Twelfth night

No chance of getting out during the day yesterday, and running over black ice in the dark sounded like an even worse idea than doing so during the hours of daylight, so it was back to the gym. Which was fuller than I've ever seen it. The fabled January rush at last? I counted 12 people in the cardio room at the same time as me (it's not a huge gym) which is, in my experience, remarkably busy. Luckily there was only one other person on the treadmills, so I was able to get my run in, overlooked from behind all the while by a line of people on bikes. By the time I finished, though, they had all mysteriously vanished, perhaps sick of looking at my backside?

It suddenly occurred to me that it would be interesting (or maybe not) to compare Janathon's statistics with last year's Juneathon statistics, so I went back for a look at last year's day 12 blog, which was a very dull one, rather like today's in fact, and I learned that after the 12th day of Juneathon I had run 44.4 miles in 7 hours 15 minutes and 20 seconds, so it looks like I'm ahead for the moment, though not by much.

Today's stats:

Distance: 3.26 miles
Time: 30:14
Average pace: 9:16
Total Janathon miles so far: 48.84
Total Janathon running time so far: 7:53:08

Gym'll fix it

A late day 10 blog for me – was unable to get out during the day yesterday, so it was back to the gym and the treadmill in the evening. When I went in I could see loads of people in there through the glass wall (plus a glamorous looking young woman in full makeup and brand-new-looking gear having an induction chat in reception with one of the staff) and I thought ooh, this must be the January influx, I hope I don’t have to wait for a treadmill. But by the time I had changed, most of them had mysteriously evaporated and the treadmills were empty except for two women at the end having a gentle stroll and a nice chat. They quickly disappeared too and I had the place to myself apart from a bloke on the cross-trainer at the other end, oh and one man who came in, walked on the treadmill next to mine for 0.05 mile then clearly thought (probably understandably) “I can’t be bothered with this” and left again.

I thought I might be a bit tired following the previous day’s 10k (I know 10k shouldn’t tire me out too much but most of my recent running has been shorter distances) but actually I felt fine. Didn’t want to push it though – as I think the key to Janathon completion, as it was with Juneathon, will be not overdoing it – and ran just over 5k in 30 minutes.

Hope to get out for 5-6 miles later today, although have already found the pavements to be perilous in places (bit of alliteration for you there, partially perilous pavements) so hoping I can find a reasonable stretch and get my run in without fracturing anything.

Official results still not up from Sunday’s 10k.

Day 10 stats (a third of the way through, just about!):

Distance: 3.27 miles
Time: 29:59
Average pace: 9:10
Total Janathon miles so far: 39.35

Weighty matters

Janathon has come at a good time for me (weather conditions notwithstanding) because not only does it get me off to a good start for my planned 1000-in-2011, but I’m also properly trying, for pretty much the first time in my life, to lose some weight. I’m not overweight – 5’7 and 10st 5, BMI of about 22.7) but I am, or was, about a stone over what I used to be and what I would like to be . (That’s what having a baby at nearly 40 does for your figure… the weight just didn’t come off the way it did when I had my first child at 23, regardless of how much breastfeeding I did. Which was a lot.) Anyway four years on the extra weight is still there, mostly around my middle where it seems to have settled in and made itself comfy. I think it’s definitely time for it to go. Plus I might run faster if I was a bit lighter… well, you never know.

I started a couple of weeks before Christmas (yeah, I know) logging my food intake and exercise on www.myfitnesspal.com . I don’t think my diet generally is that bad – I don’t really have a taste for sweet things or (much) junk food - but I probably eat too much. Especially bread. I love bread. I make my own and I find it very hard to resist scoffing it in large quantities. Running, even when I was marathon training, hasn’t had any effect, so I could only conclude that my calorie intake was too high.

Finding out for the first time how many calories are in things has been an interesting experience and logging what I actually eat has definitely made me think before reaching for a snack. I’ve cut down (without drastically changing) what I eat, and so far have lost about 6lb, taking me below 10 stone for the first time in four years! Of course, the extra running necessitated by Janathon won’t do any harm, either…

Anyway, I had planned an outside run today but (a) pavements like sheets of ice and (b) the little one's playgroup not being on meant I was back in the gym instead, where they must have got well and truly sick of the sight of me over the last couple of months. Ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill and felt good. In fact, around the third mile I actually started to feel quite euphoric, not an emotion I normally expect to experience on the treadmill. I do love running.

I hope the ice is gone tomorrow though.

Stats:

Distance: 4.2 miles
Time: 39:58
Average pace: 9:31
Total Janathon miles so far: 24.54

Learning to love the dreadmill

Didn't manage to get out for a run at a reasonable time today so instead I went to the gym in the evening to pound the treadmill for a while. I'm having a disorganised day and I didn't realise till I got there that I'd forgotten my Garmin. You might think a Garmin would be unnecessary for running on the treadmill, what with being indoors and all, and you would be right, but I like to use a footpod when treadmilling and it's interesting to see how the distance measured by the footpod compares with the distance measured by the treadmill (they're not identical). However I am not a sad person who cannot run without a Garmin attached to my wrist, no no, definitely not, and I didn't even consider going home to get it... well, only briefly.

Actually I really enjoyed my run on the treadmill and I didn't even look longingly at my left wrist very often. When I got there the gym was pretty quiet (I don't know where all those January people are, maybe they have already given up?) and only one of the 6 treadmills was in use. It was occupied by a big beefy guy in a singlet who was (and I swear this is true) running while leaning forward and literally hugging the front of the treadmill. I mean literally. His arms were around the front of it and his legs were running. Maybe this is some new treadmill technique in which I am as yet unversed, but it looked very odd. He carried on like this for about two minutes, walked for about 10 seconds, then scooted off out of the room. Maybe he thought I was giving him funny looks, or admiring his singlet, or something. Then another bloke came in and ran for five minutes while holding on to the side rails. I don't know what the experts have to say about this but it doesn't look right to me. It's not as if you have side rails when you're out running in the great outdoors, after all.

Anyway apart from these small diversions I was alone in the gym and I did some (not very fast) quarter-mile intervals for 35 minutes, and covered 3.53 miles by which you may deduce that my intervals were indeed not very fast, but that did include a warm up and cool down, and rather to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Then I did a little (and I mean a little) on the weights machines, which I really don't use enough because I'm not very good at them. My legs are reasonably strong from all the running but my upper body is pretty feeble. I know that's a reason to do more strength training rather than less, and I do plan to start doing more.

Garmin-less stats:

Time: 35:00
Distance: 3.53 miles
Average pace: 9:55
Total Janathon distance so far: 20.34 miles