So I guess it's not unusual for January to NOT go to plan? My non-January wasn't through poor choices, more around unfortunate events - mostly health related. I've prided myself of being super healthy and resilient to bugs throughout 2017, I guess they had to catch up with me eventually!
I was struck down with a viral infection mid month and this lead to a secondary bacterial infection which absolutely floored me and left me in bed for the best part of three weeks. But after some amazing NHS care and some strong drugs, I'm clawing my way back to health now and I'm ready to pick up the pieces of January's shattered goals!
RED January - I ran 21/31 days in January which is a pretty poor show in terms of a monthly running streak! This was about the 4th time I've done a monthly running streak and the first time I've failed to run every day. I can honestly say, I missed no runs through choice. I don't feel the need to 'go back' and run every day in February instead. I know I can do it, I've done it before. Dust off, focus on February's goals.
Monthly Mileage - I want to run 1500 miles in 2018 so that means averaging 125 miles per month. I ran 97 miles in January which when you consider I missed 10 days of running, isn't too shabby! I did get a long 13.5 mile run in before the illness really hit, which was a hugely enjoyable run I did in the snow one weekend. I decided to try a different tactic to running my usual large loops. I wasn't sure my energy levels or my thermostat were up to the 13 miles, though my legs were raring, so I decided to do two of my trusted 5 mile loops, then a final 3 mile loop. This gave me plenty of escape routes and opportunities to finish sooner if needed. It also meant I had the chance to take my kids - my 12 year old son joined me for the first 5 miles, then my teen daughter joined me for the second 5 mile loop. It was brilliant having their company and really kept me going. I did the last 3 miles solo, which I'm very proud of - being able to reach home, after 10 hard miles, soaked and chilled by snow - but managing to carry on, and do a further 3 miles to complete my route. Despite not reaching my monthly mileage I feel I had an amazing month of running and I'm confident I can catch up quite quickly.
Run Adventure - I want to have a running adventure or a mini running-focused goal each month and the plan for January was to run my furthest ever distance on the last Sunday of the month - a 17 mile linear route along the Leeds canal to Bingley. Unfortunately I was very poorly on this date so it wasn't going to be. I'm not going to dwell on the things which didn't happen, I want to carry this into February once I feel I'm back up and on my running feet. Watch this space!
Veganuary 2018 - I didn't even need to think about this too much. It wasn't difficult, given the changes I've made to my diet in 2017. I'd hesitate to describe myself as 'vegan' as I prefer 'plant based' as the drive I have to eat this way is about health, well being, environment and personal/planetary longevity. 'Vegan' is a term I'd use if I wanted someone who might be feeding me, to know that I don't wish to eat something laden with cheese or eggs, simply because I don't eat animal flesh or fish. 'Plant based' describes my preference to eat whole foods, processed as little as possible, without lashings of sugar and ingredients I can't pronounce. I've been vegetarian for 20+ years but the term is no longer enough to describe how I eat. These are all labels, which aren't important to me. Other people's opinions of my diet is also unimportant, so I guess I'll lurk happily and healthily in the grey area of 'what do you eat'\ 'what don't you eat'. I'm happy and comfortable with my choices. If someone/ anyone else isn't, I guess that's their issue, not mine😊
Family Running - Dylan has his first event looming in April - he is doing the Manchester marathon on 8 April. Marathon running isn't really his 'thing' but he had a free entry into a particular company's events. He'd hoped this would be a triathlon though there was nothing suitable locally so a marathon it is! It will be his second official marathon and I've no doubt he has some crazy, mind bending time goal in mind.... He tells me sub 4 hours. How much that sub is, is anyone's guess.
My children (ages 9, 10, 12 and 13) continue to run every week at parkrun, and sometimes they do additional running with Dylan or me in the week. They are really pulling out some amazing runs recently, particularly in some challenging, typically January conditions. Eldest son, 12, ran a blinder last weekend and PB'd his 5k parkrun time - coming in at 21.48 minutes! That's an average of 7.01min/miles according to Strava, so he's seriously going to be treading on Dylan's toes when he grows! (He's still very small for his age - about 135cm tall). He was first in his age category and came 19th overall and has a national age grading of 68% (for 11-14 year old males) so he's made me a very proud running parent (and very envious!)
Youngest daughter (10) missed parkrun this weekend, but decided to come out later in the day with me. It was very much a plod for me, taking it easy, back to running after illness and a whole load of missed runs. She hadn't run much in January (once/twice), so we were both amazed when we got back and found our make-it-up-as-we-went-along route was actually 4 miles - all on muddy trails too. She struggles with motivation at times, but she's turning out to be a very good little runner, following in her older siblings footsteps.
