Getting Lost!

First just to let you know that I have signed up for Tårnbyløbet on 14th October and will be running another 10k :)

Early evening I went for a run. I was planning on running about 6k.

This turned into an 8.5k run as I got just a little bit lost :)

The other day I was running behind a man who crossed a road and carried on running down a track. I turned a corner and stayed on the road. After 10 minutes the same man came out of a track a little ahead of me. I decided to run that way today as it looked more interesting than running on the road.

I went down the track and it was very nice with lots of little houses down it. The track was winding very much. I kept looking for a little alleyway or something that would led me to the end of the road but couldn't find one. I carried on running and after 2.5k I ended up back at the same place where I had entered the track in the beginning!

My sense of direction has never been that great but today it was totally off :(

Never mind though I had a great run and found a nice area that I can run around again :)

Newline Winter Set and Little Runs

This is the Newline winter set that I have bought from http://www.loebeshop.dk/ for 599kr.

Of course, I had to test it out straightaway! So this morning I ran my oldest boy up to his school and back which is a just under 4km route. I am so glad I had this set on!

It was so windy and so cold this morning! It could have been December if you didn't know any different.

I love this Newline set :) It is warm but not over the top.
The jacket has a little pocket by the zip and a really big one at the back. Both have zips on them. There are also zips on the sleeve so they can be opened up a bit.
The tights have a little pocket with zip at the back of them. They have zips on the legs to open them up too.

I also ran back up to the school this afternoon to pick my son up. So I've ran around 7.5km today.

Marathon Start Up

And so I've signed up for the Sparta Marathon Start Up!

It cost 270kr which is pretty expensive but I still decided to sign up for it because there are no other 15km races in Copenhagen until the end of December and I need to do one to achieve my next goal.

I do get a nike running vest in with the price though so it's not that bad :)

The run is around Fælledparken. It's a 5km course and you can run it once, twice or three times. You can decide on the day what you want to do. I'm going for the 15km!

I'm having a rest day today and then probably a short run in the morning both on Tuesday and Wednesday

Friløbet 2010 Diploma

Søndag den 26. september 2010


Lynne

har løbet Friløbet - 10 km i klassen Kvinder 20-34 år

Tid: 1:00:26 - 6:02 min/km

Placering køn: 1447, klasse: 337

Friløbet 2010

And so I have completed my second goal in my marathon training!!

I ran 10km in Friløbet in Copenhagen today. It's a great run where you start outside Østerbro Stadium, run by the lakes, into and around Tivoli, back by the lakes, through Fælledparken, and then into Østerbro stadium!

The weather was almost perfect. No rain, no sun, just lots of clouds :) I was running a little into the wind on the way back from Tivoli by the lakes but it was nothing that really mattered.

My official time was 1 hour and 26 seconds!!!

Now I know that this time is not so good as my other "10km's". This is because my Nike+ sportband hadn't been calibrated so where I thought I was running a 10km it was more like a little under 9km.

The good news is that I actually beat my old "10km" time by over 2 minutes and did it in 55 minutes and 4 seconds!!

I, of course, have calibrated the sportsband now so am looking forward to my next 10km run to try and beat my time :)

Goal number 3 is calling and that's a 15km race! Probably the Nike Marathon Start-up on 31st October :)

I beat my old 5k time by loads!

I beat my old 5k time today! I ran 5k in 26 minutes and 56 seconds :)

My old best 5k time was during the Mini Havneløb. This time was 28 minutes and 6 seconds.

Until today, no matter how hard I tried I was unable to get a better time.

I didn't really do anything different today except have a cup of coffee one hour before I ran. Maybe the caffeine gave me an energy boost or something :)

Energy Gel and 10km Times!

I went for a run this afternoon and decided to test out an energy gel as I would be running around 10km. I took it just as I was going out the door.

I didn't notice any difference until I had run 4km when all of a sudden I had more energy than I knew what to do with. And my energy level really did seem to change from one minute to the next. My pace time went from 5 minutes 40 seconds per km to 5 minutes 20 seconds.


I felt fantastic!!
 
The problem was that after I had run 10km I still had so much energy but didn't want to risk an injury by running more.
 
I will experiment with an energy gel again when I run Friløbet on Sunday but this time take it 20 minutes before I start running so it has time to kick in.
 
I ran my best 10km time yet of 56 minutes and 20 seconds :)

Just Another Morning Run

I ran up to Latimers school and back again this morning :)

This time I used my younger sons lightweight 3 wheel buggy and actually ran the same pace as I do without it!

It's 4km there and back so I'm able to do a little run everytime I have to take Latimer to school. It was so mucher easier with the little buggy :)

Baby Jogger and Me!

Ok, so I've borrowed my friends baby jogger to see if I like them before I buy one myself.

The answer to the question is: Nooooooooooooo!!

I ran up to my older sons school and back this morning with my youngest in the jogger. It was so hard to run with :(

My legs hurt, my arms hurt, my shoulders hurt, and I ran so slow! I couldn't even blame the wind today.

Conclusion: I don't think I'm buying a baby jogger anytime soon!

The Wind Just Keeps On Blowing!

