double whammy of too much of one and not enough of the other knocked me for six a little. I eventually got out for some miles - settling on an easy 8 miles quite quickly as it felt a bit of an effort to keep my legs moving. It was nice to have the freedom to be able to enjoy a night with my Run Club and not have the fear of things affecting a training programme or race. 
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Alice's Adventures In Running Land

    Read about my adventures in running land...


    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Ashby 20 2019
    Bassingham Bash 2015
    Bassingham Bash 2016
    Bassingham Bash 2017
    Bassingham Bash 2020
    Berlin Marathon 2016
    Berlin Marathon 2017
    Boston Marathon 2017
    Brighton 10k 2015
    Brighton Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2018
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2020
    Chicago Marathon 2019
    Clumber Park Half Marathon
    Doncaster 10k 2017
    Doncaster 10k 2018
    Doncaster 10k 2019
    Doncaster 10k 2021
    Finsbury Park 10k 2015
    General Running
    Great Newham Run 10k 2016
    Great North Run 2015
    Harewood House Half Marathon 2017
    Hedgehog Half Marathon 2018
    I Am Team GB
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2018
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2015
    Lincoln 10k 2016
    Lincoln 10k 2017
    Lincoln 10k 2018
    Lincoln 10k 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2021
    Lincoln Colour Dash 2015
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2016
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2015
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2016
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon 2018
    Lockdown 2021
    London Marathon 2015
    London Marathon 2016
    London Marathon 2017
    London Marathon 2018
    London Marathon 2020
    Manchester Marathon 2016
    Milton Keynes 20 Mile Race 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2017
    Newark Half Marathon 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2019
    Newton's Fraction Half Marathon 2019
    Normanby 10k 2020
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2018
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2019
    Nottingham 10k 2016
    Oxford Half Marathon 2015
    Parkrun
    Park Run
    Peterborough Marathon 2021
    Robin Hood Trail 10k
    Round Sheffield Run 2016
    Round Sheffield Run 2017
    Round Sheffield Run 2018
    Round Sheffield Run 2019
    Round Sheffield Run 2021
    Royal Parks Half 2016
    Santa Run 2014
    Santa Run 2015
    Santa Run 2018
    Santa Run 2019
    Sleaford 10k 2019
    Stamford 30k
    Sydney Marathon 2018
    The 401 Challenge
    The Royal Parks Half Marathon 2016
    Thoresby Half Marathon
    Winter Run 10k Liverpool
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2018
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2019
    X Runner 2015

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from marksteelenz