Skip to main content

Thank You For the Music

I don't often run listening to music but a couple of times this week, I've connected my fancy new Bluetooth headphones, turned up the volume and tuned out with my latest running playlist.

It always seems like the shuffle option knows exactly what song to play at what moment, either to make me smile, give me a sense of perspective or just make me run that little bit quicker when needed.

And today was no exception:

Life of Riley (The Lightning Seeds) - I've been very busy lately with work and other commitments. It's been difficult to find the time (or energy) for running. But when I do make the time, I never regret it. When the alarm went off this morning, it was tempting to snooze for a few more minutes. But a run always clears my mind - even more so when it's raining - so I got up, got ready and set out on my run. I still believe that in this world, we've got to find the time... 

Why Does It Always Rain On Me (Travis) -  after running up to Burslem for some volunteering at junior parkrun followed by a lovely mug of coffee this morning. I could easily have opted out on the second part of my long run plan. The café was warm, the rain was pelting down. But I zipped up my rain jacket, put my cap on and headed out into the park. I was soaking wet within minutes, my feet squelching through the puddles. But last week I ran through rivers, muddy fields and puddles and loved it. So even if it does always rain on me, what's a little bit of rain?



Foot of the Mountain (A-ha) - this one generally always pops up as I find myself at the bottom of a very big hill and it did again today. I've definitely been through a phase of avoiding big hills - or walking up them with an ultra-marathon mindset even on shorter runs. But you can't always live at the foot of the mountain... I need to keep on pushing on the ups and then I get to enjoy the downhills as well. So what it came to Waterloo Road (even though it is only a little hill and not a mountain), I didn't slow down as I have been doing recently and it turns out that was another Strava Segment PR too!



Patience (Take That) - I was running well and feeling good - I even clocked a sub-9 minute mile and picked up some PRs along the way (personal records on three Strava segments on the route to Westport Lake). It would have been easy to push on, add a couple of extra miles to my run. BUT... I really do need to be patient and build my miles up slowly, not push too hard and find myself injured or exhausted. Have a little patience.

Ready To Go (Replubica) - after a couple of months of tiredness and struggles, I feel like my running is on an upward trend. I'm looking forward to running, I'm adding extra sessions to my training (including zumba this week), I've entered a couple of races and I'm making plans, big plans, for next summer. I ran 8 miles today and I'm looking forward to running more miles next week. I feel like I'm back and I'm ready to go.

Let's see what my playlist picks out for me next week!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Well, that's a long way!

Race day was finally here.  After a difficult couple of weeks, I woke up on Saturday morning with a certain amount of trepidation after a very restless night's sleep and a couple of weeks of niggles, aches and tiredness. I reminded myself of the three goals I'd set for the race - start with confidence, enjoy the adventure and finish with a smile - and was boosted by some encouraging messages from friends and family. After a quick breakfast and a short bus ride, I arrived in Marlow for the start of the race. I wasn't sure what to expect and actually had no idea how many runners were taking part. My start time was 9.15am and it seemed like there were a couple of hundred of us setting off in the "competitive" wave covering marathon and ultra marathon distances. The ultra marathon route was approximately 33 miles involved an extra loop around Hambledon but we all started off in the same direction. My first race goal was accomplished as I started with

(Not) Sorry!

It has been a while since my last blog. There's been a lot going on. Sometimes life gets in the way of running and writing about running. I'd like to say I'm sorry but this post is all about being not sorry, hopefully not in a selfish "I don't care if I upset you" kind of way but instead with a spirit of "I've got my motivation and priorities back on track and that's a good thing". I'm not sorry that I've decided to taken a step back from local road racing. Last year, I raced so often between May and September, that races were almost the only running I was doing. I forgot to rest properly and my body took a hit. There was a reason for racing so often: I was chasing points and placings in the NSRRA. Winning my group was a real possibility and points in every race mattered. It would be wrong to say I didn't enjoy it... I loved the competition and the challenge and of course I enjoyed winning... but I realised I wanted this summ

What's Next?

My running career started with the simple goal of completing the Cancer Research Race for Life. My motivation came from my family, to show support for my Dad who was being treated for cancer at the time. I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app and ticked off each run on the print-out on my office wall  (it's still pinned up for extra motivation too). I was supported and encouraged by Mr T, sometimes with words, sometimes by running along side me. It was a realistic goal and I had the time to run 3 timers a week; Everything mostly went to plan and I achieved my goal. First Race, First Medal The longer I've been running, the more goals I've set, training to run half marathons, night races, relay events, marathons and eventually ultra marathons. The plans get more complicated (involving spreadsheets and a Garmin) and there have been a few more setbacks on the way, including overcoming injuries, illness and fear itself , but I usually get there in the end. Quote from B