25/1/16 – The Iceman Comes (…briefly)

At last, I’ve found out what jeggings are and my pairs came in very handy during that cold snap last week.

On Monday, however, I opted to keep warm in other ways, venturing back into gym. I figured that this was the safest day to try my recommended routine again being almost a week out from parkrun and the long Sunday session. Plenty of time to recover, if I managed to do myself another mischief. In fact, I confess that I did ease back into some machine work at the hotel gym last Wednesday, but in a very ginger fashion that wasn’t going to upset the birthday celebrations later that night or do me much good.

Happily, I got through Monday without a repeat of the lactic nightmare and managed almost all of my allotted exercises, missing only the final rep of the squats when I felt a little tell-tale twinge in my groin (Ooo-er missus). I’ve also decided to add in some work on my upper body and arms whilst waiting for the leg presses to become free. I figured it can’t hurt. I followed the session up with a half kilometre swim and a quick steam in the jacuzzi and left feeling very happy with my workout.

The next day, I should have been running but with leg muscles a bit sore, not to mentioned my arms (I figured wrong!). I elected instead for a brisk 3 mile walk instead when I was out meeting up with Lizzi.

Come Wednesday I couldn’t put off the running any longer and hit the ‘Bowie’ route: hop, skip and jumping over the ice patches in the park and nearly wiping out some inattentive teenage schoolchildren as they exited a bus. A 5K time of around 33.30 equating to 6.40 mins  per K pace  – can’t be exact as I carried on for a short while after and the watch is now set to miles rather than K’s. I’ve just got to start thinking in terms of mile pace instead (around 10:30, I think).

Thursday was back in the gym again – with a new warm-up wheeze. Running a slightly circuitous route to the gym to negate the need for the prescribed 10 minute warm up on the running machine. I breezed through the routine today feeling much stronger and twinge-less than in previous sessions. A full kilometer swim (I was pressed for time on Monday) and another steam in the incredibly noisy spa, left me with ears ringing to the sound of squealing babies, but feeling refreshed.

Friday was an enforced rest day with a long drive to Plymouth and back. I’m pleased to say my legs felt much better, post exercise, than on Tuesday. Also the journey did give me a chance to chat to Marc about how things are coming along. He shared his post-long run recovery secrets and it’s all about the Milkshake: thicker the better.  I’m more of ‘a Dioralyte or Isotonic Energy drink and huge slice of cake’ man myself, to try and combat cramp, but I promised to give it a go.

Saturday saw a return to Lloyd parkrun and the warmer weather. I was again flying solo as Sue had again been struck down by another cold in the week, so elected to skip to work up to the longer run on Sunday. My legs felt really strong that morning, indeed, I couldn’t believe how firm and muscular they felt after just two gym sessions. I also rationalised that this is why my weight loss wasn’t particularly dramatic this week, despite a very frugal week on the food front… it’s all turned to muscle, you see, which weighs more than fat. I can make myself believe anything at times.

Despite the usual trainer-sucking mud, I found my ‘iron’ legs were more up for the challenge than of late and was pleased to record 33:19, after a sprint finish that saw two off right on the line and ensured Ewa the Nemesis was also left a few seconds behind. That sprint finish nearly finished me off though, much to the amusement of the finish line marshals who witnessed my increasing panicked attempts to get my breath back.

The long Sunday run was 9 miles this week and I was toying with the idea of actually doing 10 beforehand, boy, am I glad I didn’t.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it. I like to try and get into a rhythm where my pace and breathing seems comfortable and, more importantly, sustainable over distance. It just didn’t happen today.

It wasn’t that I was slow – the pace was almost exactly the same as the previous week (around 11.30 min per mile – 1:42:33 time) – I was just increasingly fidgety and distracted as the run progressed. Music was no help, so I tried diverting from my planned route to try and encourage some focus on the virgin terrain, but that didn’t work either.

By the later stages of the run, I couldn’t wait for it to be over, which is unusual for me. And when I did stop I immediately felt light-headed and sick. No chance of running another step, let alone another mile and, thanks to my detour, I still had around half a mile walk to get home.

I stumbled into the nearby Spar and eyed those thick milkshakes queasily, opting for the usual energy drink instead. I was irresistably drawn to the most god-awful packaged croissant filled with some creamy banana and chocolate gloop. It should have increased my nausea, but instead it tasted just heavenly and did the trick. I know I’ve been careful about what I eat recently, but even off-diet I wouldn’t normally entertain eating something made so much fat and sugar, let alone enjoying it quite so much. Maybe I should have gone for that Milkshake after all.

I concluded that my malaise was down to the fact that, despite having a porridge breakfast, I was running on empty. I had meant to take some Sport Jelly Beans out with me to chew out halfway around as I’d done last week, but managed to forget them. I also haven’t up to now taken any water out on the longer runs as I don’t tend to feel thirsty when I’m running. I’m guessing that as the distances increase each week, I’m at the point where I should now start and drink regularly, even if I don’t actually feel a physical need.

Although the sickness abated, I didn’t feel quite right for the rest of the day, whereas normally I recover quite quickly and can get on with my day after a nice hot bath. Those iron legs suddenly didn’t feel quite so firm either.

Some lessons to be learned here, methinks.