Week 30 - A quiz and another good week
Sunday 28 October 2017. It difficult to believe I'm already into week 30 of my Long Run Back to Fitness. The downside is the clocks went back during the night and it now get dark much earlier.
Because of a pain in my right leg, I have only gone for a walks over the last two days. I have been stretching it a lot and rubbing Ibuleve gel into the offending area. Today, I wanted to see if I could go for a short run and see how I got on.
After putting some roast beef in the oven, I set out walking towards The Glen at 4.30 pm. The horse got the apple I forgot to bring with me yesterday. As soon as he saw me, he came over to the fence immediately.
It was a glorious autumn day, though it was quite cool.I jogged down into The Glen and set of on my laps using the upper footpaths. I was feeling good and my right leg did not bother me at all. However, I was taking it easy on the uphill parts.
I completed six laps, on the second I did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two of the reservoir on the third, three on the fourth, four on the fifth and five on the sixth. By the time I finished, at the waterfall, it was almost dark. I was glad to be back running and managed 8.05 km (or 5 miles) tonight. I didn't want to push my luck, so instead of jogging out of The Glen and home, I walked all the way back from the waterfall. I then changed and walked to and back from a shop (not my local shop, but one a bit further away). It meant I also walked 2 miles today.
The Glen was not busy today, but there were a few dog-walkers and, towards the end of my run, a family of five and dog turned up for a late afternoon walk. They were still there, playing on the river path, as I ran towards the waterfall on my last lap.
I finished off the roast beef dinner. We all had it with a mixture of vegetables, roast and mashed spuds, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy. My youngest brother joined us - he had the largest dinner.
Monday 30 October 2017. I am really going to miss the brighter evenings, and will have to get out much earlier if I am going to continue to use The Glen for my walks and runs. I still feel I need to loose some more weight before I can start pounding the pavements. Anyway, I'll look on the bright side as it's just less than five months until the clocks go forward again.
I had a shower, stretched and was on my way to The Glen at 4.10 pm. The horse was on top of the old railway embankment and just kept looking at me when I called him. I didn't wait for him and left the apple next to his gate.
It was a perfect afternoon for running, cool, still and dry, but cloudy. I jogged down into The Glen and set off of my laps. I completed seven laps. On the first I also did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two on the second, three on the third, etc.. and six on the sixth. On my seventh, and last lap of The Glen, I completed ten laps of the old reservoir. By the time I had stopped running, by the waterfall, it was practically dark. I stretched for just a minute and began jogging, very slowly as I couldn't see my footing, back to the exit bridge. I jogged all the way, up out of The Glen and back to the gate to the horse's field. I picked up the apple and the horse followed me along the hedge to the small wall at the other end of the field. Apple eaten and I walked home. I changed and walked to and back from the same shop as last night.
The Glen was very quiet tonight. Just one young woman with her dog and a man with his dog. I was wearing an almost new pair of running shorts and they were causing me problems by irritating the inside of my upper thighs. This has happened with these shorts before, but today I had put some cream on. However, this didn't really help. I first noticed this irritation on my third lap and was very surprised I managed to keep going as long as I did. I must admit, that by the time I changed, my legs were very red.
I did have to walk to the shop later as my mother cooked the largest apple pie (or tart in Ireland). I had to get some cream as my father won't eat it without cream. The pie was too heavy for my mother to lift so I had to put it into and take it out of the oven. It was huge and I weighed it. I've never seen an apple pie that weighed over 5 lbs. But she was given 25 kg of Armagh Bramley Apples, so I suppose she has to start using them. These apples are one of only two foods which have special protected status from the EU. It was great to see my mother cooking again.
Today I ran 12.1 km and 0.7 km. A total of 11.8 km (or 7.3 miles). I also walked 2.5 miles.
Tuesday 31 October 2017. I didn't go for a run today, but I did walk up to and back from my youngest brother's pub for a couple of pints of the black stuff. It was Halloween, there were lots of fireworks and some youngster did attack a fire crew in the village tonight. The walk to the pub and back is a mile, and at least it got my legs stretched.
To finish off on Halloween, I'll leave you with a scary walk along the river path in The Glen which I took on Friday 13th October.
