Running On A Hangover

Thursday June 18, 2009

A lovely evening and too many drinks in my local, Bistros des Restos, saw me spend most of Thursday feeling pretty out of it. But a gorgeous day in Brussels had me hankering for a run.















Most people don't recommend running with a hangover because alcohol has a dehydrating effect, and when you feel hungover, what you're actually experiencing is intense dehydration. Not good for running.

I tried to overcome this by drinking A LOT of water during the day, and setting off. Felt terrible, uncoordinated and clumsy but pushed on for almost five miles - you can see the massive, hangover-induced dip in the middle, here:













Ran: 4.9 miles

Time: 44 mins 59 seconds

Pace per mile: 9 mins, ten seconds

Calories: 515

Ate: A LOT: Museli, tomato salad, steak frites, ice cream sundae, thai green curry

Personal Plateauing

Wednesday 17th June, 2009

Of course I've heard of plateauing in exercise - when you get to a certain point and you find it difficult to push yourself beyond it. But I didn't expect to hit one myself.

A chart of my last eleven runs shows differently. Each run - apart from the two that were with other people - have been under the four-mile plateau level. I've noticed this when I've been out running, I get to a certain point and I just can't seem to run any faster or any further. I am pretty sure it's mental - when I am running in a race or with others I don't seem to have the same problem.














I consulted a long time runner and friend of mine for tips:

"It's to do with motivation more than tiredness, you've just got to get on with it," he says. "See what works for you, join a running club, some people are quite single minded and like running by themselves but others prefer - and need - to go out in a group. Failing that get some new tunes, trendy ones!"

He is right of course, once you push yourself through the barrier, carrying on seems easy.

The internet has a few other suggestions. It says other types of exercise can help because if you vary your routine you are more likely to enjoy the few runs you do go on and push yourself harder.

Other online hints include breaking up runs with 1-2 minute surges of faster paces and recovery breaks of easy jogging for 3-6 mins. This again adds variety and gives your body and mind something different to focus on. I think there is a Swedish name for it...

Kraainem Capers, Bruxelles

Tuesday 16th June, 2009

Brussels is probably the most green city I've ever lived in. The centre is tiny and good, green places to run are easily accessible.













This evening I went out with my running club around Kraainem, to the east of the centre.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we set off at around 8pm so were running into the sunset.

The sky looked fabulous and I wished I had taken a camera. Also I've misplaced the running chip from my Nike+ set so I couldn't record exactly how far it was, which upset me, but I was reliably informed by a fellow runner that we ran 15k minimum.

I was exhausted, especially towards the end. The hot weather and sweat got to me! But I did prove to myself that running in a group provides ample motivation to keep going..


















Ran: Around 15K

Felt: Suprisingly good - all that fresh country air and adrenaline

Ate: Two burnt BBQ sausages and a whole lotta belgian beer

Bois de la Cambre, Bruxelles

14th June 2009


The Bois de la Cambre or Ter Kamerenbos in Dutch is a massive park on the south of the city, near my flat. Built in 1861, the 300-acre park is great for running, biking, picnicing or rollerblading.

I enjoyed a great run here on Saturday morning in fantastic weather but I also got the sense I am plateauing in my training - all my runs seem to be the same length and roughly at the same pace. Resolved to tackle this: will blog more later.




















There is a beautiful photo of the park here on a blog which - sadly - doesn't look that up to date but has some great shots of the city.


Ran: 4.4 miles

Warsaw

Saturday, 5th June, 2009

Not a lot of running these past few days, as work has taken me to the Polish capital, Warsaw. But I have done about five miles of walking and I went to the gym in my hotel.

















Warsaw isn't top of most people's travel wish list, but that didn't stop it being voted one of 2009's top cities to visit, see here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/warsaw-steps-out-of-the-shadows-1030804.html




















The city itself is very interesting and I enjoyed the little time I had to explore. Like many central and eastern European cities it's has two sides: a shiney-new-glass-skyscraper-I'm-so-modern side and a crumbling-concrete-communism side.




















