@Thrillho I've actually been on the Skinner's brewery tour!! I can't really remember a lot of it for perhaps obvious reasons though 😂. I did have a Betty stoggs at the weekend but I find it tastes too buttery, which is a weird way to describe a beer lol. I do mean buttery too, like Anchor butter, I don't mean bitter (which I think it is one?).
I might start doing trails soon, I mainly save them for walking because of the mud but it's hotting up a bit now (I say a bit, it's boiling!) so it means I wouldn't have to clean my trainers when I get in. I'll see how I feel though, sometimes it's a struggle to even get out the house to run, let alone to drive to the woods first. Maybe I'll just save it for the park run which will be on trails and dewy grass i'm sure before I get my trail shoes out again.
I need to get down to Devon for a short break some day, I went when I was a kid and enjoyed it. My partner has family and friends in Cornwall though so we normally go there if we are doing the long drive out west!
Had an absolutely trash week this week. I managed to stay positive the week before, that is at least, relative to the week+ long hangover to be expected from a night of heavy drinking (I count the heavier than usual depression as part of the hangover, even after the headaches and whoozy feelings have subsided).
But yeah, last Friday/Saturday, I had severe chest pain. As usual, this freaked me out loads but I managed to convince myself it was muscle strain. I somewhat validated that conviction by stretching my arm out which moved the pain around to my back. But yeah, Friday which is the hardest yoga day and also my final run as part of the couch to 5K was a write off because of it. As was the Saturday, then the Sunday and so on.
Then I started eating again to make myself feel better. Buckets of popcorn, way more than the healthy amount. Ice lollies, maybe 1-3 a day. And a tub of Ben and Jerry's almost every day which I shared (probably about 70:30 because I use a bigger spoon) with my partner. God knows how much weight I've put on in one week alone but I feel terrible about it. It's funny how you can have a night of regrets that probably aren't even that bad but the feeling is exasperated by alcohol depression and memory loss but then stretch that out to two weeks of self loathing, self indulgence and basically just feeling worse.
So yeah, total failure. I've been watching old British comedy programmes with my partner to make myself feel better with mixed results.
I know I normally write positive things but I think this thread is about sharing everything, both the good and the bad. Admittedly I've saved myself from writing anything until there has been some good though.
I went out for my final couch to 5K plan run today. It was hard after a week long break from it but I managed to keep moving for the whole thing. It was my longest run at 2.12 miles but I'm still a mile off doing the 5K. Really glad I did it though and that I'm sharing my experience here.
Not sure if I'll pick up the yoga today too (I'd pick up where I left off as it's been one week since I gave up due to injury/depression), maybe I'll do some easier tapes for a while to get back into the swing of it. Maybe I'll just do the hard tape I was supposed to do last Friday. Not sure yet.
Edit: I did the hard yoga that's part of my schedule, albeit delayed by one week. It was a killer but I am glad I did it. I was basically dead for the last ten minutes of it though (it's 55 minutes long) so I didn't exactly finish it properly but I'm still happy with it. If I'm sweating buckets by the end then I feel like it's a good workout lol. But yeah, hopefully will stay on the normal yoga schedule from now on. Got an easier tape tomorrow and then will be on week 9 next week which is 5 days a week
Looks like the park runs have been delayed for another month though. Hopefully they will actually open up again this time as I'm really keen to try one!
@ralphdibny While I can't say anything that will make your regrets go away, this happens to the best of us so don't let it get you down even more than it has. I saw an interview once with a sports nutritionist from what was Team Sky (now Ineos) at the time and he was saying that the hardest thing from his point of view was getting members of the team back on the straight and narrow after they had had an injury. Even they take it as a big knock back and go down that same spiral as us non-super humans when it comes to using food / drink as a comfort blanket.
The important thing is that you realised where you were headed and pulled yourself back out of it, and you've not given up on your goal. It's easy to never go back to something after a set back, especially if it's something you find hard or don't enjoy. It sounds like you do enjoy it on some level though which is a bonus.
Getting the park runs going again is going to be a great help for a lot of people. We volunteer for the Junior one local to us and our kids take part. It gives them a great feeling of being part of something and having someone else to run with at their pace, and also gives you a good reason to get out regardless of the weather. The adults one definitely achieves the same thing as agreeing to be somewhere at a certain time, even if it's just to yourself, is a lot harder to get out of 😆.
Well done for continuing, and good luck getting to that full 5k. You know you can do it!!
@render cheers, yeah I don't really drink that often but I really felt like getting trashed a couple weeks ago. Probably just because we've been locked up (dramatisation of the truth 😅) for the last year. But the reason I don't drink that often is because it makes me feel terrible for way longer than it should. I guess I just forgot that because I hadn't done it in so long!
