Maria's Running Blog

Again, was very busy with unpacking and settling in, but decided to get out for a run anyway, because I can be this busy every day for the next month. I wanted to do a long run, but being extremely tired and also at 8:30PM, I figured I should do about 10 miles if I want to get any sleep.

I tried a new route to Regents Park from the new apartment, and I think it's a good one. It's measured 0.75 mi. on Garmin, so I think I'll start around the corner to make it 0.8 in the future. I have to stop for 3 or 4 lights on the way, but it's not bad for central London, then I can just run inside the park or on the outside perimeter with only 2 lights in 2.75 mi. loop. I did 3 loops yesterday, and then ran back home. One stretch of the road is really dark, and another stretch goes inside the pedestrian path that has tall concrete walls on both sides, so it's a bit uncomfortable running in it at night, because it's so dark, but it's only for 50m or so.

Total time: 1:27:xx (have to check the watch to make sure).

I was determned to run, but things didn't go my way at all. First, the London tube maintenance workers union called a strike at 5PM, right in the middle of rush hour. Out of 12 underground lines, only 3 were left running. Luckily for me, one of them was my line, but it was extremely crowded, traines were delayed, and general chaos ensued as millions of people tried to get home from work. In addition, my managers called a meeting at 5PM, and I didn't even get out of the office till 6:15!! By the time I got home, it was 8:30 (and I was still lucky as others took 3+ hours to et home), I was absolutely starving and exhausted and couldn't even think about getting out for a run.

The strike is supposed to last till Friday morning, so I'm in for a fun week. I could have worked from home, but because we just moved, we still don't have internet connection (or phone land line) at home, so I wouldn't be able to do anything, not even dial in for conference calls!

I managed to get home at 7:30 PM, having spent 1:35 on my commute. The strike continues to affect everyone, and even though my line is running, I'm missing my National Rail train due to local street traffic getting to the station on the way back home. In the morning, it's okay for some reason.

So, I had a quick bite, and got out before it became too late for any sort of workout. I ran about 20 min. warmup, and then did fartlek, 6x (3'on +3'off). My Garmin never picked up the signal, so I didn't know my pace, but I just ran hard at what felt like 5K pace. By the 5th and 6th reps, I was very tired, but generally I felt much better and more efficient than last week.

Total time: 1:01:55 (8:43 pace).

Easy run. I ate shortly before going out, and felt heavy and sluggish as a result. It's tough for me to balance eating and running in the evening. Maybe I should go back to just having a Powerbar before my run - it seems to sit best without giving me the heavy bloated feeling.

I plodded through the first loop of Regents Park, Garmin still dead (only watch function), but it felt like I was doing over 9 min. pace. Legs felt tired. Thought of doing just 1 mile of the second loop and turning back, but when I got to the turn-around point, decided to keep going for a full second loop. My mileage has been so dismal lately, I might as well try to keep it up as high as I can. I started feeling a little better on the second loop and my pace quickened as well.

Total time: 1:03:29 (8:56 pace).

Ran fartlek again, but this time I did 7 x (2' on + 2' off). Felt surprisingly very decent, and was able to push the pace pretty well. Garmin caught signal about 2 miles into the run, so I got all the fartlek splits:

2:08 - 7:38 pace
2:06 - 7:16
2:01 - 7:01
2:03 - 6:57
2:01 - 7:01
2:01 - 7:11
2:07 - 7:04

I wore new pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, and they really make a diffrence in how I feel - they are great shoes for faster running, light and not as soft as Nimbus, so I can feel the road better, and they give me a nice push-off. It may all be psychological, but it works for me, so I'll take it!

Total time: 1:01:38 (8:40 pace).

Easy pre-race run plus some strides. Maybe I ran a little too late (the race is Sunday 10:30 AM, and I ran at 5 PM), but I don't think it will matter. Ran 1 loop around the park, and did 4x100m strides. Felt okay, but not super.

On the way back, I saw a hige mob of people blocking the sidewalk right in my path! When I got closer I realised that the crowd was for members of English National Cricket Team, as yesterday was a big cricket match, and the team headquarters are apparently very close to my house (as is Lord's Cricket Grounds, a landmark). The team was boarding the bus to go the game, and all the people were trying to snap pictures or maybe get an autograph. There was absolutely no way to run through them, and I had to go around in the middle of the road.

Total time: 39:47