14.5km!

After singing at church this morning I was determined to run further than I ever have before. The furthest I had completed was 10km, which I did for the Race for Life last July and which am doing again this July. However, this year I am also training to run a half marathon in October. Half a marathon is 13 miles, which is just over the equivalent of two Race for Life (10km) races, aka 20km!

I was running into unknown territory today once I had reached the 10km point, where normally I’d be in the mindset that I’ve finished. I kept thinking to myself that I must carry on, that I still had further to go. Once I passed that point, I was rather nervous but felt exhilarated at the same time. My legs were hurting but I persevered, not over doing it by running too fast and slowing down when I needed to.

The way I went after my usual 10km point is a route which I thought was 4km, until I had a look online. I went this way once before, which is ideal for a short run, but it’s actually about 3.8km. I found a more accurate website called Mapometer, which makes it easier for runners, walkers, cyclists etc to plan and draw out routes, compared to runningmap which I originally used. My 10km route is actually 10.68km, so I’ve been running slightly further than I thought.

So overall, I ran 14.48km in 1 hour and 37 minutes! (just 2 metres off 14.5km). I’m thrilled that I was able to carry on after the 10km mark. Of course, I still have a lot of work to do. It was challenging to carry on running further than I ever have before and I could’ve stopped running out of tiredness. But I managed to carry on and I feel so much better for it at the moment (especially because I had eaten a lot of unhealthy food during the week, including various cakes and takeaway pizza).

I look so thrilled :’)

I did actually have a photo before I went out, but I accidentally deleted it so here’s just the one photo when I got back home after running almost 14.5km. My back was very sweaty and you can see the circles around my armpits. I was surprised that my hair wasn’t covered in sweat, but maybe that was because it was quite cool outside. The weather conditions today were very ideal for running.

As you can see I am wearing my new running shoes. They are so comfortable! They have ventilation which means I can feel air coming into my shoes when I’m running, which keeps my feet cool. Whether it’s because they make my feel snazzy or the comfortable support, these trainers have made running feel better and more enjoyable for me!

Since I wasn’t far off 15km and I have found a better website for calculating routes, my next target is to run 17.5km. I am not currently concerned with meeting time targets. I just want to be able to run 20km non-stop, which is the attitude I adopted when I first started training for running 10km. I want to prove to myself that despite my body weight and fat, I can still accomplish great things in terms of fitness. I’m still working at breaking the stereotypical notions and judgments that overweight people are unfit- this is so untrue.

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Many thanks,

Clare Bear

 

A “fit” week

I wrote a blog recently on adaptability, in regards to fitness and my new full-time job as a copywriter. I mentioned that I would aim to get down to the gym during the week and consider walking to work. I’m glad to say that I managed to go to the gym twice during the week, both during the early morning, and I felt much better for it while I was at work.

In order to go to the gym and get to work on time, I have to drive to the gym. Therefore a good way of getting myself up at 6:30am rather than 7:30am is to park my car on the very front of the drive. This means that I have to get up early and leave before my dad, which is at 7:10am, as my car is in such a place where it blocks my parent’s cars.

Wednesday was the first day I went to the gym in the morning. I started exercising at 7am, and was cautious of the time because I didn’t know what the traffic would be like from the gym to work. I spent 45 minutes on a cross trainer, but it was different from the ones I have used before. It’s a tougher work out because you push down harder and the leg motion isn’t as circular. I can’t describe it very well- I probably should’ve took a picture of the cross trainer! Anyway, according to the machine, I burned about 650 calories, which is great.

By the time I showered, changed and was about to drive past my house, it was only 8:15am. There was hardly any traffic, since I was driving away from Leicester city centre; for people driving into town, it was a different story. I drive past my house after the gym to get to work, and when I’m not at the gym, I don’t have to leave home until 8:35am to drive to work. So I had breakfast at home.

Therefore on Friday, I was a bit more lenient and decided to run for an hour on a treadmill. I was so proud of myself, as I almost ran 8km! I turned up the speed for the last minute, but I reached 7.98km when the hour was up. I ran 8.5km/h for the majority of the run, and increased the speed to 9km/h for the final 11 minutes. This is really good progress, since the fastest I have ran 10km so far is 1 hour and 8 minutes.

I got to work for 8:35am, which gave me plenty of time to have breakfast and a cup of tea before starting at 9am. My face was red for a while, even after having a shower at the gym. I have noticed that across my upper cheeks they stay red for a while after I’ve completed a long-distance run, but it dies down after time.

I didn’t get a chance to walk to work and back this week, as I had a few busy weeknights, but at least I got down to the gym twice. I’d like to have a go at walking at least once this week- I’m considering Tuesday at the moment as I haven’t got anything planned for the evening.

Other good news- I am starting to lose body weight again! I lost 2 pounds this week, so I’m at 15.7 stone. I did reach 15.12 recently which scared me, since I weighed 15.9 stone when I went to the doctors about a month ago. Looks like I’m getting back on track!

I also treated myself to a decent pair of running shoes yesterday. They cost £31 (reduced from £43) and are Adidas running trainers. They were the first pair I tried on in the shop, but I did try on another 7 pairs! I didn’t realise that there is so much choice of running shoes, but I bought the pair which I thought were most suited for my purpose.

My beautiful new running shoes!

The trainers have a slightly raised heel at the back and when you walk in them, you can really feel support and a bit of a bounce from the heel. Out of all the shoes I tried on, these ones gave me the most support, and I thought they would be the most durable for running long distances outside. Since I am training to run my first half marathon in October this year, I believed it was time to invest in my fitness and get myself a good pair of trainers. I also believe the shoes will be a good motivator. I can’t wait to have a go at running in them!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Many thanks,

Clare Bear