I was just saying to Thrillho last week that I don't want to lose the progress I had made in terms of actually being able to run (slowly 😅) for 30 mins straight. That's literally incredible for me as I don't think I've ever had that amount of stamina, even when I was little. So I think that is helping to motivate me a lot.
I wouldn't say I'm totally out of my funk but I am happy that I got back on it today. Just hope I can keep it up 🤞
I think I enjoy the feeling after exercise mainly, just feels good to achieve something. I'm sure there's some body chemistry happening too that feeds the elated feelings. I hate the before exercise part, the procrastination, the prep (both mental and physical). Not sure about the during exercise, I think I just zone out a bit and when my mind comes back to it I just make a conscious effort to engage more parts of my body I guess.
Ahh that's really cool that you volunteer for that!! I am pretty nervous about it, the 9am start isn't great for me. I'm normally awake but haven't done the physical prep (I normally can't commit to going out the house for at least a few hours after I wake up for various reasons). I just have to remember to stay at my pace though I think. I reckon I would get a bit excited and try and keep up with other people doing it and be knackered before the end lol
Ah bleeding heck, got massive chest pain again today in the same place. It's got to be the yoga that's causing it. Not sure what to do really. Wait until it's healed again and dial it down to easier tapes or just go back to the beginning of this program or something where it's less than 5 days a week. Don't know why it's been giving me jip the last couple of weeks, the exact same tapes have been ok up until now.
Edit: my chest/arm is feeling a lot better tonight, I might see how I get on tomorrow and try to do the weekend tape that I'm supposed to do anyway. I wonder if it could be two things that's causing it. Either the press ups or the side planks (like a half star on one leg and arm). I am really pushing myself to go for the knee push ups in the tapes and at least the negative motion of the full push up if I can muster it. Maybe I'm just trying to do more than I can actually do and it's causing me a mischief.
Edit 2: chest is fudged again today, I will give it some time to rest up 😭. I wonder if it's because I'm sleeping in a funny position
I did my first run with the Strava app yesterday (cheers @Thrillho !) I did 3.95 km in 33 mins using the app which was like 7 laps around a park local to my partner's flat. Hopefully I can push it to the full 5K by the end of this or next week!
Bought some running gear yesterday as well like a funny shaped water bottle and an arm strap for my phone.
Not sure how to approach this new app really. It doesn't connect to my heart rate monitor directly but the app for my HRM is compatible with Strava and when I linked the two apps, it imported all of my exercises from Veryfitpro (the HRM app) into Strava. It added elevation data to all of them too.
I did use both apps at the same time for my run yesterday so I actually have two records of the same run. I started them at different times though so I might do that again and try to start/stop them at the exact same time. If the data matches up then I'll just use VFP and then import the exercises into Strava for the extra data.
Using two apps isn't alien to me because I have been using couch to 5K and Veryfitpro but it does make me long for an all in one solution like a Fitbit or a Garmin. Having looked at those options however, they are well out of my price range.
I pushed myself and did a full 5K last week. I didn't know whether to post as I didn't want to do a quadruple post due to forum rules. I feel the need to update anyway.
I probably shouldn't have done a full 5K really. My knee is completely fudged after that. Very tender when I walk, no doubt due to a previous meniscal tear injury that I had kept at bay through my up til now moderate progress.
Had my second jab on Sunday too, bit weird as it was only 5 weeks after my first jab but at least I am fully vaxxed up I guess.
Anyway, I weighed myself when I got home from my partner's and I have put on 5lbs during my month of self loathing and indulgence (17st now). I still feel pretty low. I have spurts of optimism and elation but I can't seem to hold on to it.
Had a doctor's appointment today for something separate too, which didn't feel great. I hate it when they diagnose with antibiotics. I'd rather be diagnosed with tests instead of pills, especially with all that resistance to antibiotics signage they have up. I'd assume tests might actually let you know what's wrong too and pick up other things instead of just blasting everything away with antibiotics and just saying "well that worked!". Just feels so alien to use this approach and have no control or knowledge over your own body, but that's my GP for you.
Anyway, I have to wait for my knee to heal up now before I do any more running. Even walking is painful. I might try some yoga in the next few days if I feel up to it. Im working on Saturday too.
@ralphdibny Ah man, sorry to hear about the injury. It’s even worse when it comes at a point when you’re doing so well! Just rest up and find something else to keep you going in the meantime. Good work on getting the distance though as it’s nice to break that mental barrier to know you can do it!
It’s been going alright for me though. I’ve had a good few runs recently and been pushing myself on the hills. I still need to push the distance on my flatter runs though to hit that half marathon.
And when I was away just over a week ago I went surfing again which I always love but good lord, my pecs were aching for days afterwards! Maybe I need to get onto some yoga and/or something else to go alongside the running..
