This was going to be a post about motivation and races. This was brought on by missing another run following one to many beers on Saturday night. It was a good night, well-spent outside in a courtyard with family and friends in Poland. A good time was had by all. The late finish, sleeping in and headache put pay to the Sunday morning run.

So I was feeling sorry for myself and berating myself for another missed run. The post would have been about signing up for loads of races and how I would suddenly be super motivated again. No one wants to read about why I haven’t run or raced enough so I thought I would have a general catch up on what I’m up to, and then talk about some races.

Right now

I missed Sunday morning but I made it out for 7 miles on Monday morning. I’m currently in Poland and love to run along the beach and the sand dunes in Gdansk. Although I had to work hard, my pace was good and very consistent, as I came back in at the same time I went out in. It was probably further than I needed to go right now (due to lack of miles) but sometimes you have to show yourself what you can do and that it’s actually not that tough.

Legs

My legs have been pretty tired for a few weeks now. They’ve just felt heavy and lethargic and I’ve not been able to shake it. I’m not sure there is one reason why. It’s probably a combination of (not excellent) nutrition, sleep, stretching and steady training. The only consistent thing I do is cycling to work, which does not really take it out of me. I’ll have to keep an eye on them and see how they go, as well as the Achilles that are a bit tender.

BMF

I managed to go to four BMF sessions in a row (Tues, Thurs, Sat, Tues) a few week back. The only one I missed was Sunday, but I had a best friend’s 40th birthday the night before and got home at 4am. Having missed nearly a month of sessions (hot weather, weddings, work events, bike rides) it was great to be back. However hard they are (and a few  recently were old school hard) they make you feel like a million dollars (after the coughing, spitting and swearing). It’s good to see and chat to familiar faces and training in the daylight and sunshine sure beats the darkness and puddles.

Groups

Getting back to BMF has reiterated how much I rely on and enjoy training with others. I’ve not been to my running club for a few months either. Training sessions fall on the same days as BMF, but it’s always on my mind. There’s nothing like running with like-minded individuals to get the motivation and the competitive juices flowing. Ealing Half Marathon is in the diary, so I believe I will have a few engagements with the Thursday night hill sessions

The Plan

The plan! What plan? I cruised through June and July with no races and the only outing was pacing at the Virgin British 10km. The only race in the diary was the Ealing Half at the end of September. The Richmond Runfest Half and The Cabbage Patch 10 that I was planning (poorly) to do are both sold out. To spark me into action I’ve had a good scan of the local races and picked a few out

Races

Runthrough Chase the Sun 10km Wimbledon Common – Wednesday 29th August 2018

I’ve not done a Runthrough race before but see plenty about them through runners I follow on Instagram. People always seem to really like the events, its super local, the prices are reasonable and the medals are funky. There are also Wombles there!

Adidas City Runs Clapham 10km – Sunday 16th Sept 2018

I was going to give this one a miss, mainly due to the price (£40), but again the locality is very handy and the Adidas events are well organised and normally pretty large. I think a bigger event will get the mind focused a little more.

VELO SOUTH 100 mile (cycling) – Sunday 23rd September 2018

I have a 100-mile bike ride with 4 friends to contend. Read about what it is here.

Wimbledon Windmilers Quarter – Saturday 29th September 2018

The day before the Ealing Half is not ideal but I want to support my club and their new event. I’m not sure if it’s going to be a very bad idea, it most probably is, but I always look on the optimistic side. This is a trail run on Wimbledon Common with a fair bit of ascending, and a very reasonable price. It’s great to be part of a local club event. Looking forward to this one.

Ealing Half Marathon – Sunday 30th September 2018

My nemesis event, but I can’t get enough of it. I have done this race the past 2 years. You can read about my exploits here and here. A fantastic but hilly event with great support. I have to pace it better or get better at hills.

So that’s me for now. Pulling a plan together and getting some races booked into the diary.

Do you have any Autumn races planned?

Happy Running!