Hitting the wall is something us runners are used to. Cyclists have bonking (stop it at the back) and runners have the wall. It’s that point that your energy reserves are depleted, you feel like you have nothing left, you might even be considering giving up. The challenge with the wall is to push through it.
My wall this week wasn’t so much at a point in a run. It was more about pushing on with training runs when you might be feeling drained and depleted. After opening April with a cracking 50km week and setting my sites on a 200km month I suddenly felt self-doubt. But, I got up on Monday, put on my running shoes and cracked out 10k. Then I did it again on Tuesday and never looked back.
To celebrate my wall week I decided to go with a theme on my Instagram running selfies. Each one it take in front of a different wall from our town.
Monday
Fast becoming my favourite 10k trail route, this is a wicked way to start the day and the week.
Tuesday
I made a bit of a scheduling mistake on Tuesday. I woke up at 5am, a bit earlier than usual as Helen was on earlies, and decided that I would run in the evening instead. Except I didn’t have time in the evening either. So, I squeezed in a fast(ish) run whilst picking the youngest kiddo up from dance class. It felt great to push myself a bit.
Wednesday
Do you ever set out for a run and have the route mapped out in your head, then completely change your mind. I got to the point in this run where I had planned to turn around and go back the way I’d come. But I didn’t. I carried on and cracked out another trail 10k instead! Boom!
Also, this wall photos is in front of the remains on Neville Castle, yes Kirkbymoorside has it’s very own castle.
Wednesday
Rest day. Frankly, I was knackered when I woke up at 5am so sacked it off. I don’t plan rest days, I take them when my body tells me to. I also knew we had a late night going to see Oklahoma at the local secondary school and falling asleep wouldn’t have looked too great now would it? Actually, the show was bloody brilliant.
Thursday
The Wombleton loop. I enjoy this 10k road route immensely but I’m yet to wee a Womble. It’s relatively flat and if I push it I could crack out a decent time I reckon.
Saturday
My long Saturday run and what a run it was. As the race director for the Kirkbymoorside 10K I tend to run the routes of the races do offer quite often in the month leading up to race day. Today I was going to the 10k route. I reach the top of the town where there is a mini roundabout (220m from the start line) and suddenly had an idea.
I would do the kiddies dash, which meant circling around the roundabout and back down to the start/finish line. I would carry straight on and do the 4k fun run route and on getting back from that I’d go out and do the 10k. Once back from that it would be the kids 1-mile route.
I did all that. It came to 15.8km. Just 0.3km from 10miles and I was pretty pleased with myself. Last month I pushed myself in a 10-mile race and got just under 1 hour and 15 minutes. I did this in 1 hour 20 minutes and I was keeping it really steady. The 10-mile race was perfectly flat, this route was up and down all the bloody way. Chuffed with that.
So that was my running week. I’ve run 53km this week and I’m now up to 105km for the month. If I can keep this up then I will smash my 100 miles (161km) target and reach my unofficial goal of 200km. Most importantly – I’m feeling brilliant about the running and now I’ve managed to get some nights of sleeping through I’ve even better.
Hows your running going?
Thanks for reading.
Dave
