Running

I was in a good mood when I left home for a long slow distance run. Nothing wrong with being positive about what’s to come. It turned out even better than I expected. So, apparently, I wasn’t positive enough. Lesson learned, be ecstatic before each 🏃 Anything less is undeserved.

Running in a group of 🏃 🏃‍♀️ between the heather just before sun set.🌳🌅

While 🏃 17 km I went underneath my personal honor gate. Well, in my mind, anyway.

Decided to run urban, because I can 🏃

Currently reading: Racing Weight Cookbook: Lean, Light Recipes for Athletes (Racing Weight Series) by Matt Fitzgerald CISSN 📚🏃

While talent accounts for > 65 % of a 🏃 marathon time, age > 25 %, I can’t influence any of that. Of the changeable factors most beneficial is a 🏃 weight. Going from obese to healthy weight accounts for 7 %, much more than other factors, for me, 4 instead of 5 hours. 15 weeks.

Preparing for a marathon on one’s own is quite demanding, especially planning the test races, and modifying the training schedule. I can now really appreciate having support from others more experienced than me, and why some runners pay for that if they can afford it🏃

I joined a sponsor run, promising to run 250 km between today and a month from now. There’s collecting money as well, plus wearing a t-shirt I don’t yet have. We’ll see how that goes. Anyway, after a long warmup, I did a tough LT training for my VO2max. Yeah, tough! 🏃

Early bird has the worm, I suppose. At a leisurely pace of 7:15 min/km (11:40 min/mi) I did a recovery run through the nearby township of Zuidgeest. It was lovely to run in 15℃ (59℉) on half asphalt, half dirt road. After 68 minutes I was back home, refreshed and alert. 🏃

Last run for this week, 21 km (almost a half marathon distance), slow and easy in 2 h 20 min. I wanted a steady pace, no muscle soreness, nor tiredness afterwards. I got two of those three; still tired afterwards. It’s 16 weeks to go before M-day 🏃

I went from 33 to 31 percent body fat in one week by limiting my diet to one healthy warm meal per day, lots of low-caloric fluids and 31 km of running. I need to go to 18 % to prevent hitting the wall in a marathon race, having to walk the last 10 km of the 42 km distance. 🏃

I didn’t have to go for a run to see something of beauty 🦋 Still, the run was nice too, in the Golden Hour, no less 🏃

Turns out that my lean body mass (everything except fat) is 57 kg, while fit male individuals have 18 - 24 % body fat, runners 10 % less than that. I’m shedding weight by the week now, just by running regularly and thinking about the marathon later this year. 🏃

My morning route has been extended by 30 minutes by 🏃 strength and mobility exercises. Like coach Kyle Kranz says:

Every day should be hip-day.

That’s the body part, in case you wondered.

I’m temporarily back on Strava, just because I’m preparing for a marathon later this year. After that, it’s probably lights out again for me (read: disconnect Garmin Connect from Strava). I did prune who I follow, though, to keep me sane. 🏃

Second week running in a group of about 20 athletes of varied levels. This time I was the fastest, and much faster as well. Felt great. My regular group has some who are much faster than me. I’ll be joining them in September. 🏃

I totally underestimated my running speed in this LT training session. I thought 10 km was enough, yet needed almost 12 km. I ran almost 14 km at 6:13 min/km (10 min/mi). I need to reconsider my 15 km race pace. 🏃

I did an interval training, 5 series of tempos over 100, 200, 300 and 400 m (interval 100 m, series interval 400 m). The graph shows my watch’s recorded running data. The target pace for the tempos was 5:15 - 5:30 min/km (8:27 - 8:51 min/mi); actual paces were faster, though. 🏃

Major 🏃 effort (for me), 23+ km long slow distance run around Air Base Woensdrecht. It was my longest continuous run since 2018. The last 5 kms were brutal. Next weekend 2 km more.

I did 1 series of body core strength exercises (sets) for 🏃 It was so hard! I should work my way up to 3 series over the next months, which is the required minimum 😅 twice a week. Next one on Sunday. I’m so out of shape 😕