Day 41 - Lead Legs Day

Today was a physical struggle and my legs felt like lead the whole way round even before the first corner.

I stopped 3 times, the usual steep part, the end of Watling/start of Mt Eden and then the start of St L's. Yet despite that made under 9 minutes, something I struggled to do a few weeks ago when under nine minutes seemed like a long way away.

Ran late into the sun but the pain and heaviness in calves and thighs made the sun a secondary concern and of little note.

I wanted to cut short and come home through the park but I pushed through the mental barrier and ran the rest of the street and made it around the whole.

May try varying the route to run south along Mt Eden towards Three Kings as once the initial hill is done, is flat the rest of the way and of course downhill on the way back.

Distance: 1.63 km
Time: 8:44
Average Speed: 11.2 kph
Soundtrack: INXS and Duran Duran

Day 40 - 325 to go!

Seems like a loooooong way to the end of the year.

Made a pause in the loop to stop at the dairy and get a lotto ticket, even if I win the 23 million I'll still run every day.

GPS failure between home and the dairy, so should add about 400-500 meters to the result.

Distance: 1.6 (GPS said 1.19 which is way off)
Time: 8:31
Average Speed: 11-12 kph (GPS fail meant it said 8.4 because it was missing one quarter of the run
Soundtrack: MOS Running Trax Winter 2013

Day 39 - Ad Hoc run

I figured at some point I would do some ad hoc running. From point A to point B with little or no planning just doing it. Last week with the School Run I kind of did that though I had prep and the right outfit and shoes etc...

Today on the bus I decided to get off a bit early (2 stops before mine) and ruin the rest of the way home in a straight run, no idea how far it is but knowing is less than usual, but not in running shoes (just diesel rubber soles) and wearing jeans and a fleece, figure that may even it out a bit.

Distance. 0.71 km
Time: 3:33
Average Speed: 12.0
Soundtrack: Running Mix

I'll make up the shortfall on the stationary bike tonight.

But still good effort for a surprise ad hoc run like that.

Day 38

Dark, cold & miserable.

Stopped 3x but each one as short as possible still made good enough time, no excuses for mopre than nine minutes these days.

Distance: 1.57 km
Time: 8:44
Average Speed: 10.3 kph
Soundtrack: Garbage (assorted)

Day 37

Ok while technically this is my best time it was because I had two rests, one walking and one where I paused the timer while I redid my untied shoelace.

I probably would have posted around 8:20-30 and MAY have done a record time as I was feeling it, but I did spend 5-10 seconds stopped tying my shoe and therefore catching breath about 3/4 of the way round. About 100 metres from home I could see a record time on my phone and so sprinted (as much as possible) the last 100 metres and really pushed it.

Rubber legs now.

I did not go this morning because it was zero degrees out.

ZERO.

Whereas tonight it was a balmy 12 degrees.

Distance: 1.58 km
Time: 8:19
Average Speed: 11.4
Soundtrack: MOS

Day 36 - A Good Run

So ran at night and again made really good time and managed it with only one break - near the 1/3rd mark where it gets really steep.

Ran all the way from the Bus stop on St A's to home, was feeling pretty good the whole way until maybe Mt Eden when a bus pulled up beside me and then I raced it to the next stop, near my road. Of course it beat me since traffic was light but it kept me focussed on running rather than giving in.

It's obviously mental since I know I CAN run nearly the whole way now, but that's half the battle right?

My cough is still there but only just so am feeling much more in charge of my body.

Did not run this morning because it was only 4 degrees.

Tonight it was 10 degrees.

Distance: 1.61 km
Time: 8:33
Average Speed: 11.3 kph
Soundtrack: MoS.

Day 35 - The School run

Had to go and pick the kids up from school today so decided to do the school run by running all the way there.

Ran to Mt Eden Road, crossed the street and all the way to school without stopping which was gratifying, but it was not as far as I thought it might be.

There is a significant drop on Ellerton road and so I had to slow my run down as it was so steep and I worried I may slip or trip, being as clumsy as I am.

Distance: 1.03 km
Time: 5:03
Average Speed: 12.3 kph
Soundtrack: MOS Winter 2013

Day 34 - Today's excuse...

