Sticky Willies

Another hot day. Did a quick 5k before starting work at lunch time, and properly cooked. Although, my legs felt fine, and I even ended up going over on the same ankle I did with the rabbit hole, when a lorry had to get past me so I went up on the bank, but after a few minutes it was, and still feels, fine.

So the other Lucy reminded me about sticky willies, and how you can just blend them into a smoothie, so I have been out in my garden hunting, but all my willies are tiny, and only a couple of inches (fnar) and so will give it a few more days, as no doubt with this weather, there will soon be much bigger willies in my garden (guffaw).

You may be able to see in this picture, a small Willy just poking up.
(I'll stop now, I promise)

I Want A Turbo!

My legs feel a bit stiff today, but nothing major. I'm going to do lots of core work, and an hour on the cross trainer, just to get things going again. I'll run again tomorrow before work. Today would have been my swimming day, but it's sunny and the place would be heaving with kids, so I'm gonna do a good 2k in the pool on Wednesday.

I really want a turbo trainer.
There's a few on eBay I'm watching.
I would love to not always have to think about weather. Especially the wind. I'm sure they are interminably boring, but it would give me a chance to get used to the aero position, and I'd still be doing lots of outdoor biking. I would still get blown about and face hideous hills, but at least I could get miles in on a regular basis, no matter what.

And this pose here, lizard, is my current fave pose.

And this is my current fave core hold.

If it's effectiveness can be measured by noise I make while doing it, it's very effective.

Lovely Sunny Morning!

Which roughly translates to hellish hot run.
Hellish.

It was actually quite pleasant to start with. Kind of nice to be in the warm for once. I did what my friend Jelly says to do, just focused on the route, not the time or the miles. I knew exactly where I was going, to the exact tree that marks 10 miles along the railway. It is where I once saw an eagle, and I've cycled there lots.
All I thought about was that tree, and how once that was done, it was all homeward bound.

At mile 14, an obnoxious family were taking over the path, I called excuse me, they looked but didn't really move, so I ran around them, leaving the path and going into the long grass, and putting my foot down a rabbit hole and doing an amazing kind of trip-but-not-falling thing.

My ankle wasn't happy, but I don't think I've done anything serious to it.
The gravel path was slippy under my feet. There were cows out everywhere, so lots of flies for me to swallow.

I had two water bottles on my pack, and I assumed I had been drinking mainly out of one, but it was quite even, meaning at miles 15, on a bloody hot day, I was almost out of water.

After that things are a bit of a haze of walking and jogging. I got so thirsty I eventually stopped sweating, and was ridiculously hot and fantasising about cool water on my face when I arrived home. In a heap. With various bits of flies in my mouth I'd not been able to wash down.
I sat on the cool kitchen floor drinking, trying not to puke it back up again.

After a bath and some stretching I felt ok. My knee support is really doing it's job. I've only ever once walked on a long run and my knee was agony after, but today it was fine.

Awesome Day!

It's only mid-afternoon, but today has been fabulous.

I have been reasonably productive, done some tidying and ironing, but all at a ridiculously slow space. Sorted out my DVD cupboard, put everything in order of genre. Had a long bath, and then a really, really good stretch. And wearing PJs again.

Also, a bag I ordered arrived. It should have been quite expensive, but I fought tooth and nail for a barely used on eBay.

I have the black one.
That's exactly how Chewbacca would carry his stuff, is he were in the market for a bag.

To cover over the kangaroo logo, I have ordered this patch -

It's going to be the coolest bag, ever. Particularly handy for the bike, I'm thinking. My phone and stuff will be easy to reach. I always stop to answer it, but getting out of my backpack is time and aggro.

Tomorrow is the long run. It will be all trail. I need to go ten miles then turn around and come home again to guarantee I do the miles. If I run on the road the circuit will go past my house a few times, and I can't trust myself. And on the plus side, although it will be slow and in places, gritty, muddy and such, the road will seem easier afterwards.

I Never Knew I Was Dehydrated Until I Started Drinking Loads

I generally have cold feet.
When I get home from a run, they are warm for about five minutes, but then shortly like ice.
I have to be very careful with my hands, as I have Reynaud's and my fingers become white, and look like corpse hands, except for the fact they are painful.

However, after drinking loads more yesterday (about 3 litres with the pee tea stuff), I was woken in the night needing the loo, but also, my feet were really hot. I sleep in thermal socks, I never have have warm feet a night. But last night I had to take my socks off.


So,  the other cool thing is, I actually enjoyed my run this morning.
I have had good runs, fast runs, bad runs, but never actually found myself thinking 'Hmm, this is pleasant' but this morning I did. It was just a gentle 10:13 min mile 5 k before work, but it was lightly raining, and I found myself singing along to my music.

Running almost every day this week has gone well. My legs are not stiff or sore at all. I will do lots of yoga and stuff ahead of my long run on Sunday. Yoga is OK to do on my glorious day of doing nothing, as it's gentle, and fun. And I can do it while watching films.

Any Excuse...

....For stationery!

So it has been pointed out ot me that it's just over 100 days to go until my first half-Iron.

So I felt (as I am obviously a child) that some kind of sticker chart was called for.
And so may I present , '100 Days of Half Iron Training'. It'll be like an advent calendar. But without chocolate or pictures, just sweat and effort. A little gold star for myself at the end of every iron-training day.

And the bottle is the remains of my tea stuff. I added waaay more lemon and cranberry, so it's actually quite nice.

Pee Tea

Not to be confused with a tee-pee.

 

My car wasn't ready when I went to pick it up last night, so had to go this morning, which dented my time, so only managed 5 miles, but I'm still planning a heavy mileage week.

But anyway!

I'm excited for three reasons -

1) Selene Yeager has a new book out this month and I've pre-ordered it. She's an awesome biker chick and she will make me a fast cyclist. I know this, as the book is called 'Get Fast'

2) I have found a fluid flushing water recipe, publicised by another tough fitness chick, Jillian Michaels. It's pretty basic and obvious stuff, as well as the general principle that drinking loads make you pee loads. And dandelion is the supremo pee maker.

3) I'm planning my super long run for Sunday, so thinking of having a proper day of doing nothing on Saturday. Literally, spending hours in the bath and on the sofa. And drinking LOADS of fluid and stretching. I have a sewing order to get done, but that would be the extent of my activity. Unless I get called into work. The money's nice, but a proper day off would totally rock, too.