Wednesday 1 November 2017. I spent part of the afternoon in Armagh City, but I didn't do much walking about. I got home at 4 pm and went for a run at 4.35 pm. I walked most of the way to The Glen, then jogged down into it and started my laps. I knew I would have to be swift, as there was less than an hour of daylight left. Although, starting to get dark, it was another beautiful day for running
I completed five laps. On the first I did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two on the second lap, three on the third, four on the fourth and ten on the fifth. I really pushed on on the fourth and fifth laps as the light was not great. I then ran along the long flat path towards the waterfall to finish, but it was so dark, I could not see the ground. I got to within 50 m of waterfall and decided to turn around and jog back to the exit footbridge and continue all the way back to the village. I then walked the rest of the way home, stretched, rubbed myself down and changed.
The thing about still being over-weight, is I sweat a lot as I run. It usually takes a lap and a half to reach the point where I need to wipe my brow so as not to be blinded by sweat. From there on I need to wipe my brow three to four times each lap. The result is my T-shirt becomes very wet by the end of my runs.
It's my mother's bingo night again and I needed to do some cooking beforehand. I cooked a bolognese and a curry. At the bingo there were no winners at our table.
Today I was just pleased to be able to squeeze a run in between all I needed to do. In total I ran 8.5 km (or 5.3 miles) and walked half a mile.
On arriving home, I looked at the clock. I had been out for a total of 65 minutes. With walking to The Glen, partly walking back, stretching afterwards and cooling down. I was probably running for just less than 50 minutes. It means I probably averaged about 9.5 minute miles today. I do feel I am going faster, but I know I'm not. My fastest five miles ever was just over 27 minutes, so I have a long way to go, and a lot of weight to loose, if I am to get much faster. I don't have a target, but I would like to just be able to feel I'm flowing a bit better. That will only come with time and a lot of hard work.
Thursday 2 October 2017. Did some walking about the town today. Got everything ready for my mother's friend coming tonight. Later went to a table quiz at my youngest brother's pub. My team finished second in the quiz. I suppose I walked a mile and a half today.
Friday 3 October 2017. Had a very lazy day. Did stretch my legs by walking to and back from the local shop. Watched Glasgow play Leinster in the Pro14 rugby. Glasgow won 31 - 21.
Saturday 4 October 2017. I went for a run at 3.45 pm. There would be less than two hours until dark. I've run out of apples, so the poor horse will not be getting any until I get hold of some more.
I walked towards The Glen and started jogging almost 200 m before I got there. It was cool and it tried to rain a few times, but it never really got started. Overall, it was almost perfect weather for running and I was determined to just enjoy myself this afternoon. Last night I had a huge plate of pasta, and that is always good for stamina.
I jogged down, into The Glen and over the river, then set off on my laps along the upper paths. My thoughts, as I climbed on my first lap, were not how many laps I wanted to do, but how far can I run before I can't see the ground beneath my feet.
I passed a man walking an excited small dog, as I approached the car park on my first lap, but at least it was on a lead. I passed the woman with three dogs a few times, two other men walking dogs and a couple out for a walk and taking photos.
I kept straight on, after rounding the old reservoir, on my first lap. On my second, I also completed an extra lap of the reservoir. Then two on my third, three on my fourth, up to seven on my eighth. On my ninth, as it was getting dark, I decided to keep straight on and start a tenth. On the way around the light was almost gone, but back at the old reservoir light does come in from the surrounding area, and I completed another ten laps of the reservoir.
As I ran along the long flat path to finish my tenth lap, it was almost dark, but it was so still and peaceful. It was too dark to run to the waterfall, so I just turned right over the exit bridge and climbed out of The Glen. I ran almost all the way home. It was a pleasant run and I still felt good when I stopped.
After stretching and changing, I walked to the local shop and back. Overall, today I ran 15.8 km (or 9.8 miles) and I walked just over a mile. It was a good end to the week and takes my totals up to 27.4 miles running and 8 miles walking.
I had a good evening watching Connacht beat Cheetahs and catching up on Ulster beating Southern Kings in South Africa.
