2 in 1 day!

2 in 1 day! by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

No lengthy burbling on this one, but I've been out for the second time today and despite some soreness to start with, the pace was really rather good.

I am taking tomorrow off to celebrate my aunt's birthday and should be doing the 90-minute long session for this week on Sunday.

Hopefully my parents will arrive home on Monday - they're driving back through Spain and western France, spending all my inheritance on ridiculous hotel suites in Biarritz, etc.  We'll try to see them through the week - maybe we'll pop over to my sister's one evening (they're staying with her until Friday) - and then we're all over at the favourite cousins' for a bbq next Saturday.  Such fun!  And, probably, another run delayed until Sunday!

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Keep on lumpin'

Keep on lumpin' by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

I didn't do this session on Wednesday morning as scheduled.  I forget why.  And I didn't you it yesterday morning because I didn't want to, alright?

But I did it this morning (eventually) and it went OK.  I'm quite surprised about how slow I apparently went on the easy sections, but am quite chuffed with the final five minutes' harder running.

Having finally rammed myself into the specialist clothing, I am now sitting around in it rather than take it off.  We have no bathroom, I can't strip down and wash as the man is here trying to give us back a bathroom as quickly as possible and I might go out later and do today's planned session.  I know, right?  It's just 20 minutes of easy running, but as the long run this week is 90 minutes - something I've not yet managed I think a short session to stretch out the muscles would not go amiss.  I'm likely to do the long run on Sunday rather than tomorrow, as we're taking my aunt out for her birthday to an all day pub barbecue at a rather gorgeous country gastro pub.

Back to work now (from home), gotta get some cashflow going.  Getting to the first paycheck has been a bit of a struggle and a drain on the old savings, but hopefully I'll start seeing regular income now.  A huge weight off.

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Great day to have NO BATHROOM

Great day to have NO BATHROOM by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

So it's day 1 of the great bathroom renovation bonanza.  I was really hoping to do today's run first thing this morning and get a shower in before everything kicked off.  But we were given a 6 hour delivery window from 7 until 1 and I was not IN ANY WAY EVER going to get up before 6.30.  There are limits.  And with today's session being 40 minutes, I clearly couldn't get up and go without the risk that they'd show up while I was out.  (No update e-mail first thing, natch.  I eventually went online and found they were planning to arrive around midday.)

Last week the company we purchased all the bits and arranged the labour through (I'm not going to dignify them with a promo, I may big up the man actually doing everything afterwards) changed both our project manager and the installer.  This is what we feared and semi-expected from them given previous experience with them in other areas.  I then received a call to say the installer would be with me, when he already was, and that the bits would be delivered, when I already knew.  This does annoy me, because it totally fucks with the value and impression of project management, a thing very dear to my heart, career and wallet.

Anyway, the new installer is a lovely bloke and I'm very hopeful things will all go smoothly.  Pics of "before" and some progress during the day are at the end of this post.  Which brings me back to the title of this post.  I eventually got out about 5.20 this evening.  This would, I thought, be a bit less hot and humid.  And this may well be the case, but I was still a wheezing, sweaty old mess by the finish.  With no shower to leap in on my return.  "Wet Ones", let me tell you, do not refresh in quite the same way.  I really enjoyed it anyway, and the confidence boost from yesterday's successful long run has lasted - today, for the first time in a while, when the little wrist-mounted GPS nazi beeped, vibrated and shouted at me to 'Speed Up' (yes, really, it does this), I managed to do so.  Pace-wise, I matched in these 40 minutes what I struggled to do over just 30 the other day.  Most pleasing.  Photos now.

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Finally! Long run achieved

Finally! Long run achieved by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

After many weeks of trying I have finally managed to put together a session that lasted longer than an hour.  And I'm very pleased with myself.

It was bloody hot, hard work this morning and it was touch and go around the 1 hour mark, when I did walk for a bit while rehydrating.  Drinking on the run is still not a forte and I had to get some fluid down me.

Having snarfed down a load of fruit juice and then some water, though, I got going again.  This often causes me problems - once I stop, that's usually that.  But it went OK today.  I'm clearly not breaking any records but I have broken what was becoming a worrying string of failures.  The mental block at 1 hour is now gone.

Relaxing for the rest of the day, I've had enough sunshine thanks very much.  I'm not one of these people who whinged endlessly that we weren't getting a summer and is now whingeing about the heat.  I love this weather.  But there is a limit to how long I can sit or be out in it and I've reached it.

Another run tomorrow morning (today's should have been done yesterday, actually) before the men come to demolish our old and hideous bathroom and put in something nice and shiny and modern.