I got out for a run on Sunday- just a cheeky 3 miler on a safe/easy route but I upped my speed back to my average, rather than the slower pace I ran yesterday/Friday. My nose perhaps ran more strongly than my legs, but my legs felt strong and I felt goooooood. Day off running Monday as I return to work and that's a whole load of tired to deal with, but back to it Tuesday/ Wednesday and repeat..
Adventure Planning - I haven't mentioned this previously, but we decided we'd have an overseas adventure as a family this year. Tight budgets and a general satisfaction with local adventures has stopped us previously venturing abroad. Last summer we spend a blissful week in a Scottish wilderness, in the mountains around Glen Affric. It showed us we could long distance travel as a family and really opened our horizons. We all loved being in the mountains, despite rain, colder temperatures, and a serious debilitating injury sustained by Dylan to both ankles. We swam in cold mountain lochs and trekked up munros. We didn't yearn for a sunny sun lounger by a pool in a tourist filled location... we came back full of dreams of bigger mountains and more adventures...
So 2018 will see us tackle the French Alps 😍😍 I've wanted to visit Chamonix for a while but I'm not keen on the idea of being there and not being able to *do stuff* because of having our children with us. But they're older and more resilient now. So while we won't be jumping off mountains on a para glider or climbing Mont Blanc with crampons attached, we certainly will be embracing the adventurous culture in Chamonix and I can't wait to go mingle with like minded folk in the outdoor adventure capital of Europe. Our budget is limited but there's plenty of beautiful places we can get to and I've already started to plan. I've found a campsite I like, within walking distance of Cham itself and the plan is to stop there for 4 days. Long enough to immerse ourselves into Cham culture but short enough to escape, if the crowds or the mountain rain drive us insane!
After Chamonix, we may head south to the Gorges du Verdons. This is a lower level mountainous area of Provence, not too far above the Mediterranean coast. We've passed through the area years and years ago, before we had our children and we've wanted to return for a while. Now we know we can manage the distance in the car, there's nothing to stop us. I've found a quiet campsite just above the small town of Castellane, on the Col de Leques (yes one of those crazy bendy roads, you see on the Tour de France with a trillion hairpin bends!). The area is full of aquamarine blue rivers, which have made the amazing gorges in the area, the weather should be Mediterranean (with a little influence from the mountains!) and we plan to swim, climb, walk, hike, raft and canoe in the warm rivers and lakes. We hope to spend a week there, chilling and enjoying the mountain area. After this, we have about 5 days left to get back up to the North of France, and this part of our adventure is still very much in the making.
So I'm still very much tentatively welcoming February, still not back to full health, still not roaring a huge LET'S DO THIS welcome as I was on 1 January, but I know I'll be back to that status before long, of course!
@pintsizedrunninggirl (Instagram)
I was struck down with a viral infection mid month and this lead to a secondary bacterial infection which absolutely floored me and left me in bed for the best part of three weeks. But after some amazing NHS care and some strong drugs, I'm clawing my way back to health now and I'm ready to pick up the pieces of January's shattered goals!
RED January - I ran 21/31 days in January which is a pretty poor show in terms of a monthly running streak! This was about the 4th time I've done a monthly running streak and the first time I've failed to run every day. I can honestly say, I missed no runs through choice. I don't feel the need to 'go back' and run every day in February instead. I know I can do it, I've done it before. Dust off, focus on February's goals.
Monthly Mileage - I want to run 1500 miles in 2018 so that means averaging 125 miles per month. I ran 97 miles in January which when you consider I missed 10 days of running, isn't too shabby! I did get a long 13.5 mile run in before the illness really hit, which was a hugely enjoyable run I did in the snow one weekend. I decided to try a different tactic to running my usual large loops. I wasn't sure my energy levels or my thermostat were up to the 13 miles, though my legs were raring, so I decided to do two of my trusted 5 mile loops, then a final 3 mile loop. This gave me plenty of escape routes and opportunities to finish sooner if needed. It also meant I had the chance to take my kids - my 12 year old son joined me for the first 5 miles, then my teen daughter joined me for the second 5 mile loop. It was brilliant having their company and really kept me going. I did the last 3 miles solo, which I'm very proud of - being able to reach home, after 10 hard miles, soaked and chilled by snow - but managing to carry on, and do a further 3 miles to complete my route. Despite not reaching my monthly mileage I feel I had an amazing month of running and I'm confident I can catch up quite quickly.
Run Adventure - I want to have a running adventure or a mini running-focused goal each month and the plan for January was to run my furthest ever distance on the last Sunday of the month - a 17 mile linear route along the Leeds canal to Bingley. Unfortunately I was very poorly on this date so it wasn't going to be. I'm not going to dwell on the things which didn't happen, I want to carry this into February once I feel I'm back up and on my running feet. Watch this space!