Because of a pain in my right leg, I have only gone for a walks over the last two days. I have been stretching it a lot and rubbing Ibuleve gel into the offending area. Today, I wanted to see if I could go for a short run and see how I got on.
After putting some roast beef in the oven, I set out walking towards The Glen at 4.30 pm. The horse got the apple I forgot to bring with me yesterday. As soon as he saw me, he came over to the fence immediately.
It was a glorious autumn day, though it was quite cool.I jogged down into The Glen and set of on my laps using the upper footpaths. I was feeling good and my right leg did not bother me at all. However, I was taking it easy on the uphill parts.
Colours of autumn on path to old reservoir. You can see outline of climb up on mid-right of photo.
I completed six laps, on the second I did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two of the reservoir on the third, three on the fourth, four on the fifth and five on the sixth. By the time I finished, at the waterfall, it was almost dark. I was glad to be back running and managed 8.05 km (or 5 miles) tonight. I didn't want to push my luck, so instead of jogging out of The Glen and home, I walked all the way back from the waterfall. I then changed and walked to and back from a shop (not my local shop, but one a bit further away). It meant I also walked 2 miles today.
The Glen was not busy today, but there were a few dog-walkers and, towards the end of my run, a family of five and dog turned up for a late afternoon walk. They were still there, playing on the river path, as I ran towards the waterfall on my last lap.
I finished off the roast beef dinner. We all had it with a mixture of vegetables, roast and mashed spuds, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy. My youngest brother joined us - he had the largest dinner.
Monday 30 October 2017. I am really going to miss the brighter evenings, and will have to get out much earlier if I am going to continue to use The Glen for my walks and runs. I still feel I need to loose some more weight before I can start pounding the pavements. Anyway, I'll look on the bright side as it's just less than five months until the clocks go forward again.
I had a shower, stretched and was on my way to The Glen at 4.10 pm. The horse was on top of the old railway embankment and just kept looking at me when I called him. I didn't wait for him and left the apple next to his gate.
It was a perfect afternoon for running, cool, still and dry, but cloudy. I jogged down into The Glen and set off of my laps. I completed seven laps. On the first I also did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two on the second, three on the third, etc.. and six on the sixth. On my seventh, and last lap of The Glen, I completed ten laps of the old reservoir. By the time I had stopped running, by the waterfall, it was practically dark. I stretched for just a minute and began jogging, very slowly as I couldn't see my footing, back to the exit bridge. I jogged all the way, up out of The Glen and back to the gate to the horse's field. I picked up the apple and the horse followed me along the hedge to the small wall at the other end of the field. Apple eaten and I walked home. I changed and walked to and back from the same shop as last night.
The old reservoir, around which I add small laps of 120 m. Video was taken on 12 Sept 2017.
The Glen was very quiet tonight. Just one young woman with her dog and a man with his dog. I was wearing an almost new pair of running shorts and they were causing me problems by irritating the inside of my upper thighs. This has happened with these shorts before, but today I had put some cream on. However, this didn't really help. I first noticed this irritation on my third lap and was very surprised I managed to keep going as long as I did. I must admit, that by the time I changed, my legs were very red.
I did have to walk to the shop later as my mother cooked the largest apple pie (or tart in Ireland). I had to get some cream as my father won't eat it without cream. The pie was too heavy for my mother to lift so I had to put it into and take it out of the oven. It was huge and I weighed it. I've never seen an apple pie that weighed over 5 lbs. But she was given 25 kg of Armagh Bramley Apples, so I suppose she has to start using them. These apples are one of only two foods which have special protected status from the EU. It was great to see my mother cooking again.
My mother's huge apple pie.
Today I ran 12.1 km and 0.7 km. A total of 11.8 km (or 7.3 miles). I also walked 2.5 miles.
Tuesday 31 October 2017. I didn't go for a run today, but I did walk up to and back from my youngest brother's pub for a couple of pints of the black stuff. It was Halloween, there were lots of fireworks and some youngster did attack a fire crew in the village tonight. The walk to the pub and back is a mile, and at least it got my legs stretched.
To finish off on Halloween, I'll leave you with a scary walk along the river path in The Glen which I took on Friday 13th October.
