Well, the last couple of runs have been fun!
Wednesday was a ‘power zone 2 run’, which basically means a slow run (even by my standards!) It’s a foundational run in my training plan, being the 80% of all the training. The thinking behind this is data driven, and to cut a long story short, is based upon the fact that elite distance runner athletes spend 80% of their time in low intensity training zones and 20% in high intensity zones. Now, my low intensity zones are, maybe, marginally different to an elite athlete, granted, but the principle remains! So, my zone 2 runs are achingly slow and it gets somewhat dull while running sometimes, this was one of those days. The weather was beautiful, clear, dry, a little sunshine but cold (apparently felt like -3!) although not too bad. I had a nice subtle tailwind while going out, with a frosty headwind on the way back. When I got back home my legs were very red but the run kind of felt a little bland, also being an hour’s run, the distance wasn’t interesting either! Todays run, was a tempo run, I had been looking forward to it, adding a bit of pace, but not too much, to the run is nice. The run consists of 15 minutes warm up in zone 2, 30 minutes tempo run in zone 3 and then 15 minutes cool down back in zone 2 (remembering the 80/20 plan adds 2 extra zones in, so we get Z1, Z2, ZX, Z3, ZY, Z4, Z5). I usually enjoy this one because I know that towards the tail end of the tempo run piece, I am feeling it, and I like that. Today however was not as nice as I had hoped, I woke up and my phone told me it was snowy with poor visibility, I curled back up in bed! After about another 10 minutes I forced myself out of bed, knowing that if I went back to sleep that would be the end of that! I looked out the window and saw no snow, I thought, bloody phone, then, great, let’s go. Got my normal gear on, stepped outdoors into sideways snow!
Well, thanks for that! I completed my run as per the plan but really did not enjoy it, I was cold and the snow was blowing straight into my face for half the run. Happily, no snow was settling on the ground, but it was definitely soggy out there. When I got back I had chilblains all over my legs and particularly my feet as I had worn my normal road running Vibrams instead of my water resistant trail running Vibrams, not a happy bunny! On my way back I ran passed a friend (Emma) who asked if I was cold enough yet, I responded with something like a falsely jovial ‘not yet, haha ’ but actually I was freezing! LOL
Anyways! Not fast, but moving!
Big Bloke Running 