Veganuary 2018 - I didn't even need to think about this too much. It wasn't difficult, given the changes I've made to my diet in 2017. I'd hesitate to describe myself as 'vegan' as I prefer 'plant based' as the drive I have to eat this way is about health, well being, environment and personal/planetary longevity. 'Vegan' is a term I'd use if I wanted someone who might be feeding me, to know that I don't wish to eat something laden with cheese or eggs, simply because I don't eat animal flesh or fish. 'Plant based' describes my preference to eat whole foods, processed as little as possible, without lashings of sugar and ingredients I can't pronounce. I've been vegetarian for 20+ years but the term is no longer enough to describe how I eat. These are all labels, which aren't important to me. Other people's opinions of my diet is also unimportant, so I guess I'll lurk happily and healthily in the grey area of 'what do you eat'\ 'what don't you eat'. I'm happy and comfortable with my choices. If someone/ anyone else isn't, I guess that's their issue, not mine😊
Family Running - Dylan has his first event looming in April - he is doing the Manchester marathon on 8 April. Marathon running isn't really his 'thing' but he had a free entry into a particular company's events. He'd hoped this would be a triathlon though there was nothing suitable locally so a marathon it is! It will be his second official marathon and I've no doubt he has some crazy, mind bending time goal in mind.... He tells me sub 4 hours. How much that sub is, is anyone's guess.
My children (ages 9, 10, 12 and 13) continue to run every week at parkrun, and sometimes they do additional running with Dylan or me in the week. They are really pulling out some amazing runs recently, particularly in some challenging, typically January conditions. Eldest son, 12, ran a blinder last weekend and PB'd his 5k parkrun time - coming in at 21.48 minutes! That's an average of 7.01min/miles according to Strava, so he's seriously going to be treading on Dylan's toes when he grows! (He's still very small for his age - about 135cm tall). He was first in his age category and came 19th overall and has a national age grading of 68% (for 11-14 year old males) so he's made me a very proud running parent (and very envious!)
Youngest daughter (10) missed parkrun this weekend, but decided to come out later in the day with me. It was very much a plod for me, taking it easy, back to running after illness and a whole load of missed runs. She hadn't run much in January (once/twice), so we were both amazed when we got back and found our make-it-up-as-we-went-along route was actually 4 miles - all on muddy trails too. She struggles with motivation at times, but she's turning out to be a very good little runner, following in her older siblings footsteps.
I got out for a run on Sunday- just a cheeky 3 miler on a safe/easy route but I upped my speed back to my average, rather than the slower pace I ran yesterday/Friday. My nose perhaps ran more strongly than my legs, but my legs felt strong and I felt goooooood. Day off running Monday as I return to work and that's a whole load of tired to deal with, but back to it Tuesday/ Wednesday and repeat..
Adventure Planning - I haven't mentioned this previously, but we decided we'd have an overseas adventure as a family this year. Tight budgets and a general satisfaction with local adventures has stopped us previously venturing abroad. Last summer we spend a blissful week in a Scottish wilderness, in the mountains around Glen Affric. It showed us we could long distance travel as a family and really opened our horizons. We all loved being in the mountains, despite rain, colder temperatures, and a serious debilitating injury sustained by Dylan to both ankles. We swam in cold mountain lochs and trekked up munros. We didn't yearn for a sunny sun lounger by a pool in a tourist filled location... we came back full of dreams of bigger mountains and more adventures...
 |
| Glen Affric - dreaming of bigger adventures |
After Chamonix, we may head south to the Gorges du Verdons. This is a lower level mountainous area of Provence, not too far above the Mediterranean coast. We've passed through the area years and years ago, before we had our children and we've wanted to return for a while. Now we know we can manage the distance in the car, there's nothing to stop us. I've found a quiet campsite just above the small town of Castellane, on the Col de Leques (yes one of those crazy bendy roads, you see on the Tour de France with a trillion hairpin bends!). The area is full of aquamarine blue rivers, which have made the amazing gorges in the area, the weather should be Mediterranean (with a little influence from the mountains!) and we plan to swim, climb, walk, hike, raft and canoe in the warm rivers and lakes. We hope to spend a week there, chilling and enjoying the mountain area. After this, we have about 5 days left to get back up to the North of France, and this part of our adventure is still very much in the making.
So I'm still very much tentatively welcoming February, still not back to full health, still not roaring a huge LET'S DO THIS welcome as I was on 1 January, but I know I'll be back to that status before long, of course!
@pintsizedrunninggirl (Instagram)
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