Wednesday 1 November 2017. I spent part of the afternoon in Armagh City, but I didn't do much walking about. I got home at 4 pm and went for a run at 4.35 pm. I walked most of the way to The Glen, then jogged down into it and started my laps. I knew I would have to be swift, as there was less than an hour of daylight left. Although, starting to get dark, it was another beautiful day for running
I completed five laps. On the first I did an extra lap of the old reservoir, two on the second lap, three on the third, four on the fourth and ten on the fifth. I really pushed on on the fourth and fifth laps as the light was not great. I then ran along the long flat path towards the waterfall to finish, but it was so dark, I could not see the ground. I got to within 50 m of waterfall and decided to turn around and jog back to the exit footbridge and continue all the way back to the village. I then walked the rest of the way home, stretched, rubbed myself down and changed.
Exit footbridge at dusk. It was darker than this tonight, when I exited The Glen.
The thing about still being over-weight, is I sweat a lot as I run. It usually takes a lap and a half to reach the point where I need to wipe my brow so as not to be blinded by sweat. From there on I need to wipe my brow three to four times each lap. The result is my T-shirt becomes very wet by the end of my runs.
It's my mother's bingo night again and I needed to do some cooking beforehand. I cooked a bolognese and a curry. At the bingo there were no winners at our table.
Today I was just pleased to be able to squeeze a run in between all I needed to do. In total I ran 8.5 km (or 5.3 miles) and walked half a mile.
On arriving home, I looked at the clock. I had been out for a total of 65 minutes. With walking to The Glen, partly walking back, stretching afterwards and cooling down. I was probably running for just less than 50 minutes. It means I probably averaged about 9.5 minute miles today. I do feel I am going faster, but I know I'm not. My fastest five miles ever was just over 27 minutes, so I have a long way to go, and a lot of weight to loose, if I am to get much faster. I don't have a target, but I would like to just be able to feel I'm flowing a bit better. That will only come with time and a lot of hard work.
Thursday 2 October 2017. Did some walking about the town today. Got everything ready for my mother's friend coming tonight. Later went to a table quiz at my youngest brother's pub. My team finished second in the quiz. I suppose I walked a mile and a half today.
Friday 3 October 2017. Had a very lazy day. Did stretch my legs by walking to and back from the local shop. Watched Glasgow play Leinster in the Pro14 rugby. Glasgow won 31 - 21.
Saturday 4 October 2017. I went for a run at 3.45 pm. There would be less than two hours until dark. I've run out of apples, so the poor horse will not be getting any until I get hold of some more.
I walked towards The Glen and started jogging almost 200 m before I got there. It was cool and it tried to rain a few times, but it never really got started. Overall, it was almost perfect weather for running and I was determined to just enjoy myself this afternoon. Last night I had a huge plate of pasta, and that is always good for stamina.
I jogged down, into The Glen and over the river, then set off on my laps along the upper paths. My thoughts, as I climbed on my first lap, were not how many laps I wanted to do, but how far can I run before I can't see the ground beneath my feet.
I passed a man walking an excited small dog, as I approached the car park on my first lap, but at least it was on a lead. I passed the woman with three dogs a few times, two other men walking dogs and a couple out for a walk and taking photos.
I kept straight on, after rounding the old reservoir, on my first lap. On my second, I also completed an extra lap of the reservoir. Then two on my third, three on my fourth, up to seven on my eighth. On my ninth, as it was getting dark, I decided to keep straight on and start a tenth. On the way around the light was almost gone, but back at the old reservoir light does come in from the surrounding area, and I completed another ten laps of the reservoir.
As I ran along the long flat path to finish my tenth lap, it was almost dark, but it was so still and peaceful. It was too dark to run to the waterfall, so I just turned right over the exit bridge and climbed out of The Glen. I ran almost all the way home. It was a pleasant run and I still felt good when I stopped.
After stretching and changing, I walked to the local shop and back. Overall, today I ran 15.8 km (or 9.8 miles) and I walked just over a mile. It was a good end to the week and takes my totals up to 27.4 miles running and 8 miles walking.
I had a good evening watching Connacht beat Cheetahs and catching up on Ulster beating Southern Kings in South Africa.
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