It does feel like all I am blogging about is excuse for doing badly, but it's a reminder that it's not about speed, distance or time (And speed is in fact distance over time) but persistence regardless of the circumstances.

I was up till 2:30 in coughing fits until I could finally get to sleep, only to wake up at 6 with abdominal cramps, which turned out to be what I was dreaming about, woke me up and found it was actually my diaphragm locked up in a spasm/pulled muscle - I assume from all the days and nights of coughing terribly.

It took 2.5 hours for it to go away and then the kids were up and Max had to go shopping so bugger all sleep.

I'm booked into see a movie this afternoon and it would not get me home until after 6 so it was do it on very little energy or run in blackest night (since it's nearly winter here).

So I opted for a gentle run, intending to do the whole block but almost fading before I reached the corner.

There was a runner behind me at first and that embarrassment factor of stopping too early kept me going and on the first corner there was a couple of school aged kids in running gear so that kept me going until they were all out of sight.

Two stops on St Andrews, ran Watling to the Park, stopped in the park and then ran the rest of the way.

Tried to make each rest/walk a short one and made ok time that way.

Distance: 1.04 km
Time: 6:03
Average Speed: 10.3 kph

Day 33 - Still sick, still running

And it shows as every step feels like a drain of energy and it's a struggle to get around. I also stopped more times than I can recall right now.

However I posted a pretty good time and much better than the first couple of weeks before I got into my groove (and before this cold set in).

Still pushed myself to keep going and managed to do it under ten minutes which took me two weeks to get to when I started, so not THAT bad, just feels so by comparison.

Still it is a short run and not doing myself any harm, and for a little while it gives me an energy and endorphin boost (I assume it's not just psychological).

Distance: 1.56 km
Time: 9:27
Average Speed: 9.9
Soundtrack: MOS RT Winter 2013.

Day 32 - half course in reverse

I've been sleepless and tired for the last few days with a terrible cold.

I've been coughing and unable to sleep through without waking myself up and keeping others awake too.

I went to work for less than an hour today because I have things to do, went out for lunch and then slept for a few hours and woke up feeling worse.

I looked outside at the cold wet and dark and decided not to run today.

Then I started to write this blog entry for today, and as I was writing the day 32 heading I thought, so much for reaching 365 days.

So I strapped on some shoes and my phone and decided to run to the dairy which is maybe 400 to 500 metres away and then back again. After all it's not the distance, it's the persistence of effort on a daily basis.

I ran there, bought a Lotto ticket and then instead of running home I felt like I could go further and my breathing was more measured when running and I had stopped coughing.

So I ran to the park, stopping once for the steep part on the reverse of Watling and then back through the park to home.

So I feel pretty pleased with myself for sticking to it and despite feeling like shit before, I do feel a little better for exercising, which I noted last year when I had a cold and hit the bike anyway.

Distance: 1.08 km
Time: 6:07
Average Speed: 10.6
Soundtrack: I'm not sure, there was some Garbage - Special, in there and I think I finished on I Can't Get Behind That....

Day 31 - half course

Feeling a bit rubbish with a terrible cough which is keeping me up at night.

So ran through the park straight off, cutting the course in half.

Ran the whole way though, which is cool but the cold air and my cough not working well together.

Distance: 1.07 km
Time: 5:57
Average Speed: 10.8
Soundtrack: MOS

Day 30 - 1 month!

So Day 30 runs around.... heh.

Again too tired in the morning to get up so I saved the run for evening and once more posted a great time.

Stopped twice, but the second one was more of a brief stop of a few seconds as my stomach was cramping a little, possibly because I had a cup of tea less than half an hour before, and don't usually run on anything as it's before any intake in the a.m. and before dinner in the evening.

The second stop was to let the cramp settle which it did immediately and as the end was in sight I ran again almost immediately so posted 8:38 which is 4 seconds slower than yesterday.

No excuses for less than 9 minutes now.

However I do have a terrible cough right now and if the cold sets in I will still run just a half mile course through the park to keep my hand in the daily exercise regime.

Distance: 1.58 km
Time: 8:38
Average Speed: 11.0
Soundtrack: MOS Winter 2013 Running Trax!

Day 29

Had very little sleep last night and so put off running in the morning as I was shattered.

