New beginnings

after a long period out, I am finally back.  committed to doing something positive.  More to follow in the coming days, weeks and months. so far, two runs since I reset the clock.  One mile in 10:36 on Sunday - a new PB!  Then yesterday one mile in 10:31 in rainy conditions and stopping to walk once.  

So improvements and disappointments already 😆

First run in 2012

After a week of procrastinations and really poor weather, I finally took the plunge and went running. I think 21st November was the last time I was out! This really was the epitome of my running calendar for 2011 so 2012 MUST improve!

The forecast for Saturday was sunny and wind, so I promised myself that come-what-may, I definitely would go out running, and opportunity presented itself in fine form when Rab Edgar phoned asking me to accompany him on a run. It really was windy, and somewhat cold, so I wore my mizuno tights, my new birthday long-sleeve top, new birthday windbreaker and the wee beanie hat. Brand new birthday Nike socks never been worn too. As an aside, I took along the Garmin 310XT as well, seeing how I finally took the plunge and bought the replacement ANT stick for the one I lost. It meant I could upload the November data onto the computer also! After £40 to replace it, I better keep better track of this one!

Wearing hat, gloves and the windbreaker, it wasn't too cold out there. Waiting for the Garmin to find a satellite was a bit chilly, but once we got started things were fine. Having the wind in your face was tiring but occasionally I got the wind at my back and it was great! We started on Lincoln Ave together, got to Anniesland Road then to Southbrae. That was the last I saw of Rab! My left hamstring was tight the first mile, and the cold air was not helping my lungs. I kept going, onto the track alongside Scotstoun Leisure Centre, down to Dumbarton Rd. and then into Victoria park, right around the park and along to Victoria Park Drive, Danes Drive and alongside the Leisure centre again. Just past there on Danes Dr, I reached the the 5 K mark and stopped the Garmin and stated walking. 31:13. Not bad for a first run.

All this while, I'd set the RunKeeper app on my Nokia phone. It is really inaccurate and looks like I run zigzags the whole way. I kept it running till I got home. I measured the route on Google at about 4.1 miles. RunKeepr showed over 4.8 miles, but of course the plot line read zigzaggy lines the whole way! I might just give up on RK for Symbian... It is such a waste of time!

Today is the day after and I am quite stiff and sore in thighs and calfs. I'll try to go for a leisurely cycle if the weather isn't too bad later on. Anything to loosen me up.

Anyway, I now have mileage on the clock for 2012. Last year I only managed about 198 miles so an easy target to beat!

Greg's outdoor adventures: New Year and resolutions

Greg's outdoor adventures: New Year and resolutions: I've never been big on new year resolutions, and where I have made them I didn't last very long. outdoor adventures was a motivational tool...

New Year and resolutions

I've never been big on new year resolutions, and where I have made them I didn't last very long. outdoor adventures was a motivational tool I devised las year when I was really struggling to get out and do anything. 2010 was good in many ways (I did a few 5k, 10k races and managed my first two ever half marathons). From then on, it went all downhill. A rest after half number two led to a too-long layover into late winter 2011, and ever attempt to raise my game after that led to dismal failure. Two 10ks and both circa 1:06 times.... A good 10 mins off PB time. The latest setback was losing the dongle for my Garmin... Can't record what I don't run though can I? The single highlight was 10k number two that was in San Diego on 4th July! So anyway, new year resolutions.... I endeavour to exercise a Minimum of once a week. From there, I really want to get back to being able to run 10 k at least. Four miles was the furthest I ran in the whole of 2011! I was starting to enjoy my cycling, and getting Storm was anther highlight of 2011... So getting back in the saddle and increasing my endurance on the bike would be great too. I really hoped my dongle would show up if I just stopped looking for it. It will probably show up after I knuckle down and spend the £30+ to replace it! RunKeeper on the nokia has so far been a dismal failure, bt one use and several failed uses is not enough for a definitive view on it... Try and try again? It may work next time! Anyway, I will order a new dongle today and maybe find the old one tomorrow! Here's hoping! I need to find scales that work, as I fear that I have put on loads of weight in 2011. Maybe knowing the weight will be a motivating factor in getting fit again! So hopefully 2012 will see more adventures including running, cycling, hill walking and fell running. Hope to make this blog a more regular feature in the next 52 weeks....

A wet and stormy adventure

Firstly, I should apologise for not blogging recently.  I had a blog app that obviously was struggling with IOS5 and kept freezing and losing data.  I should have just come here and continued, but fought through the app problems to no avail.  They emailed me after I complained to say that the fixes have been submitted to the app people and awaits release.... I cycled to work and back on Tuesday.  Other than a near miss with a car on the way home, it was pretty unremarkable.  I had a blog done, but the app deleted the data!  Och well.  Friday,  came straight home, intending to go for a run, but best laid plans... I ended up waiting until I'd dropped the kids at clubs and friends' houses and ran at night along Dumbarton road.  The previous day, my baby sister Diane had run her first ever 5 K race.... In 37 + minutes.  S to commemorate, I ran for 37+ minutes!  Did about 3.7 miles so do the maths regarding pace!  My way, that's us caught up on my adventures, now onto today! I got up at 8 this am.  Had a huge latte and got my gear all sorted.  It was kinda windy overnight, but fairly calm at the start, with clear skies.  I intended going Great Western Road westward for an hour and then turning back.  First red light I reached, I didn't want to stop, so I hopped the kerb and went left instead! That change in route led to a series of changed routes that led me onto the cycle path, back to GWR, through the towns and villages, back to the cycle path all the way to Maryhill, then zigzagging through the city back to the cycle route. All during the cycle, the weather itself cycled!  From calm, clear blue skies, to sleet and driving wind & rain.  I could see the mud splattered all over my running tights, and could just imagine what the back looked like! I got home, with the Garmin showing 2 hours 12 minutes, and 24.8 miles. My Ant Agent is still hiding, and I have as yet avoided ending £30 on a replacement.  I fully intended using RunKeeper too in order to compare data, but the app froze and would not start.  grrrrrr!  Technology is a pain when it does not cooperate (and when you lose bits!). I wanted to do the additional 1.4 miles to claim my first marathon, but I still think this is a distance record for non stop cycling!