Interestingly, one of the main tourist attractions here - Warsaw's Old Town - is actually not that old. It was rebuilt after the second world war, having been ripped down when Hitler told the SS to "turn it into a lake". In the ten years after the war the old part of the city was rebuilt to look like it had previously.















Picture Of The Old Town: Not That Old, Actually

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Photographic Evidence

Tuesday 2 June, 2009

A few more pics of us "greening up" and getting ready to run:

Runner's High

Wednesday 3 June, 2009

My friend who duped me in to running the New York Marathon with her phoned with a revelation on Sunday: after around three weeks of running training, she'd hit her first Runner's High. You can read about it here: http://rosanneperry.blogspot.com/2009/05/progress.html


















The "Runner's High" is a euphoric, calm and clear state which many people say they reach after exercise. Most runners have experienced it at some point or another, but what interests me is that I don't get it every time.

I felt pretty high after the Edinburgh Marathon Relay last Sunday. Other days I feel nothing and some days I actually feel worse after the run than I did before. I always feel good after a competitive race, no matter what my time is.

Most likely, the feeling is down to a confluence of factors: mood, the weather, endorphins, adrenaline, a sense of accomplishment. I felt on top of the world after my Edinburgh marathon stint on Sunday, likely due to a number of things: I was with my friends, the sun was shining, running along in a big group by the sea. I find the rhythmic thud, thud, thud of thousands of runners' shoes hitting the pavement just fantastic as well.

Pinning down exactly what creates the Runner's High is the subject of thousands of books, articles and studies, like this one What's Behind The Runner's High?

The New York Times has a great piece titled "Yes, Running Can Make You High"

Coincidentally, Runner's High is also the title of an album released by Japanese band, The Pillows in January 1999. The lyrics of the title-track are pure genius:

Escape from the sinking
Do you see what i mean?
Freedom beats the kingdom and i saw you in my dream
Me o tojiteitatte subete ga mieta kaze o kaki wakete


Just Runners High!
Runners High!
Just Runners High!
Runners High!

Edinburgh Marathon Take Two - Ninja Turtles

Monday 1 June, 2009

And so to my second running of the Edinburgh marathon.










And *news flash* I have decided that I like the city and the course and the atmosphere so much that I will run it ever year. But only as part of a relay team!

One year ago, having dinner to celebrate my completion of the marathon, my university friends and I dreamt up a plan to run the Edinburgh Marathon Relay dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Fast-forward 12 months and we were faced with the prospect of running the race as part of a very green and very silly-looking quartet...














The 'Hairy Haggis' Team Relay - its official name - splits the marathon's 26.2 miles between four runners and is designed to make race running more fun and more accessible.

Leg One is 8.1 miles, from the course start to Musselburgh, Leg Two is 5.4 miles, to Port Seton Links, Leg Three is 8.0 miles, up to Gosford House and back and the final leg is 4.7 miles and runs from Port Seton Links to the finish at Musselburgh Race Course.

Having entered, we devoted our entire weekend to to costume making and running. We carbo-loaded by eating pizza - in true Ninja Turtle style - and fashioned costumes from Peacock's Size 20 T-shirts... On the morning of the race we donned lime green footless tights and a lot of green body paint.

I was up for the first leg. At the start I was reminded of my longer run a year ago and what a massive achievement it was. I don't think that really sunk in at the time.

The start of the race is beautiful and goes down past the Parliament building, out toward the Edinburgh coast and along through the beach resort of Portobello.

The heat was really draining, even for just eight miles, temperatures were as high as 22 degrees Celsius with hardly any breeze. Ten people were taken to hospital and 160 were treated for heat-related illness on the scene, according to local newspaper The Scotsman.


I finished my eight miles in 1 hr 14 mins. The others notched up great times too, giving us a total time of 04 hours, 09 mins and 14 seconds. Only slightly faster than my solo effort a year earlier.

1st Leg (Me, Leonardo): 1h 14m 28s (01:14:28)

2nd Leg (Caz, Donatello): 55m 55s (02:10:23)

3rd Leg (Anna, Raphael): 1h 19m 11s (03:29:34)

4th Leg (Miller, Michelangelo): 39m 40s (04:09:14)


Well done team! See you next year.



We raised over £700 for Medecins Sans Frontieres

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