So ran at around 6 pm when it was almost proper dark, which I really don't like, not being able to see properly and running into/around people out with their dogs.

It obviously translated well into running because I stopped once, St Andrews and then ran all the way from Watling, Mt Eden and St L's to home in a time 30 seconds better than any previous time.

Very out of breath and gasping at the end but very happy at having made it so far without stopping.

Distance: 1.59 km
Time: 8:24
Average Speed: 11.3
Soundtrack: MOS Running Trax Winter 2013

Day 28

Bloody hell it's cold in the mornings, but that makes me keep going anyway.

Still struggling mentally and running out of breath very easily physically, but keeping at it.

28 days now, that's 4 weeks today.

Stopped three times, before the steep part of St A's, at the end of Watling and the start of St L's.

Looking for new Music to run to, Ministry of Sound Running Trax may get a look in tomorrow.

Distance: 1.61 km
Time: 9:06
Average Speed: 10.6 kph

Soundtrack: Running Mix.

Day 27

Still struggling through to make it without stopping repeatedly and finding each day a little harder, which is odd as I am not speeding  up or changing my routine any.

Stopped St A's, Stopped after the park, which I have not done in weeks, stopped on Mt Eden, Stopped on St L's.

Distance: 1.54 km
Time: 9:47
Speed: 9.6 kph
Soundtrack: Coldplay - Ghost Stories.

Day 26 - short run today

App failure today made for weird stats but I ran approximately a kilometre with only one stop - the steep part of St A's.

I ran for a light change to catch my bus yesterday and in doing so managed to trip and keep running almost horizontally for about 20-30 feet hoping to right myself, but instead went sprawling onto my hands and knees. The jeans took the brunt of the knee impact and they're fine, but my hands were grazed and bleeding in the heels of both palms.

So was not feeling crash hot today when I went out and pre-decided to take the short option through the park.

Hands were throbbing afterwards, probably blood pumping, and the GPS failed somewhere up on Watling, closing the app and opening the camera so when I stopped I had to pull the phone out of the armband, close the camera, reopen the app and then found the timer, stop it and save the session.

So I am probably a minute or less off on time and a good 400-500 meters off of the GPS recording.

Distance: 0.6 km (prob 1.1)
Time: 6:02 (prob 5:20 ish)
Average Speed: 6.1 Kph (prob 9 ish)
Soundtrack: P!nk - All we are, we are & Strawpeople - Trick with a Knife

Day 25

What a struggle today. I made good time sure but it was awful just getting to even the first stop. I made three stops and tried to increase my pace a little after each one. My lungs were burning even before the first corner.

I was hoping to see some improvement in my breathing, I've not had to use an inhaler for a long time but the old breathing issue is potentially a problem. I'm not asthmatic per se, I had a bad lung infection a decade ago which affected my breathing and eventually went away when I lost enough weight. I suspect I could stand to lose another 10 kg from my current weight to be around 90 and lugging less of my frame. I'm nowhere near the 126 kilos from 2 years ago but could trim down a little more by concentrating on diet rather than ignoring it.

Distance: 1.56
Time: 9:03
Average Speed: 10.3
Soundtrack: Go - Lemon Jelly & William Shatner

Day 24

Still going and making minimal progress.

Had three stops today but suspect the last one was due to changing my running style on the home stretch. I felt like I was plodding a bit so I raised my head, lengthened my stride and almost did a 'mime' of running, like from Chariots of Fire. The cadence felt great and I picked up speed somewhat when I was quite tired already. However it tired me considerably in only a hundred metres. So I broke again and then ran the rest of the way.

Stopped on St A's before the steep part, ran all Watling and a third of Mt Eden, stopped for 30 meters of walking ran to St L's changed my cadence and the rest as above.

Distance: 1.60 km
Time: 9:09
Average Speed: 10.4 kph
Soundtrack: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out Of Frequency (tracks 2,3 &4) very good for running to, especially Dollars In The Night.

Day 23

Still a bit of a struggle but the day after a bad result (in my mind at least) I do try and push myself more the very next time out.

Running with an injury - though not related. The pain in my forearm is apparently tennis elbow, which is odd. Anyway - the tendons attaching my forearm to the elbow are inflamed or tender or strained or something, does not affect my running but does affect me mentally. The constant nature of the ache is making me grumpier (than usual) and short tempered, lacking in motivation.

