I feel like I need start every post with an apology for not
blogging for a while...
Yet again, it’s been a very long time since I updated my
blog. I’m usually pretty good at not letting life get in the way of my
training....but this talent doesn’t seem to transfer to writing. Maybe it’s
because I have to sit still to write. I probably should invest in one of those
treadmill desks.
So to bring you up to speed on what has happened (before I turn this into a blog about
how bad I am at blogging) since last time I updated have:
- Run Frankfurt marathon as an elite and got a shiny new PB of 2.37
- Competed several cross country over the winter and not fallen in/over anything
- Finally beaten my half marathon PB with 75.37, winning the Wokingham half this February
- Injured my long-suffering left ankle and had 2 months off, missing the Brighton Marathon, which had been my focus for the whole winter
- Spent a few weeks on crutches, bemoaning the lack of crutch-adapted cup holders and my inability to coordinate my arms and legs whilst using them
- Returned to running, experiencing the delirious happiness of that first 10 minute jog (it doesn't last)
So at the stage of writing this, my return to full fitness
is going well (*looks for wood to touch, panics due to lack of wooden things). This is apart from my slight inclination for chaos, which I put down to being out of practice; I managed
to run home with my bag open, leaving a trail of clothing behind (I'm yet to run into a homeless person wearing my skirt).
Anyway, after building up the mileage again since returning to
running at the beginning of April, mid-June I like I wanted to test my fitness, so agreed with
Coach Nick to do a 10k as a training run.
Doing a race as ‘training’ for me, means that i’ll spend the
whole week telling myself it doesn’t matter how I do, because I’m running hard
in the week/days before and probably doing some reps/ more running after. Invariably, though, i'll still get annoyed at myself when my time is less than ideal.
However, I'm pleased to report this time I let myself give myself a rare (small) pat on
the back. After a long-ish warm up and a decent days training the day before, I
managed to win the Richmond 10k in a time not too far off what I ran last year.
Unfortunately, in true chaotic Hayley fashion, I then completely failed to
turn up for the presentation. On trying to complete the rest of my ‘long run' post-race, I got myself lost...It turned into a very long run. This did cheer up
my dad who got to go up and collect the Senior Women prize. Apparently, this caused some confusion...I must add in a
special mention for him here as it was his birthday, Father’s day AND he beat
his time from last year by over a minute.
 |
| Running dad's are awesome |
Since then, I’ve had some really promising sessions, which
suggest that I can have a decent summer season despite the early injury. I’m
not really known for my speed so when I say ‘decent summer’ it is in relative
terms...(and by ‘not really known for my speed’ I mean that the pace I run my 5k is
pretty much my marathon pace).
One thing I have avoided for quite a while (since I was a teenager actually), is track...
Somehow (hypnosis, mind control...?) I seem to be running a 3000m on the track on Saturday.
Let’s hope I can remember which way to run around it...
