and his black and white cat … early in the morning … just as day is dawning ... Pat thinks he’s a very lucky man. Why am I typing this? Because that little jingle has been going round and round in my head for a combined 20 miles over the last two days. You see, I got up at 6:40 yesterday (well, Shea woke me), served some breakfast for the boys and turned on the telly for them. I know, I know, TV isn’t a parent replacement, but I wanted to go running and Niamh doesn’t exactly fancy entertaining two boys before 7am, so cbeebies (that’s a kids TV channel. Great, because no ads) it was. And as I turned on the box, Postman Pat started. Which is good in one way because it is one of their favourite programs. The bad thing was that now I had the tune in my head as I went out for my 7 miles. It went round and round in my head. And round. And round. And round. For 7 miles solid. When I got home I thought “at least it’s not Friday, then it would have been in my head for 13 miles”.
So what happened today? I left just before 6am, and for whatever reason, after two steps my brain was at it again. “Postman Pat, Postman Pat ….”. Relentless. When I got back home nearly 2 hours later I was ready to check into an asylum (which is where I belong anyway, according to Niamh. Someone who gets up at 5:35am to go out for a 13 miles run more than 25 weeks before the next marathon should be kept in a padded cell, apparently).
From a physical point of view, the run was great. No pain, which doesn’t happen too often. I deliberately started very slowly, 9:30 pace or so, and gradually increased my pace as the run went on. I eventually finished in 1:55, which is 5 minutes slower than last week, but today’s run was over some major hills, including a wicked 1 mile climb with about 90 meters elevation gain (nearly 300 feet) between mile 5.5 and 6.5. I’ve also been running for 6 days straight, something I have never done before. Now my legs have got that slightly sore feeling that you get after a proper workout, and it feels good. The weather has been great for the last couple of days, only to turn bad just in time for the weekend. Bummer. Tomorrow is my rest day, and Sunday’s 8 miles will finish the week on 46 miles, as planned. And Monday will be the first day of the 24 weeks/70 miles marathon training program.
10 May: 5 miles, 45:52, 9:10 pace
11 May: 7 miles, 58:52, 8:24 pace
12 May: 13 miles, 1:55, 8:50 pace
Awesome workout! Wow, six days in a row. I've always been afraid to try that for fear I'd hurt myself. I guess that's kind of silly when I just ran five times in three days - it's probably less stressful on the body to get the 24 hour rest between over the six days. Maybe after relay training is done I'll give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI've had jingles like that stuck in my head too - it drives me nuts. It must be the rhythm and the stride that does it.
As a children's book editor who had to EDIT PP books in my glory days, I have soo much sympathy. And as a marathon mum who did FLM last year for the first time at the slowest possible pace, am working on getting to 12 minute miles if I can... AM soooo slow. I blame the hills where I live. I've written a book about it called Running on Empty:Diary of a Marathon Mum. Due to a bookshop near you soon....
ReplyDeleteCheck out my website at www.marathonmum.com
Seriously, you can't be as crap as me!
Keep on running!
Jane
That 1 mile hill sounds brutally fun. I have to find something like that close to me house.
ReplyDeletethomas, just be thankful it wasn't that hideous jingle for that cartoon about nessie and family...every time i hear that one, it can't get it out of my skull.
ReplyDeletethe good news is, though, that you put in 20 miles in two days. sounds like your back on top.
ugh...now it's stuck there
ReplyDeleteyou can knock it, you can rock it, you can go to timbuktu, but you'll never find a nessie in the zoo. you may see an anaconda, or giraffe and kangaroo, but you'll never see a nessie in a zoo
good job on the running!!!
ReplyDeleteash likes to watch "noggin" in the morning - no commercial kids channel. he also likes to watch a nick jr. show called "lazytown" - all last week, my runs were done to the sound in my head of "stephanie is new town, soon she and ziggy are friends" - a line from the opening song. ARGH!!!!!
every time i visit my nieces and nephews it is dora the explorer i can't get out of my head!
ReplyDeleteArgggghh! Now its going around in mine and I am about to head out for a 10k run.....(insert Ausssie accent) postman Pat, postman Pat, postman Pat and ..... it going to be long run!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of cats, I saw a frozen b&w cat on my run the other day. Actually not 'frozen' but very still and waiting to pounce and never moved as I ran up to and by it (~200m or so). Good luck with the 'program'! I'll be starting the same in 2-3 weeks and will keep a close watch!
ReplyDeleteSix days straight and no pain? That sounds like heaven!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you read what I wrote on the post before this, so I just tell you again, thanks, you are giving me hope!
Hey, good work...and no pain. That's great Thomas. As for cartoon jingles, you must get Thomas the Tank Engine over there - I think it originated in England (yes, I know that Ireland and England are two very different places)...the U.K. - you get my drift. Anyhow, my kids watch that show now and again and I get the opening and closing jingle rattling around in my head. It's terrible.
ReplyDeleteKeep running man. Stay healthy.
ooooh THOMAS - I had that song stuck in my head my entire vacation since we kept seeing postmen driving around in little vans in middle-of-nowhere Scotland. I thought I'd got rid of it - but now it's back!! Cheers ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat running btw!
why can't kids listen to classical music, like NORMAL people?!? :)
ReplyDeletethere's always the i-pod, my friend.
and six days in a row is mighty impressive!
That's the wrong lyric. It's 'happy man' not 'lucky man'.
ReplyDelete