I ran just over 5km today and no matter which direction I ran in it seemed like I was always running into the wind!

I've borrowed a baby jogger from my friend for a couple of days so I can try it out before I buy one myself.
I will be running my older son to school with the little one in the jogger for the next couple of mornings. My older son will, of course, be on his bike :)

I'm thinking about signing up for the marathon start up on 31st October. If I do, I'll run 15km in it!

12.5km!!! My longest run to date!

This evening in the rain and wind I ran 12.5km!!

I ran the 10km in 57 minutes and 12 seconds which was pretty much the same as my last 10km.

The last 2.5km of todays run was pretty horrible. I was running into strong wind and it was so hard!

I think it's important to run in all weather conditions so I get used to it as who knows what the danish weather will be on race day :)

Have a great weekend!

I must buy a baby jogger!!

As I had to pick up my oldest son from his cubs tonight I decided to run there and back.

I put my youngest boy into his little buggy and off we went. I ran 3.5km altogether.

It was much harder than I thought it would be to run with a buggy! The next item on my shopping list is a second hand baby jogger :)

New Copenhagen Marathon 2011 Website Coming Soon

This is the news from Sparta's website regarding Copenhagen Marathon 2011 new website.
I have translated it to English for you:- (The danish version is below this)

NEW COPENHAGENMARATHON.DK COMING SOON


Together with Nykredit, in a few weeks times we are launching a completely new site on copenhagenmarathon.dk. Because of this we have down prioritised the updating of the old site so we can work more efficiently on the new.

We are looking forward to welcoming the runs many participants and other people with marathon interests to a new and better site.

On top of this, we are also working on a new administration system and server updating for the coming season. This wil give us a better and more reliable solution regarding result viewing, diploma printouts, live viewing etc.

NYT COPENHAGENMARATHON.DK I VENTE
Da vi i samarbejde med Nykredit i løbet af få uger lancerer et helt nyt site på copenhagenmarathon.dk, er opdatering af det gamle site blevet nedprioriteret i en periode, for at kunne satse fuldt ud på det nye.
Vi glæder os til at kunne bydes løbets mange deltagere og andre maraton-interesserede velkommen til et nyt og forbedret site.

Derudover arbejder vi på et nyt administrationssystem og serveropdatering, der i kommende sæson, vil give os en bedre og mere driftsikker løsning mht. resultatvisning, diplomudskrift, live-visning m.m.

How to be a More Effective Runner

Below is an article by Skeeter McGee which I thought would be very helpful.

Do you find that after running for a while, you hit the wall? You just can't muster up the energy you need to finish your run. This is very typical among runners, and to the first step to get over this problem is to understand that it's a mental challenge, and can be overcome.


By utilizing some tricks that marathon runners use on a daily basis, you may find yourself busting past that wall and breaking personal records. Marathon runners are experienced and wise in the ways of running long distances. Have you ever heard the saying "Don't recreate the wheel." That is how you should look at being a more productive runner. You may have no desire to run 26 miles in a single stretch, but no one can argue that marathon runners haven't got it figured out. So the simple fact is that if you learn to do what they do, you will become a better, more effective runner. Here are 3 basic steps anyone can take to get over mental blocks and premature exhaustion.
The first way is to simply distract yourself. When you're running, don't look way off into the distance and long for that invisible finish line your after. You shouldn't focus on how much more ground you have to cover. This will just psych you out. Instead, find other things to focus on. Things that are in no way related to what your doing. Try singing a song out loud, or even in your head. Or you could choose a random number, and count backwards from it. Then count forward in 3s. If you're following other runners, study them. Focusing on other people can help you keep your mind off your running. You could try planning your next workout in your head, going over your sets and rep counts.


Another useful way to help with your running is to change the way you think. If you've been running for 20 minutes, don't think of it like you still have another 30 minutes to go. This can be very discouraging. Instead, praise yourself a little. Pat yourself on the back. Think "I've already ran 20 minutes!" Compare that to half an hour ago, when you haven't ran at all yet. 20 minutes is great. Now you can just keep on running, and after awhile, check your time again. Thinking ahead about how much time is left in your run, or how much distance is left, can be discouraging.


You can also just try and relax. This may sound difficult, but try it. If your out there running in a race, or just getting some normal exercise, it's a bad idea to get bogged down by your negative emotions that come with being tired. Maybe you feel anxiety if you don't finish as planned, or embarrassed because you haven't gone as far as other runners around you, or stressed because you just want to be healthy and running feels strenuous. Try to relax your mind. Don't get caught up in what you thought you could accomplish if realistically you can't quite reach those goals yet. Try finding a running partner, or partners, someone to run along side with. This helps you worry less because you'll be around others who perform at the same level.


So try these things out next time your running. Remember, distract yourself, think positively about your progress, and relax your mind. Follow these steps and you could very well find yourself breaking through those mental blocks.

I hope you found this article as interesting as I do. Right now I don't get bored when out running but what will happen when I start running 15km and more?

Copenhagen Marathon 2011 Here I come!

And so I finally did it......I am now signed up for Copenhagen Marathon 2011!!!

No backing out now!