Got two steroid shots today in my elbow region and that should start clearing up over the next week or so.

Have not played tennis in maybe 30 years?

Ran with only two stops/walking parts. Just before the end of St A's, just before the end of Watling, ran the rest.

Also first day running in the rain, the coolness of the water is nice and it's not uncomfortable, but the water on my glasses irritates.

Distance: 1.52 km
Time: 9:07
Average Speed: 10.0
Soundtrack: Running Mix of Pink, Garbage and Yes.

Day 22

Gah!

Today was a real struggle, I did not have the gumption for it today, ended up walking much longer than usual. Ran all St L's and Mt Eden but stopped and walked probably a third of Watling and then stopped again on St A's - really just low on the mental front, physically I was fine.

Persistence, some days are diamonds.

I had the same issue when I was writing every day, some days were criminal, but just need to keep going at any pace and do the minimum (I don't have a minimum distance, but I know what is making an effort and what is not).

Distance: 1.59 km
Time: 10:01
Average Speed: 9.5
Soundtrack: Strawpeople- Under the Milky Way, Grouplove - Ways to Go, INXS - What You Need

Day 21 - 3 weeks in

The course in reverse is harder, had to stop for a car that backed out in front of me - but apart from that only stopped twice, bot long uphill sections of Watling Road. So ran all of St L's, all of Mt Eden Rd, and all of St A's. That leaves two longer uphill sections of Watling, which obviously slows me down a lot.

Not sure which way round is better yet, running more consistently in reverse but walking longer uphill parts. The start is easier and the finish is too as both are downhill, but make better time going anti-clockwise.

Also hit the wrong button on Runtastic and marked it down as cycling, but it was running.

Keep at it, 48 more weeks to go.

Distance: 1.58 km
Time: 9:31
Average Speed 9.9
Soundtrack: Running Mix, may need to find a new mix.

Day 20

Felt a bit sluggish from the get go today and it shows in the slower time and slower average speed even though I ran with fewer stops than yesterday.

Again waited until the afternoon and until the sun was out and it threatened to rain, running in the sunshine just sucks. Will be interesting to see what it's like in the rain or a light shower, winter approaches, glad I started in bad weather not good.

Notice when running the reverse the GPS seems to skip about 60 to 70 metres off the total but it's the same distance when running the other way oddly. I noted that the display only showed 10 metres when I had run nearer to 100 at the start.

Distance: 1.55 km
Time: 9:33
Average Speed: 9.7 kph
Soundtrack: Garbage, Grouplove & Garbage

Day 19

Slept in and so waited till the sun was going down, but this time ran the block in the opposite direction. The start was great got all along St L's, all Mt Eden and a little of Watling before first stop. Watling though is all up hill and made 4 stops going up it and then ran all the way downhill from St A's to home.

Distance: 1.55
Time: 9:19
Average Speed: 9.9
Soundtrack: Mixed Tracks from Running Mix

Day 18

Was a few issues this morning. Phone would not play music, until I checked it at my first rest to discover that the volume was all the way down, it makes more difference than previously guessed at running in silence.

GPS continues to vary wildly, started from about 20 metres behind my usual and still ended up with less than the usual 1.61

Two rest stops, the usual steep part and then halfway along Mt Eden Road, the rest was all running.

Distance: 1.59 kms
Time: 9:24
Average Speed: 10.1
Soundtrack: Running Mix and Silence.

Day 17

Took a late run today but in very cool overcast weather so was not running into the setting sun at all.

I wrenched my shoulder a few days ago in my sleep - woke up in pain and it moved to my neck. So I waited a day and a half almost between runs this time. Yesterday at 7 a.m. until today around 4 - nearly 36 hours.

Tried pushing myself in the last leg so only made two stops this time. Steep part of St A's and then the first bus stop on Mt Eden and ran the rest of the way and all of St L's. It is physically draining but getting a little bit easier to recover each time.

Even though it's the same distance every day the GPS is generous or stingy with distance, but it's still the same length.

Distance: 1.57 km
Time: 9:01
Average Speed: 10.5 kph
Soundtrack: Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart/Underworld Pearl's Girl.