A slow 5k and some confusing data streams!

I didn't do very well today. Call it post bike ride fatigue... Lack of general fitness... Post tikka masala... All of the above.... Anyway, better the guy that runs than the guys that sits on his arse, eh?

I had dinner (tikka masala) and decided that I was needing to get out and go for a run. I dressed warmly as it was windy though the sky was fairly clear... So 7 pm, nice and dark, with a perfect, clear night sky... Beautiful running conditions. I was wearing my Lidl running tights and matching top, with a very light windbreak (courtesy Kate and Steve for my 50th). I had a flashing reflector hanging from my Runners Forum UK ball cap, and reflective straps on my ankles. Need to be seen, eh! I also had my new Nike running gloves on, although in hindsight i could have done without them! I had my Garmin 310XT on as well as RunKeeper app going on my Nokia C7. I've never successfully used the RunKeeper so wanted to test it against the Garmin.

I set out on a frequently used 5 k route I call the Duntreath loop. I had the phone in the arm holster and no sound on RunKeeper, so no active data coming out of that. Garmin was showing the first mile about 9:30 pace, and I was on the slow-down from there. Next 2 miles were decidedly worse.... As I said, I was out there to be out there and not to be quick!

When I got to the 5K point, I switched the Garmin off. It showed 31:30. Sounded about right. I then fished the phone out of the holster and it showed a similar time, but 0.8 additional miles!

I got home and stripped off all the sweaty gear, anxious to compare the readouts of Garmin vs RunKeeper. The latter tracking map when you zoom in looked like I'd been running zigzags the whole way! http://runkeeper.com/user/GregUsrey/activity/60022229
Garmin is not available because the USB ANT agent thing is hiding. I'll need to find the damn thing! Meantime, I went to google maps and measured the course to measure and it is definitely a 5k course!

All in all, it was good to be out there, despite Caitlin's friends laughing about my running gear. Men in tights; maybe not the height of teenage fashion!

Ps. Forgot to say. Had the senseiser headphones on, listening to my whole playlist on random select. In future, I think I'll pick a particular playlist as sometimes you kinda want to know what is coming next!

Cheers for now....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Glasgow,United Kingdom

A beautiful day for a cycle!

This being Sunday and my first blog of the week, it just shows you how dedicated my training has been :). I fully intended to do at least a 5k run as well, but an unexpected 'gift' of some whisky on Friday meant I wasn't in the best of moods for running in the morning. No excuses...

Anyway, got up this morning and made a big batch of pancakes for the brood. After that was cleaned up, I went and did a wee shop for the week. That done, I was ready to get ready! Clothing etc was already laid out (supposed to use it for the run yesterday!), so was ready fairly quickly. Got Storm out of the shed, tried to switch on the Garmin and nowt. Dead.? Will investigate later. I recently got RunKeeper app on the Nokia, so tried it for the first time. Seems to be working fine!

Route wise, the Glasgow to Dumbarton cycle, via the canal path and cycle trail is pretty well worn as I have done this route many times. I mixed it up a bit this time by moving back and forth between path and streets. It was a really nice day, albeit a bit windy. There were loads of walkers, cyclist and dog walkers about on the paths, so had to go fairly slow in lots of places. I did the wee circle round the Gardens in from of Dumbarton Castle. Quite pretty looking out ver a peaceful Clyde river.

I didn't have time to dally, so headed straight back. I took the roads through Old Kirkpatrick and then back onto the cycle trail. it was at this point that I really started to feel it in my legs. Combine this with fairly strong winds and I really started to struggle and could feel the strain in my thighs! I wasn't exactly pushing it, but I did try to maintain a decent pace. Trouble wit RunKeeper is I didn't have it set for coaching or anything so was getting no feedback from it at all. No idea of pace, so just kept peddling. The last 5 miles or so were quite sore, and. Was glad to be home.

RunKeeper showed 20.? Miles in 1:38-ish and avg. pace of 4:32? But failed to upload to the website. It said go to support, which I did. By the time I sorted out the connection, the data disappeared! Such a shame as I really wanted it to work! Hopefully now that the settings are correct, it should upload automatically next time!

Before it got dark, I went out and gave Storm a wee wash-down as the mud and dirt were pretty bad! Looks good as new now, putting her back into the shed!

Well, now that I am rested and recovering, I am really glad I went out. Meant to go with Rab today, but thought he was going hill walking. He shoulda told me he didn't go! Anyhoo.... Next time!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Glasgow to Dumbarton