I know I start off this blog every week stating that its been another positive week of building things back up but that’s the case again this week 😊 Really enjoyable week of running, I don’t know if it’s the good weather making each run that bit more enjoyable but really enjoyed every run this week. For me at the moment I’m still a bit off where I want to be in terms of sessions but I’m enjoying the process of getting there and working hard and smart each week. I know the fitness will come just need to keep showing up!
Weekly Recap:
Monday: 6.1 miles – 46.20
Tuesday: 2 miles easy – 20 mins @ 5.35 pace – 2 miles easy
Wednesday: 4 miles – 30.39
Thursday: 6.25 miles – 46.39
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 7 miles – 52.58
Sunday: 6.25 miles – 48.20
As you can see volume is still at a relatively low level. I’ve been managing a knee issue which hasn’t prevented me from running but means I need to keep volume at a low enough level for the moment. Was actually pleased with Tuesday’s Tempo session. The most pleasing thing about the session was the fact that the pace remained the same throughout the 20 mins with no really fluctuation up or down which I always think is a good sign and a sign of being able to control the session your doing. Did this on the grass Polo Grounds loop in Phoenix Park. The loop itself is just over 900 metres and is a great location for interval sessions or short tempos like this once the ground is dry!
The last few weeks I’ve done my faster sessions on the Polo Grounds and have really enjoyed running there and intend to do so again this week. It got me thinking that runners and I don’t want to generalise just because I am, but we really are creatures of habit. Here are some examples why and I know not everyone is like this but I know it can definitely be the case with me, runners tend to like:
· Running at a certain time every day
· Wearing the same brand of shoe
· Running the same loop/route for certain runs
· Running your long run on a certain day every week
· Running certain key sessions on a certain day every week
Running the same loops every day I think is a really good example. I know any time I’ve moved to a new location, the first thing I do is go for a run in that area just to suss out the location and get my bearings. I tend to find the loop or route I run on that first day is the loop I tend to use going forward until somebody introduces me to a better loop in the area and I then ask myself why was I running the same tired old route? I’ve done this in nearly every place I’ve lived. I remember when I went to college in Sligo I had a grass loop that I ran on the very first day I moved down and even though virtually everyone who ran on it ran it in a different way I had my set way of running and if you ran with me you had to run it this way. I think we all have certain locations we like to run in and they tend to be our default running loops. One of my favourite places to run is the Castle Lake Forest loop in Bailieborough and I’ve found it frustrating over the last year or so not being able to run there on a frequent basis but its definitely something I’m looking forward to in the months ahead. To be fair having the Phoenix Park to run in is a pretty viable alternative so I’m very lucky in that regard 😉
Reading the above it probably sounds a bit stubborn and lime I'm resistant to change but that’s not really the case. I do mix things up from time to time but being a creature of habit in this way I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing as it gives you sense of routine and purpose and if it works for you do it. If you’re someone who likes change and variation every day embrace it, if you’re somebody who likes having the same routine every day embrace that also. For me I want to be a bit more flexible to change over the next while just to vary things up and make things interesting!
Anyway enough of my ramblings. Thanks for reading and enjoy your week folks and also enjoy getting out there wherever you love running 😊
Cheers,
Noel
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