Where I was at the end of the previous month, June 2019
Target to run in 2019: 1092 kilometres
Total distance ran so far in 2019: 742 kilometres
Recorded in my little tracking spreadsheet.
Goal(s) for June 2019
👍🏼👍🏼 Run 160 kilometres. Actually ran 200 kilometres.
👍🏼👍🏼 Look to do four 10 kilometre runs during the month (did seven) and try and have an average KM pace of below 5:45 for those runs (which averaged at 5:40, phew).
👍🏼👍🏼 Another half marathon distance (did two)
👍🏼👍🏼 Another month of a good stretch session once a week. (And fit in some hip strengthening.)
👎🏼 See if I can dodge under 13 stone at last. (Not quite.)
👍🏼👍🏼 Enjoy it still. (I am, although towards the end of the month that was pushed, more on which to follow.)
Now up to 942 kilometres ran this year. 1092 kilometres is the goal for 2019 so just the 150 kilometres to go. 🙌🏼
The words
Week 1 of July wasn’t much. I had a week off between jobs which should have been the perfect time for some running free from the worries of squeezing it in before heading off for work or starting work or all the other time pressures we have. But I used it to do some house stuff (like building some steps in the garden), reading, and other stuff. A 12km run in the countryside near Howden (which was very bonnie) before the town’s show and I’d chalked up 17km for the week.
Week 2: I was away a bit for work, in Newcastle. I deliberately stayed somewhere not in the middle of the city, somewhere a bit more leafy, half so I could focus on the new job and then have some clear head space when I left work. I found a cheap-ish room in Newburn with access to lots of trails, some along the river Tyne. My first run was along the Tyne to Wylam, a lovely running route, then over the bridge and back east over the south bank. The next morning I took a shorter run to try a different trail and set up a 10km day – and checked out another bridge at Wylam. It was a good couple of days. I closed out a 32.4km week.
Week 3 was more of a struggle with a lot of travelling about and a reminder when I was working from home how poor my self discipline can be. I just get sucked into work. I managed my first run round Gosforth race course.
By 20 June I’d only racked up 70.38 kilometres for the month, leaving 11 days to run another 79.62 kilometres to hit the month target. Over half the distance yet to do with a third of a month left. So that was a problem. But another problem: For a laugh I tried to work out what I’d need to do to hit 200 kilometres for the month. Yeah, right.
But from Saturday 20 June I hit a streak of running every day.
10km. 10.4km. 9km. 5.7km. 10.2km. 15.2km. 10km in 24 degree heat. 11.4km on Saturday 27th, monthly target hit. That wasn’t too bad. That 200km for the month might be in reach now. So, 20.6km on Sunday 28th. A fine 10.5km. 5.1km. And a monster 21.7km which was very hard going on the legs but in some amazing countryside to the north of Newcastle.
That last run nudged me past 200 kilometres. Instead of going to the hotel to get changed I keep walking to the pub to meet a mate and had some (booze free) beers and roasted nuts. I felt fucked.
Reading Running with the Kenyans. Might be tempted to buy a cow because of it.
Listened to Professor Matthew Walker on sleep. I’ve read his book on sleep a while back and have tried as much as possible to get in eight hours of sleep every night. And with that, running, and other stuff I feel better, crazy attempts at running 200km a month aside.
Next month’s goals
Run 100 kilometres. Nothing else: I am off away and cannot plan too much. I hope to get in a run along the East River in New York and running over a bridge over the river too, but other than that, see what comes.
Enjoy it still. (I am!)
🏃🏻♂️