It has been almost 2 years since my last post.
Like I wrote then, our life was doing somersaults. After the somersaults became a spin. It felt like life was tumbling in a spin like a washing machine. Our crazy move (in retrospect) to the unknown has been quite a journey with lots of doubt and unsettledness, albeit lots of sunshine.
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Life has been doing somersaults. And so has my running. And blogging.
We decided to wrap our belongings into removal boxes. Only the dearest and most necessary stuff could stay, the rest we got rid of.
As exciting as our plans for the future and relocation may sound the stress has been enormous. Especially, when three little ones, all school aged, are involved. While mulling over things involved in such a move and preparing for sorting out our belongings I did not have the energy for more intense training. I did some light running according to what my body could cope with.
We left Sweden with fully packed car and 5 years of great memories.
Summer roads
We are taking a pit stop in Finland. We have been here since the beginning of July. Sorting out official documents and preparing for the next, bigger, move. Paper work, paper work, paper work. Have got to love it.
So life is still unsettled. And so is my running. And blogging.
Despite everything, I have enjoyed the warm summer and running in the bare necessities. A sun cap being one of them. I am back into some sort of running routine and even done a few faster sessions on the local track. I can still feel the uncertainty of future wearing down my energy levels and the efficiency to train the way I used to is not there yet.
I look forward to settling into our new location and lifestyle. And a training routine. And blogging.
I am ready to go for my morning run. I can count with one hand the runs I have done with shorts on. Well, in my case a skirt .. my badminton outfit has become running gear since I stopped playing with the feathers. It has been cold Spring and beginning of Summer here in the South of Sweden. But finally yesterday I threw my long tights into the wash as the weather has warmed up enough for me to bare my legs. I am known for always being cold. Let’s hope the summer heat is here to stay .. we if anyone deserve it.
Summer time and the living's easy
I am slowly but surely beginning to feel that my legs are getting lighter and I am able to run more relaxed at a faster (not fast but faster) pace. It has taken a looong time.
Life has been stressful and probably my body has never really got a chance to recover. I finally finished my one year master’s degree (magister på svenska). I had been working on my paper for an embarrassingly long time and finally got it squeezed out at the end of May. I still need to write one more paper to get the second year master’s that I signed for. Also, our relocation plans have been up and down, and we have been unsure what is going to happen. So on my short runs that I have been doing I have been thinking of other things, not ‘blogging’ like I used to. And quite simply, I have not had the mental energy to write about my running. Then again, there has not been so much to write about.
We are leaving Sweden this Friday. Leaving first for Finland and then after Summer travelling down South. The house needs to be emptied and cleaned. Everything sorted out and packed. There is a lot to do.
I just wanted to say hello and tell you that I am still running.
This was our fourth year in Copenhagen, and working with Sparta, the organisers of the Copenhagen Marathon. We are the elite athlete coordinator for the event, and the family has the privilege of following us to the event each year. And, it is just as exciting every year – meeting elite runners, driving them to the Marathon Expo and the event itself, having dinner with them and just being around these amazing runners is inspirational.
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The Ed, or coach (you can also read husband) has more or less left me to do my runs, always however checking how I felt and what the time and pulse was. I am a sports scientist after all and should know the basics of wise training.
I have been very keen to increase my mileage, in a rush to get back to 50-60 kilometres that I was doing weekly while on build-up and before I got sick. I still feel ‘pear shaped’ and convinced that my jeans have shrunk. I want to be ‘leaner and meaner’. In my attempt to rush things I did an easy 8K run on Monday and a 10K on Tuesday. These were very relaxed runs at least when considering the times I ran.
I was told very clearly that I obviously did not learn that much on my sports science course and the 10K run was not such a clever move, particularly the day after my 8K. This, because I have not been doing so much mileage lately. But what can I say, emotions always at times defeat common sense, or science for that matter. I must admit, I felt tired after the 10K even though I had tried to keep the pulse and pace low. It is not often someone runs past me on my runs. She did not run much faster than I did .. I had actually passed her once some 4 kilometres earlier. The difference was that I had a steady pace throughout.
I cautiously, and little bit embarrassed about rushing things, asked if I should do a recovery run or take a rest the day after the 10K. I did not want to take a rest day just yet, minimum of 3 days of running I had on my mind, and was happy to hear when The Ed instructed me to do the short, familiar 3.8K run around the farm – to check my current state of fitness. I was told to go out and enjoy, keep it relaxed and see how it goes, take a half way split, not to run flat out, just enjoy. Oh, ok. I run at a harder pace but still so that it felt comfortable and I knew I could make it to the end without dying. I was happy to see the hubby and the youngest one had come to meet me with their bicycles with 600 metres to go. It warms my heart every time when such enthusiasm is shown towards my running.
My current state of fitness is 2 minutes quicker than The Ed had estimated and 2 minutes slower than 9 months ago when I ran my best time for the course. I do not know what to think of the result. But, as there is no room for negativity in our household .. so something good it must indicate.
My legs are tired now, as if they had been through a heavy week’s training. Rest day was needed at this point. I am hoping to get some nice running done over the weekend.
No big or exciting things happening on the running front on this side.
But at least I am running.
This week I ran five times, and that already is an improvement – 36 kilometres of pleasant relaxed running. Well, I did one 5K run with a higher tempo just to suss out the state of my condition. Not quite there yet. Pulse is high.
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I am feeling healthy again and have been building up my tempo and distance. Not so much distance, but I have had a few good runs this week. I did a 7.5K run in 34 minutes and 5K in 22 minutes. This makes me happy and confident that I have not lost it all.
Many runs started here
I have run on 3 consecutive days now and I feel that I deserve a rest day tomorrow, Friday. I am hoping to do easy long runs during the weekend as well as some studying, book keeping and tax forms (always leave it till the last moment – hate the task), celebrating the 1st of May, watching son’s football in 2 different places on Sunday .. he plays for 2 teams. I am sure there was something else too. Nevertheless ..
.. Monday will be here in a flash.
Have a good weekend!
Sometimes it is just great to be running with someone, especially if you are used to running on your own. And even better, when that someone is your own sister who you have not met for months.
During the family’s 4-day-stay sis and I run twice. I know my sister was a little apprehensive to be running with me as she has not been running that much of late. But neither have I. She has only just started running after Winter again. Despite, we quickly settled into a nice relaxed pace to suit both of us. We could keep the chat flowing while still getting a sufficient workout. Weather gods treated us kindly during the family’s visit, which of course made running even more enjoyable.
We ran two days in a row, only 5 kilometres each day. It has been a while since I last ran on consecutive days and could tell that legs were complaining ever so slightly about that. Rest day was needed after.
Kind weather gods have passed our region and all we are left with is cold wind. It will be our son’s football premier for outdoor season tomorrow. I am hoping to do a 7K run around the football field before the match starts. I hope the wind will give us a break.
I am hoping to increase my ‘mileage’ this coming week, however, will still take it day by day and see how I feel. I am really hoping to start on the Time-to-Run training programme next week. Fingers crossed.
That is what my past ‘training’ week looks like.
As you can see I still have to take it easy. 5 kilometres of easy running feels enough at the moment. My morning pulse is still high and I can feel that I am not 100 percent healthy yet. I feel more energetic one day and then can feel ‘flat as a pancake’ the day after.
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