Day 16

The mental challenge is no longer getting up and going, I seem to be in a good rut there. However when out running I feel certain rest points and give into them: The steep part of St A's, the corner of Watling and Mt Eden, the corner of Mt Eden and St L's. As soon as I make it to these points I feel more tired and ready to walk some short distance. Pretty sure this is psychological because I don't feel it until I make it there.

Sometime in the next few days I need to break down one of those rest points and push through it.

Three stops today.

Distance: 1.61
Time: 9:22
Average Speed: 10.3
Sound Track: William Shatner & Henry Rollins - I Can't Get Behind That/Strawpeople - Taller Than God/Underworld - Pearl's Girl

Day 15

Struggle today,

Not mentally but physically, just seem to be a bit low on energy.

Still made it round though.

Using full knee support over bandage on left knee now and it made a good difference to the run, no issues at all on knee.

Distance: 1.63
Time: 9:42
Average Speed: 10.1
Soundtrack: Duran Duran - Planet Earth/Garbage - Push It/P!nk - Slut Like You

Day 14 - 2 weeks in, 50 to go

Left Knee still tender but not as uncomfortable as yesterday. I think maybe the moving heavy things up and down a few too many flights of stairs may have made it worse, but it had to be done.

Full mile today, made decent time though slacked off a little and was not really pushing myself at all. Partly the knee and partly the base concept of it not being about distance or time but persistence, so no need to push my body to records this early on, still not running the whole way.

Three stops, St A, Watling, St L.

Distance: 1.62 km
Time: 9:40
Average Speed: 10.0
Soundtrack:  Garbage - Special/P!nk - Slut Like You/Underworld - Born Slippy

Day 13 - Short Course

Today is the first day running with an injury - albeit a minor one, so I took it easy and did the short course through the park.

I hurt my left knee (slight strain playing soccer with the kids and pulled it too tight, wearing a knee brace but still decided to take it easier this evening)

Also ran in the late time of the day so was running into the sun on Watling, the longest single stretch of the block so was glad to leave that behind.

Ran 90% of the way but not pushing the pace at all, taking it slowly.

Distance: 1.06 km
Time: 6:06
Average Speed: 9.9 kph
Soundtrack: American Authors - Best Day of My Life & George Michael - Freedom '90

Day 12

Just noticed the date on Google is posting a day behind the timezone in NZ.

Weird.

Had a little bit of a sleep in this morning, didn't get out of bed until 7:30 ish and didn't run until 8:10 or so.

However still cold and a good time of the morning for me and trying to work on my breathing, not sure how much of an effect it has other than as a distraction, hard to keep up continually.

Ran to the steep section and walked up it 20/30 metres or so, then all the way on Watling and Mt Eden, walked maybe 10 metres and then all the way home. '

I knew that I was within a capable distance of making the high 8's so I pushed myself to run further and rest less, so clocked a good 30 seconds off my time from yesterday.

I would like to be able to run the whole way around by the end of the 1st 4 weeks, if I am lucky maybe 3.

Left Knee feeling bruised but not painful, will find a knee brace/bandage to see if that helps - it may be like my right hip which hurt a lot at first and made me limp for the first few days, but cleared up.

best time yet.

Distance: 1.61 km
Time 9:08
Average Speed: 10.06 kph
Sound Track: Pink - Slut Like You/Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger/Feeder - Feeling A Moment

Day 11

Pushing self, not beyond the physical because TBH this is hard in the moment but not THAT hard and not that far. Pushing self beyond the doubt, the excuses and the laziness fallback of 'later' or 'time for a rest day' when neither option is good or appropriate yet.

Early morning cold is good for me I think.

My best time yet and only 2 walking sections, the very steep part of St Andrews (maybe 20/30 metres) and the first five or six houses on St Leonards (a short walking to regulate breathing) before the final stretch.

I did try breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth on the final stretch and it was a welcome distraction to the pumping legs and seemed to help mentally. Probably because I can't breath that way naturally and it requires effort and concentration, especially when out of breath.

Distance: 1.61 km
Time: 9:44
Average Speed: 9.9 kph

Soundtrack: Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Underworld - Pearl's Girl