Janathon day twenty-four: treacle

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I think I got a bit cocky last night – My daily Janathon efforts have made bits of me a little perter and perkier, and the sight of the scales doesn’t displease me. High on the endorphins of a fast flowing yoga class, I was feeling fit and strong and confident.

And then I got up this morning.

This morning’s three miles were hard work, my legs were weary and every step was like running through treacle.

My legs have now stopped talking to me altogether, although I hear rumours that they’re making placards and are going to mount some kind of protest. Through our mediation service, I would like to inform them that they have a whole 24 hours off and then I’m taking them away to treat them to a bit of a swim and a sauna over the weekend.

When all else fails, just think of the reward of Janathon pizza

When all else fails, just think of the reward of Janathon pizza

Janathon day twenty-three: socks

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Last night I declared that I always sleep badly the night before an early run. It turns out that poor sleep is an essential part of me getting up at 5.30 – I went to bed in plenty of time and slept well, so well in fact that I slept straight through my first alarm… The next alarm went off at 6, which is when Miles and I should be already out hitting the pavements. Ooops.

This meant I had to squeeze in a quick three miles after work so I would have time to stuff my face before yoga. Some people might have you believe that yoga isn’t proper exercise, but my legs would tell you differently. Throughout the class I took heed of my teacher’s words and took a curious interest in what my body was telling me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear most of my limbs for my legs yelling “will you just sod off and leave me alone” before they stomped off, slamming their bedroom door behind them.

The class itself though paled into insignificance against my greatest achievement this year… I WAS WEARING MY HAND KNITTED SOCKS.

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I have finished the eternal socks that have lived with me, travelled the world with me and sat in the pub with me for two years. And I think that they’re rather splendid.

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The toe seams leave a little bit to be desired, but other than that they make me very happy.

Janathon day twenty-two: races

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A couple of years ago I declared “I don’t do races”. Then I did the Liverpool Women’s 10k in 2010, enjoyed it and didn’t race again for over a year. The next year I ran the Blackpool 10k in preparation for doing the Folkestone Half. Last year something went terribly wrong and I did five (the Age UK Wrap Up and Run 10k, theBolton 10k, a Badger 10k, the inaugural Port Sunlight 10k and the Royal Parks Half).

Medal Monkey - guardian of the race bling

Medal Monkey – guardian of the race bling

I have no idea what has happened to me this year, but we’ve not even finished Janathon and I appear to have acquired a race calendar. I don’t know if it’s the weather (looking forward longingly to spring) or just the fact that I’ve really enjoyed Janathon this year or what*, but (so far) I am signed up for three, am pondering one and have one pencilled in.

There has been very little planning about entering these, I am ruled entirely by my heart in these matters. I can see a race that is perfect in terms of distance, route and where it fits into whatever semblance of a training programme I have, but if it doesn’t make my heart flutter and put a smile on my face, I aint doing it. There’s no set formula for what draws me into a race, it just is what it is. So my immediate future looks like…

February: Mad Dog 10k – it’s rated as one of the top 10k races in the country by Runner’s World, you get the friendliest emails in the world from the organisers, I’ve read somewhere that someone won a toaster as a spot prize and it’s Southport, therefore it is flat. I like flat.

March: Cartmel 10k – apparently a hilly but beginner-friendly trail run in beautiful scenery and according to my mate Andy who knows about such things, “It’s tough, very soggy, but terrific fun”. Oh, and it would be the perfect race for Henniemavis – its full name is the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding 10k.

April: Blackpool Half – I seem to like a coastal race, it’s flat, it’ll be the first half that I run in the same half of the country where I live and Fortnight Flo is running it so there’s a chance to meet more lovely twitterers. Splendid.

April: Bolton 10k – Another hilly one, this time in Leverhulme Park, Bolton. I ran it in a downpour last year and it still put a smile on my face.

May: Liverpool Spring 10k – This is a new race being organised by the people behind last year’s Port Sunlight 10k, which I loved. This one is in Sefton Park and Matt the organiser has plans for bands, bunting and cake. That’s my kind of race.

Phew.

Tonight’s Janathon was a 3 mile out and back picking my way along crunchy pavements without falling over.

*Yes. I know. I like a medal – just call me Muttley…

Janathon day twenty-one: surprised

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Yesterday the main roads and their pavements were mostly snow-free. ‘Brilliant’, I thought, ‘late shift at work, long run in the morning, job done’. I woke up to this:

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So I went out and ran in it.

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For three miles.

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It was rather good fun.

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Especially running across fresh unsullied snow.

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Janathon day twenty: group

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Well I only went and faced my fears didn’t I? Skating across the car park made me realise that an off-road run was a good idea, so what the heck I might as well join the beginners trail running group I had seen on facebook. It was being run by a well-known running shop who are based at a posh gym a few miles away. I say gym, when I was shown around it, I was told repeatedly that “it’s not a gym, it’s a lifestyle centre…for people like you…”. Clearly the man had been misinformed about what I am like and certainly hadn’t seen my car outside (whenever I visit, I am acutely aware of the risk of it being towed away as an abandoned vehicle).

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The group was led by the same woman who ran the beginners group (via the now defunct Women’s Running Network) that got me started all those years ago. I have long since abandoned running a group as I seem to prefer to get on with ploughing my own furrow and this is one reason why I was nervous about going along, what if I looked as if I haven’t run in the two years since I turned up last?

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I went. I didn’t embarrass myself, I didn’t fall over (despite continually over-estimating the length of my legs whenever I went over stiles) and I didn’t injure myself. I did see people I knew from the old club and it was nice to say hello, I did enjoy myself and I did enjoy the biscuit at the end.

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I’m not sure what it is about my pace, but I always seem to end up between 2 groups of runners – Not fast enough to be with the long-legged gazelles at the front, slightly faster than the group at the back. Even if I hang around the middle, I find myself on my own. Oh. Wait a minute… Anyway, regardless of the reason for this, it always makes me think I may as well be out on my own, however reading about other people’s club running has made me aware that I would benefit from sessions for speed and hills (which I will not do on my own).

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If I remain brave, I suspect that this will end up being painful…

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