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Bloody lovely morning run

Bloody lovely morning run by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Another beautiful morning, and today I managed to get up and moving when there was still some proper early-morning crispness in the air.  And the breeze was lovely, too.

One of the regular 30-minute session, this, and it's one of the best I've managed for several weeks.  I nearly tripped over the cat this morning and stamped down with my damaged ankle and, guess what, the pain completely disappeared!!!  Couldn't believe it, I'm sure they wouldn't prescribe it as a treatment and there are a million sports injury therapists out there that won't be too happy I've fixed it so simply myself.

Whatever, I was running properly pain-free for the first time in as long as I can remember.  And not only was my pace better than it's been for a while, but the whole thing was much less of a slog, I managed to maintain roughly the same pace throughout and when I finished, I didn't wish I was dead!

Tomorrow is a bit of a challenge.  I have still not managed to run for more than an hour without stopping (or crying and giving up) and tomorrow's session is 80 minutes.  After today, I'm quietly confident, assuming I manage to get up early again and crack on with it.  It's been a rather marvellous week, all in all.  I launched my company website (www.colgateconsulting.co.uk), lunched with my old team and realised how much better off I am now, did some really interesting and challenging work...it's been great.

For the next 2 weeks, we expect to be living in a building site while our bathroom refurbishment gets done, but we're really looking forward to the finish.  Bye bye, beige monstrosity!  I'm hoping the money will start coming in regularly now I've been engaged with this client for a while.  Next payday, I'm booking my CBT and the one after that I'm buying a motorbike!  The future's bright, I'm a very happy man.

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Acceleration, you say? Pah hah!!!

Acceleration, you say? Pah hah by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Not a Fartlek, at least, but today's session was another 'start slowly, get quicker' one.  No problem starting slowly, at least!!! I actually forgot to select the workout on my GPS before setting off so did a few minutes with no pace reminders or anything before actually remembering and starting the session proper.  No excuses, just saying.

I went  to a completely different part of Portslade for the initial 10 minutes' warm up.  It was quite hilly.  Then for the section that was supposed to be at my target pace for the half marathon, I had another big hill to negotiate.  Followed, thankfully, by a nice downhill.  I just missed my target on this bit.  I still have hopes of averaging 9 minutes per mile on the day to finish in under 2 hours.

The third section was supposed to be the fastest, and so it proved.  I was aiming for 8:15 to 8:30 per mile for this bit and did 8:20, so there's lovely!!!  All finished off with a nice leisurely 10 minute cooldown.

Ready and raring to go now.  A few personal/professional loose ends to tidy up, then onto more paid work for the rest of the day.  Hoping to have some form of website live for the business today, although I am struggling to customise it completely to my satisfaction.  I have lots of rather lovely professional photos I'd like to use, natch, and need to put some serious thought into the wording and how I describe what it is that I do so I get as much work of my favourite kind as possible!

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Still on the warm side

Still on the warm side by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Not that I'm complaining, mind.  One of the reasons for picking the Great North Run as an event (apart from now being scared of full marathons) was the training in the Summer for an early Autumn 'race', as opposed to training through Winter for either London or Brighton, which both happen in April.  The Brighton half is in February and I'm never doing it again.  Not ever.  The course is nice, but the weather is, not to put too fine a point on it, Brighton weather in February.  I nearly died of hypothermia last time.

Anyway, I took a while to get going this morning and was not particularly impressive once I finally did.  This is no huge surprise, I am not a fan of Mondays or, indeed, mornings.  But I'm continuing to put in the miles and run at least 3 times a week and this is a good place to be with a couple more months until the big day.  The achilles is not 100%, but it hasn't left me howling and hopeless for a number of weeks now so I'm hopeful I can continue to manage it and make it to the start line at least.

The next session is due on Wednesday, which is actually an off day for me work-wise this week.  And Thursday could be carnage (haven't checked the weather that far ahead yet) as I'm meeting all the lovely ladies I recruited to my old team for lunch, possibly on the beach.  Cannot WAIT.

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Disturbing levels of enjoyment achieved

Disturbing levels of enjoyment achieved by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

SCORCIO!!!

I had second thoughts about actually doing a run today.  In fact, by the time I went, they were more like seventh or eighth thoughts.  But I'm sooo pleased I did.

It was a beautiful morning, bright sunshine and clear blue skies, with a nice cooling breeze.  Lots of runners out today along with the usual plethora of dogwalkers and a large number of stag do's apparently.

