Crisp (free) autumn days

[OutAlongTheRiver]

It's been so long since I've been on here that it took me 5 minutes to work out how to actually start a new post!

Having had a great running 2017 and start to 2018 it's been a somewhat poor show for the middle part of the year, with occasional bursts of activity.

I've sustained regular Saturday parkruns (passing the 50 mark and just yesterday getting the t-shirt), and Twitten Runs (passing the 90 mark and regretting not inventing the idea of TR t-shirts).  But my Lewes AC runs have been zero. And my training at the club has also been zero.

I am putting this down to the madness of the UK weather which made any outdoor exercise from late June to early August virtually impossible (for me at least).

And naturally enough when I did then plunge back onto the trails 2 weeks ago, with a burst of 8 days consecutive running, I seem to have slightly injured myself - straining a muscle called the psoas, which is a nigglingly unpleasant one to damage. Groin based and twingey.

Plus, plus, plus ... I seem to be inexorably creeping up in my weight. 

So public commitment time ...

Goal: by 25 December lose c 20 lbs 

Running: 3-4 x per week (once psoas sorted)

Aim: a productive running base for a good 2019 

Ha! So now I just have to forego those nibbles & that delicious beer ...

[marathondan]

Oooh, no-one likes a twingey groin. A few days' rest should sort it out. Good luck with the plan. Weight loss sounds tough but doable - at least, for someone with more willpower than me. 20 lbs should speed you up a heck of a lot.

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Update on progress ...

Running since 5 September ... precisely zip! Resting the psoas muscle has worked - pain/twinge almost entirely gone. Back to cycling to work this week.

Nibbles and beer have been foregone (to a great extent!) in the last 10 days or so.

So happy to report c 3lbs progress made towards the 20lb target ... which is fairly good start I think!

Running resumes with gentle park run outing Saturday

[Antonio247]

I'm glad you're feeling better from your injury and losing weight. Something that may help you to shed pounds is the intermittent fasting. I like having a late breakfast, lunch, early dinner and not eating anything from ,let's say 10 pm to 11.30 am. However, I can have liquids such as water, tea, juice ... I don't do that every day but it works for me. Best of luck, OATR!

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/int...ting-guide


Saludos desde Almería

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Thanks Antonio! I've read something about that 16-8 before. Might be interesting to see how it would work!

Runs started this weekend just gone - did a 30 min pacing of the local Parkrun (at Peacehaven) on Saturday and then ran with Lewes AC in an 8K league race through Tilgate Forest (muddy but fun). Pleased that I'm not feeling too bad for that.

And weight continues heading in the right direction. Hopefully in good shape for Almeria 2019!

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Weekly update:

* three runs over the weekend:
- paced 28 mins at Peacehaven (Sweder paced 30)
- very gentle Twitten Run on Sunday
- short 5K trot up and around Malling Down in beautiful Sunday sunshine

Psoas felt slightly sore, so walked back from edge of Southerham on run round Malling

Weight continuing shifting in right direction - now around 1/3 way to the 20lbs target. Back to just above weight I was at around summer/autumn 2017. Aiming to reach 2013 levels ....

Also have booked flights and accommodation for Almeria half marathon, so nice incentive for continued muscle recovery and weight target

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Ha! Weekly check in now begins to bite. Having failed to do any running at weekend, with mad dash north to Sheffield on Friday, to collect my dad, take him to my niece's wedding in Liverpool on Saturday - along with dozens of other family members and many more, and then drive back to Lewes on Sunday ... And therefore any sane attempt at watching what I was eating and drinking slipped away. And I find myself now having added back 2lbs of the weight lost ...

But previously I would have regarded this as the end of any process of sensible exercise and weight management. Now I just take the view that I need to get back on the same programme that has worked for the last 3 weeks. So we shall see if my willpower is up to it

And I have opted for an Asics generated training programme from within my Runkeeper app, for the Almeria half marathon - rather than one of the ones created by a trainer from within same app. This seems a gentler approach (ie not running 26km at peak as part of 21km run training, which last one did ...)