I am so looking forward to it :) Does that make me crazy?

Nike Running Denmark TakeCPH

As I am using the Nike+ sportband and have the chip in my shoe I signed up for a challenge called TakeCPH.

The TakeCPH challenge is where Copenhagen is seperated into different sections and the area you live in is the area you run for. Every km you run you can then take a square on the map of Copenhagen and it will turn the colour of your own area.

The area with the most coloured squares at the end wins!

Have a look at the site. It's actually pretty cool and encourages you to run further.
http://apps.facebook.com/takecph/

More Running and 'Singing in the Rain'

I ran just over 8km this evening in 46 minutes! It was raining for a while so I started singing to myself :)

I found the last 2.5km a little harder than usual as it was into the wind. The run overall was still pretty easy and I really enjoyed it.

10km under 1 hour!!

And so I did it.......

10km in 57 minutes and 53 seconds :)

And it still seemed easy and that I could have just kept going!! I have no idea why running seems so easy now. I can only put it down to my body getting used to it and to actually having a great pair of running shoes! My other ones were pretty old (but not very worn down).

The weather this evening was great for running. It was mostly cloudy and a perfect temperature :)

I am REALLY looking forward to running 10km in the Friløbet and getting to run around the inside of Tivoli!!

Come and join me!!

Copenhagen Marathon Route 2010

This is the Copenhagen Marathon route from this year. I think it will be the same one in 2011!

It looks sooooooo long.......

Running faster and faster!!

This evening I tested my Nike+ Sportband for the first time.

I ran 8km in 45 minutes!! That puts me at 10km under 1 hour. My sportband was still in miles so I didn't know how fast I was running. If I'd have know I would have carried on and tried for 10km under the hour mark!

Great evening for running though. The sun was shining, I wasn't hot or cold, and it wasn't too windy :)

Nike+ SportBand 2

At last my Nike+ Sportband 2 has arrived from England!!

I bought it from there because it's half the price of the ones in Denmark. I got it from http://www.wiggle.co.uk/. They post to Denmark without postage costs if you buy for 500kr or more.

I had been using my mobile with a running application on it to measure my runs but I always worry about it falling out of my pocket.

I also bought a pair of socks and a water bottle belt as I'll need water once I start running longer distances.

I'm going out for a run this evening and am looking forward to using the sportsband :)

Copenhagen Running Events

I've made a list in the sidebar of the best Copenhagen running events coming up in the next year.

The ones I'm running in are:-
Friløbet
Marathon Start up (hopefully 15km)
Nike Marathon Tests 1, 2, and 3
COPENHAGEN MARATHON 2011 :)

10km Down, Just Over 32km To Go!

WooHoo! I ran my first 10km today in 1 hour, 5 minutes and 21 seconds :-)

It was very hot and sunny and also windy.

Well i'm very confident about my 10km race at the end of the month now.

I did a great course through the amager fælled, along by the water at islands brygge, over the bridge, back along by the water on the other side, over the bridge by fisketorvet, through the fælled again and along ørestads boulevard.

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Run Abroad

I have been asked to do a 'runner of the month' post on http://www.runabroad.com/

I feel very honoured to be asked and, of course, said yes! I am really looking forward to it. Thanks again Renato :)

I ran a short 2.5km run today down to the train station to meet my son from his scouts day trip. I will probably go out for my longer run tomorrow evening.

It's all about Finishing the Marathon

While out running today (only a 4.5km without a time) I was thinking of something that I read about 'Long Slow Distance' running.

This is where it is more important that you get round as easy as possible instead of setting time goals and being competitive. I really think this is something that beginner marathon runners should look into.

Never set a time goal as a newbie, the goal should always be to get round in one piece!

As I've found my running pretty easy when I do about 9km an hour I think I will stick with this pace and see how many km I can built up to over the months and see if it still remains relatively easy (I don't think it will but I can always dream)!

Do you agree with this and the long slow distance idea or doesn't it work? I need all the help I can get :)

Have a great weekend!

The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer

I have bought a book called The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer.

It's based on a highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a Runners World article.

The book follows the same 16-week, four days a week workout plan.
This is marathon running for real people, people with jobs and families and obligations outside of running.
It isn't about getting a great time. The Non Runners Marathon Trainer is a schedule that, if followed, promises to get you to the finishing line.

I think it's a fantastic book! It has everything in it from nutrition, physical and mental preparation, what happens when you 'hit the wall', and choosing the right shoes. I bought The Non Runners Marathon Trainer after reading the reviews on Amazon. I had never seen a book with such great reviews before!
Have a look for yourself http://www.amazon.co.uk/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett

As you can probably tell I am very happy for this book and would recommend it for every marathon beginner :-)

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Nike makes me Glide in the Air!

September 1st 2010-It's great to be gliding on air!! I LOVE my new Nike Lunarglides :)
It seems so effortless to run in them!

I ran 5km today at what I thought was an easy pace and I did it in 30 minutes and 7 seconds. I thought it would be 35 minutes as I seemed to be going slow. It was pretty hot as the sun had decided to shine for a while.

These running shoes have definately boosted my confidence for the marathon!