Tag Archives: LSD

To be honest, not every long run is long

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I’ve been slacking. I’ve been slacking on my training schedule and on Sunday, I felt it. It hurt.

According to my training schedule from my Coach, my Sunday long runs need to be between 15kms and 18kms. But I’ve only been running a maximum of 10kms on Sundays. In my head, I’ve been telling myself that 10kms is still pretty good. I mean, it’s Winter and I’m out there, running, way more than I typically run during Winter. I was doing good, right?

There are a couple of half marathon races coming up in August so I decided to do a proper long run on Sunday. The plan was 15kms. Off I trekked with the Randburg Harriers Sunday running group, route map in hand, fresh legs, big smile. It went well until we hit the 13kms mark. Then it started to hurt. Big time!

Regardless of the weekday track sessions and Thursday 8km time trials, I knew in my head that I had not run that far in ages. And I felt it. I dawned on me that I had not been following my training schedule properly and that even though 10kms was a great distance, it wasn’t helping my goals of running my 21km races any faster. I was so not prepared for the distance.

My legs felt tired for the rest of the day (such an awesome feeling though) and I could feel the run had been some good training on my whole body. But no more short runs. I need to get back into it and be more disciplined. Spring is coming! Thank goodness too because things are so much easier in the Summer. Especially running.

discipline

Relaxing on the run

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When we’re not out running a race, I dedicate my Sunday runs to long, slow, drawn-out distances (more commonly known as LSD’s). It’s a time to be by myself, get time on my feet and just relax. But on my run this morning, I began to notice how tense I was. When I walked the dreaded hill up passed Cumberland, I felt incredibly guilty for walking. As I headed down the beautiful tree-lined Elgin Road, I kept checking my watch and calculating time. What for?

I eventually stopped, breathed and re-examined why I was out running in the first place. It wasn’t to get a PB, so why the rush? It wasn’t to do any speed work or hill training, so why the guilt? I consciously had to slow down and start my run over again, ensuring I was doing so with the right frame of mind as I ran.

I found today’s experience similar to when I go for a spa treatment. Numerous times throughout the session, I have to actually tell myself to relax. And when I do, I can feel my body calming down and unwinding, but I need to do this a few times. It seems as if I’m constantly wired and uptight. Relaxing does not come easy to me.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel as if the lives we live today have become so stressful, so tense that we are in a 24/7 state of anxiety and tension?

Running definitely allows me to release some of that worked up tension and really gives me the time and space to think (and over think) everything that’s going on in my head. But every now & then, it’s good to stop and examine the reasons for doing something in the first place.

So as I stood on the pavement and took a deep breath, I slowly started running again. I promised myself that my Sunday runs were all about me giving back to my body and to relaxing my mind. But mostly to be out there enjoying myself.

Just run

I must say, the rest of my run went much better. I decided that although I love posting my runs to Strava & Facebook, it might help to leave the watch at home every now and then. If only to relax while I run.

(Image: http://thoughtsandpavement.com/tag/runner/)

Don’t stop planning

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After enduring a week of extreme heat, we woke up to the most glorious, cool rain. It did not stop KK and his running partner DSM from heading out for their weekly run but I was not that brave and decided to wait it out.

After returning from their run, KK and DSM started discussing their Comrades training schedules. Having run since they were both at Varsity in the late 80’s, it’s the first time they’ve decided to give the “Big C” a try. Printouts lay on the table of various training schedules, Lindsay Parry, Don Oliver, Old Mutual, Modern Athlete… It’s quite surprising at how different they all are. Some demand daily runs, others allow for rest days (which really appeals to DSM).

Race plan

As I sat pondering whether or not I should brave the rainy weather myself and go for a run, it did occur to me that with KK’s extra training, I’d possibly also get to do a lot more running myself this year, especially since there are a few road races earmarked in their draft training schedule.

This is great and I’m quite excited about it. Their dedication and commitment will definitely rub off on me and I’m looking forward to the build-up in the coming months.

When DSM left, KK surprised me by joining me on my run. I had planned the whole week to do a LSD as I have Johnson Crane half marathon coming up and have not yet run many long distances recently.

As we headed up to the 4km mark it started to rain. It was a sprint home and I must admit that I have never run so fast in my life trying to catch up to KK!

Just thinking about my LSD and even Comrades, I realised that as much as you plan, as much as you think things will go your way, anything can happen. But it shouldn’t stop you from just doing it. The outcome is still rewarding!

The LSD of my weight loss plateau

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As every runner knows, if you want to improve your time, your pace and endurance, you need to work on three things: hills, speed work and LSD’s (long slow distances). In my opinion, the easiest of the three is definitely LSD’s. There’s nothing better than heading out on a fresh Sunday morning and running at a gentle pace as far as your body will take you.

It was on one such Sunday morning recently when I happened to be thinking about all the things that were on my mind and bugging me. The one issue consuming me is my weight, or rather my weight loss.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year what I would be weighing now, I would never have believed you. I would’ve thought it impossible, especially since the last time I weighed what I do was before I got married 12 years ago. But, as with my running, I stuck to a #LCHF (low carb high fat) program, experienced the pain of the hills and giving up carbs, then was delighted by the speed at which the weight fell off but I’ve somehow landed up plateauing. My LSD as I’ve started to call it.

weight_loss_plateau

I’ve been stable at this weight for two months now. No matter what I do, nothing budges. A slow and steady pace. Going far but not in any rush. I know it’s good for my body to be able to maintain this weight and not put any weight back on. But it’s frustrating. Damn frustrating. I’ve started to experiment – cutting out dairy (that didn’t last long), eating less nuts, trying bullet proof coffee (Google it) – and I’m hoping something kicks in.

I guess what I’m realizing is that I need to just hang in there. I need to be patient and go the distance. I reckon my body will eventually sort itself out. But I need to approach it as I do with my LSD’s. Enjoy it. Take the time to appreciate the scenery and thank my body for coming this far. Because who knows, maybe the next downhill is right around the corner.