So onwards and downwards (weightwise)

[marathondan]

Well done for realising that this is a blip, not the end.

So onwards and downwards (weightwise)

Off! Off! as the HHH might put it.

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! And lo it has been OK this week ... update soon when I can reflect on how we managed to sell out the Moyleman 2019 in just 13 days ....

[Charliecat5]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!  And lo it has been OK this week ... update soon when I can reflect on how we managed to sell out the Moyleman 2019 in just 13 days ....

Well, it is a indisputable fact that numbers increased, and places sold faster when the new RD was appointed.  However, I struggle to link cause and effect.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!  And lo it has been OK this week ... update soon when I can reflect on how we managed to sell out the Moyleman 2019 in just 13 days ....

Well, it is a indisputable fact that numbers increased, and places sold faster when the new RD was appointed.  However, I struggle to link cause and effect.

Well, I blame the parents.

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Sunday morning - and my running has slowed to a trickle. Incipient cold meant I failed to get out on the Twittens this morning, leaving CC5 to run it solo. I did make it round parkrun at Peacehaven, pacing 30 mins again. That is officially the first run of my training for Almeria half in early Feb

Weight loss continues to actually work - irrespective of lack of runs (cycling to and from work each day keeps me ticking over just). So I now find myself 10lbs lighter than at the start when I pledged to lose 20lbs by Xmas day. So by my estimation I am on track ....

And it is down to eschewing nibbles and drinking only 2 x per week (with one blip for the wedding). Plus lunchtime salads

So all good on that front. Just need to get my runs upped ....

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Blighted by cold/flu - need to follow best advice on whether even to attempt running when under the weather ... I guess the answer is not until you feel up to doing it? Not even feeling like cycling ... so that's a good indicator

[Charliecat5]

Blighted by cold/flu - need to follow best advice on whether even to attempt running when under the weather ... I guess the answer is not until you feel up to doing it? Not even feeling like cycling ... so that's a good indicator

Some one once told me that if the cold/flu is above the neck then run; if below, then don't.

However, I've learnt the hard way not to trust that kind of advice.

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Weekly update ... managed both parkrun on Sat (paced 30 mins) and Twittens on Sunday (for first time in a few weeks) - plus a slow 8K later up to Caburn, but that was more a run/walk. Groin still not 100% when do anything more than 5K or do much hill work. My pace is way way off.

But weight continues to fall - now a few pounds more gone, so the 20lbs target is within sight (maybe another month or so). This public commitment stuff does seem to work!

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Codicil: interestingly, the avatar pic for me on this site is from the first time I did the Seaford Head half, and I realise that if I keep up this weight loss, I'll be around the same as I was then ... which was 5 years ago (amazingly)

[OutAlongTheRiver]

I could almost copy my last week's weekly update ... minus the Caburn trot:

"Weekly update ... managed both parkrun on Sat (paced 30 mins) and Twittens on Sunday (for first time in a few weeks) - plus a slow 8K later up to Caburn, but that was more a run/walk. Groin still not 100% when do anything more than 5K or do much hill work. My pace is way way off."

I've stayed more or less the same weight over the last 7 days ... need to push on a little

[OutAlongTheRiver]

Better running this weekend:

- got a 2.5km warm up and cool down on way to Peacehaven Parkrun: turns out parking at little village of Piddinghoe (just down river from Lewes on the Ouse) you can trot up a farm road and end up

- paced 28 mins on the parkrun, which felt good

- Sunday Twittens were good and felt fine

- then later in the day, Did a 9k around all the six firesites for Lewes bonfire (which is today, Monday 5th). This used to be the Firesite Dash, which sadly hasn't been put on as a formal run for a few years

So managed 24k over the weekend. Groin felt slightly sore but OK

Weight has hovered around same mark - so need a further 7lbs or so to go .... but fingers crossed will continue to make progress

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Great work OATR ... looks like you'll be in fine form for Almeria!

[marathondan]

ooh you've left us in suspense... end up where?