29 and 30 March Training

Here's the view on the path from yesterday:

And here's the view from this morning:

In the first one, you can see the trees in the second one just a little further ahead. This is my evidence that I did in fact run further today than yesterday in spite of what the Cardiotrainer app on my phone says. According to it I went 7.75 km yesterday, but only 7.5 today. Today's training time was 1:04, yesterday's 1:05. Today's pace 7.0, yesterday's was 7.1.

I was distinctly annoyed that it misrepresented what I knew to be different, and by God, I had evidence of it on that self-same phone. I should know better, but there are some lessons that we just have to learn over and over again. Maybe one day I'll catch on quicker or let it go more easily.

You see, I know not to trust the app. It gets my pace wrong all the time while I'm running. At first, the calm voice would say, 'Pace...9...point....4....kilometres per hour,' and I'd be deeply pleased. There was no way that I was travelling at that pace. I was bobbing along at my usual relatively slow shuffle, but I was still cheered by the prospect that I was going faster. Of course, when it would discern that my pace had dropped to a paltry 3.4 kilometres per hour, the argument would start in my head, dismissing the low reading as of course wrong even as I felt my heart fall just a little bit.

I love this technology and love that it has helped me to track my progress and see how far I've come. But I need to remember to trust my senses, trust my vision, and trust my heart rather than believe what I know cannot be true, even if it comes from a usually reliable source. I've learned not to pay attention to the voice as it tells me my pace except when I know it's in sync with what I know. 'Pace....7....point....5....kilometres per hour' my friendly fellow intones, and I think, 'yes, that's about right! Good for you!'

The truth of it is that what matters isn't what the app tells me I've done. What matters is that I lace up my shoes, put on my hat and head out the door. What matters is that I put foot in front of foot. What matters is that I keep my eye on the prize that is out there for me to claim: a successful run, successful fundraising for a cause that matters, and getting healthier in the meantime.

Healthier, but not overly so. I rewarded myself with a scone and yummy latte at Tidetables:

And in a little while, I'm off to have pizza with my pal (and the new Committee chair at church), Alex somewhere in these buildings (which happen to be across from where I turned around today):

The Weekend's Path

On Saturday, I got out for my training run early in the day. We had big plans, so I got in my needed training. Here's where I wound up along the path:

I think I was around the same distance along. That's what the stats say at least. Here they are: 7.8 km in 58 minutes, pace 7.3 kph. Six running intervals of 6 minutes each, 1 minute recovery, plus warm up and cool down, some running, some walking.

But even better here's further along in the day what the path looked like:

We were at the March for the Alternative and had a splendid time. Lots of people, great energy, great cause. The news coverage has been overwhelmingly centred on the .04% of the participants who caused trouble, but the scale and diversity of the march cannot help but have an effect upon the politicians in charge. Here's hoping!

Training 25 March

That's the path today. At present, I'm running half the distance of my training programme, and then turning around and coming back. Within a week or two, I'm probably going to start continuing on to make a circuit around as my halfway point nears 5 kilometres. According to my CardioTrainer programme, I ran 7.2 km in an hour for a pace of, well, 7.2 km per hour. That includes about 14 minutes of walking for warming up and cooling down.

Here's the view across the river:

That's Brentford, just south of the entrance to the Grand Canal. It's a large complex of flats.

Further back toward the beginning is this view:

Some of the notes from the run:

The bluebells are out, and I must have missed it on Monday when I was out. A whole bunch of bluebells. Very pretty, but I missed them again on the way back. I need to look up and around more.

The fellow who sleeps along the river was packing his tent up today as I went past. I've seen the tent on many mornings, but had not seen him before. It's a lot of work not having a permanent home. I was grateful again that my path has gone the way it has.

Seeing a keg in the small canal that runs alongside the Thames here brought to mind this song:



A fellow runner nearly ran me down. I was looking down (see above), and glanced up just in time to see this inches from me. I stepped aside and could feel the breeze as he shot past, looking focused. A little annoyed at his apparent unwillingness to vary his path even noticing that I wasn't looking, I was also impressed by how fast he went.

Musing along the way (that will make their way here soon): competition is often an expression of my worst self, and I can tell I'm in a happier place when I'm cheering rather than criticising. There's more to that story. Check back soon for the rest of it.

Training 21 March 2010

Out early in the day (7:45) for a short, relaxed, consistent run. Went 4.7 km in 38 minutes on a new route on this side of the river. It was a short way along when I passed Syon House

It is one of the homes of the Duke of Northumberland and pretty grand. I did a wedding blessing there a few years ago and was blown away by the inside. I can see this from the other side of the river about mid-point in my running, so it's funny to see it so early in the run.

Here's where I usually run:

It's a typical morning, a bit hazy and chilly. I hope to have a few more pictures of the way along as I go.

Breakfast after the run is oatmeal with a couple of egg whites. My coach tells me I need extra protein because I'm a vegetarian, so I'm trying to pump it up a bit.

Tomorrow is intervals, so I'll be back on the other side of the river. I'm using this to help me along in my training and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Back again

After a much longer hiatus than I had expected, I'm back at the blog.  It's got a new look and a new focus, and I hope those of you who have checked in on it periodically might start again and maybe there are a few others who will want to come along, too.

I started this when we moved from the US to London, and never managed to keep up on the changes and challenges that we faced making that transition.  Four years into living here, it's become our life, not a change, so it makes sense to reflect that.

In the years since we've moved, life has carried on and my interests and avocations have changed.  I'm a knitter now and a beginning spinner, and I'll no doubt show you some of that as well as reflect upon it.

Another new pursuit is running.  I've taken it up to fulfill a promise I made last year.  My focus right now is to run to raise money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in a 10 K race at the end of May.  (You can find out more about that here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=LindaRuns&faId=66295&isTeam=false).  I hope, though, at the end of my effort, I'll continue to build my running practice for both health and sanity.

So, here I am again.  My intention is to document my training runs (planned to be 5 times a week) and to offer a more substantial post at least once in the week.  We'll see how that works.