@Thrillho cheers for replying and the encouragement! And it's great to hear how you are getting on! I find it hard to imagine I could go a half marathon some day with this bum knee of mine, I may just have to stick to 5Ks, which as you've pointed out - I know I can do!
What's your current PB for distance?
And surfing?! Good grief! I don't think I would ever have the balance for surfing (I'll stick to Kelly Slater's Pro Surfing on GameCube 😂). I never really thought about what muscles it takes to surf before but I guess you tense up your pecs and by extension your arms to balance and steer the board? Or is it just from swimming out to the breaks? (Don't know if that's correct terminology, just trying to not look like a townie 😂 -also don't know if that's correct terminology lol)
@ralphdibny Well done on reaching your goal of 5k. Bad luck on the knee though, I can totally sympathise with you there. Thing is you've done it, made it to that distance and that means you can definitely do it again after resting up for a bit. It also means that it's entirely possible for you to go beyond that as you've already shown you've got the mental strength to go beyond what you thought was possible.
I've been injured many times and always wondered if I'd be able to get back to doing the distances I was doing pre-injury but I've always managed to find a way. Sometimes it's taken a while, as sometimes these things just need time, but don't let that dishearten you as it's all worth it.
I was away at the weekend for a run in a place I love, and it really made me realise how lucky I am to even be able to go somewhere like that let alone being physically able to do it. With what's been going on this past year and a half it felt like just getting out there was a major achievement and the run was just a bonus 😃
@ralphdibny You could always try things like setting yourself a time limit for running (like 30 mins) and then try and increase your distance rather than the other way round. Might mean you don’t push yourself too much but you could have just been unlucky with this run.
My best distance so far is 18k and it’s just over 21k for half marathon. I can do 10 miles (16k) quite comfortably so it’s just making the decision to push that bit further and pacing myself for it. I should be able to do it in under 2hrs which has always been the goal!
As for surfing, it’s from paddling and then pushing yourself up that it works your pecs. I tend to pop up quite quickly rather than in steps so it’s even more of a push to get up. I always love it when I go though and am decent enough to get waves and turn a bit once up.
@render cheers, it's good to hear some of your experience of returning from an injury too!
Nice one on the run/nice weekend spot! There's such beautiful places in this country. Unless you went to another country, in which case I am sure there are beautiful places there 😅. When I went on holiday to Finland a few years back, I actually thought the forests looked like the film Fern Gully, it was a bit mental lol.
I stopped at the woods on my way back from the comic shop today and went for a walk for half an hour. It was nice to get out.
@Thrillho yeah that might be an idea actually. I thought I'd go for distance because I wouldn't be able to pace myself properly to do a 5K in 30 mins. Probably doable but I think my heart rate might end up through the roof. I did that last 5K in about 42 mins with an average heart rate of 142bpm. But yeah, will definitely consider doing a 30 mins runs from now on.
Nice one on your PB, nearly there! Just need to edge out a few more km!
It was near perfect weather for it today as it was a bit cooler and overcast with a bit of light rain but still quite humid. I tried not to push it too hard before the first big hill so I didn't start hurting too soon. The aim was for an overall pace of around 5:30/km so happy that I kept to that reasonably well.
@ralphdibny Thanks. I was feeling fine a 16k and the last inclines hurt but then it was downhill and flat to finish. Can't say I'll ever be going for a full marathon!
At that point I never thought I'd do 10k, then thought I'd never do 5k at under 5mins/km, and then the same for 10k. I certainly never saw a half marathon as a possibility until around a year ago.
@Thrillho Well done on the distance, that's a great breakthrough and a very good pace that you had considering it was hilly terrain.
@ralphdibny I'd love to go to Finland. A friend of mine has been and also sung its praises. The fjords look a lot like some bits of New Zealand that I've been round, and that was a pretty magical place.
I'm pretty much resting this week again having overdone it on that run I did two weekends ago. I didn't realise it at the time but I'd actually injured something in my hamstrings that is only noticeable when I have my leg bent for a while and then try and straighten it again. It's easing a bit today by the feel of it so might be another week or two before I'm back to any action.
Nice job! Key with running is being consistent and staying at it. For me personally at least; 1 day off leads to 2, leads to 3, then hard to get back in the mindset. Keep pushing the pace!
@render I did a couple mini-tours in Finland since some members of my band live there. Can't say I saw a lot of it (see meme below - it's funny because it's true) but what I did see was very nice. You probably want to go there in summer rather than winter though
@Voltan Hopefully even if you didn't get to see too much of the place you at least see got to meet some interesting people and have some good stories? Those pictures remind me of some trips we used to do when we were young and didn't have any responsibilities, ah those were the days 😂.
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