I really, really enjoyed it.  I wasn't hugely fast or anything but I finished without any particular pain from the achilles, without being completely exhausted.  And considering this is the longest successful session I've completed in many weeks (60 minutes, just under 6.5 miles) this is a very good thing.

Hove lagoon, however, is again reeking of rotten eggs.  I really don't understand why this always happens.  It looks clean enough.  Nevertheless, I am incapable of holding my breath by that stage in any run, either on the outward or the return leg, and it's nasty.

I'm not quite sure what I'll do tomorrow now I have Sundays off.  I'm sure I'll come up with something probably involving lying down, possibly outside until it gets too hot.  Having done a run to the tip, a major shop and some planting since I finished the run, I am now rewarding myself with some indoor time in front of the telly.  British Athletic trials for World championships are coming on shortly, so I will watch other people do the work for a while.

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G'bye cobwebs!

G'bye cobwebs! by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Early morning 'steady' session of 25 minutes completed pretty successfully.  Finally I've managed to complete a workday run before work and I'm very pleased about this.  Not least because it means I've avoided the most intense heat of the day.  It really is a glorious morning for running although still warm enough to make me ming most mercilessly.  Apologies for detail.

I feel very nicely set up for the work day now, but must make sure I actually remember to eat at some point so as not to suffer my typical mid-afternoon zombie-like navel gazing.

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It's really hot

It's really hot by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

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Holy heatwave!

Holy heatwave! by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Now, this is much more like it.  July weather in July!!!  Who'd've thought?  It could be quite painful to be running in the full heat of the day, but I managed to get moving quite quickly this morning and get out before the sun got too much.  There was a heavenly breeze off the  sea, too, and I didn't even mind that it was in my face.  What's happening to me?

After yesterday's very successful short run, today's actually went pretty well, too.  I stuck brilliantly to my target pace for the first half, but did flag a bit towards the end.  Overall, I just missed my target, but given the conditions I'm quietly chuffed and ready to do absolutely  nothing for the rest of the day.  I'm very much looking forward to the ladies' final at Wimbledon (I love Marion Bartoli, but she's got her work cut out today).

And I'm hoping the useless BBC will by now have got Murray's match from yesterday on iPlayer, since they so kindly decided to CHANGE THE SODDING CHANNEL IT WAS ON AFTER I'D SET IT TO RECORD YESTERDAY.  I mean, seriously, what kind of utter twat to they have in charge that thought that could possibly be a good idea.  Fucking idiot.

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Speedy blast by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

Speedy blast by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

What a fabulous day.  Had a business meeting in the morning (outside in the sunshine), came home, did some typing up (outside in the sunshine) and went for today's run.

It was only 10 minutes.  I've skipped these a couple of times previously, because I mean, honestly, what's the point in a 10 minute run when you're training for a half marathon?  But they must know what they're doing, these people who devise these plans, and I was in an exceptionally good mood today, so I did this one.  It was supposed to be an 'easy' run, but I decided to use it as a speed session as I've missed so may with the achilles issue.  This is now much better, by the way.

I set my goal pace as 8:15 to 8:30 per mile.  Not blistering, but far quicker than I've sustained for even 5 minutes in months.  And my GPS kept telling me to slow down!!!  I thought it was user error or technology fail, but when I finished the session and uploaded the data at the link above as usual, it turns out I averaged 8:02 for the session.  This was most pleasing, to say the least.

Tomorrow's 40 minutes will be the last run of the week before the schedule changes to Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for a few weeks, giving me Sundays off.  I need to do CBT training at some stage in the next few weeks so I can buy my motorbike, so having Sundays to myself will be quite convenient for a bit.  I'm hoping to catch up with the girls from work either next week or the week after, too.

Good times.

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Blimey. In a good way

Blimey. In a good way by leecolgate at Garmin Connect - Details

So, I held back today's session to lunch time rather than panicking to get it done first thing.  And what a difference it made!  I don't know if the extra time helped ease up the tendon (not sure how it could, I was sat at my laptop the entire time) or if I'm just hopeless first thing in the morning (I know this to be true generally, but I'm thinking specifically in terms of running here), but today was the first pain-free session in many weeks, both before, during and now I'm sat down again.  I'm continuing to ice after stretching and warming down, just as a precaution, but the ankle support and the extra pair of socks, along with everything else, really seem to be contributing to some healing!  Just in time.

There are no Sunday sessions  in the schedule for a few weeks, which is a bit of a change up.  This week there are just 2 more, and then from next week it's Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for a bit.  I guess this in preparation for the actual event's happening on a Sunday, or something.  Will have to see how working impacts this.  I am, happily, quite busy for a while.

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