The #KayGoesUltra Diary: Week Two

The #KayGoesUltra Diary: Week Two

After last week's starting in earnest, this week the hard work really began! I'm a big lover of routine and order though, so despite the tough effort it's felt good to get into it properly after all the chaos of the last few weeks.

Monday is generally going to be rest day, but I'm always going to make sure I still get my 10k steps in, so I did a few walks throughout the day to get them in.

Tuesday was double day, making use of the daylight by going for a lunch time run, followed by an hour in the gym in the evening. It's been ages since I did any proper strength and conditioning training and I'm really enjoying that side of things too! The run was decent, despite facing all weathers over four and a half miles...rain, wind, glorious sunshine and even a hail and sleet storm 😱

It wouldn't be Wednesday without our Trent Bridge DOrunning session. This was the first absolutely bloody freezing session of this horrible arctic blast that's hung around all week. Wrapped up against the elements, a run with friends is always lovely ❤️

Thursday's run was definitely character building! Starting out at our DOdaily coaching session at -2°, we were actually given the option to call it quits due to the conditions. Everyone in the group is marathon training though, so we decided to take it very steady to get some miles in. In almost 10 years of running, I don't think I've ever seen the paths getting more frosty by the minute like that before! 

Onto Friday and a rest day from running. No rest for the wicked, though! Up and in the gym for 7am for another session, followed by a gorgeous bright but chilly two mile walk around the country park at lunchtime. 

As Friday wore on, it started to look like Saturday's parkrun was in real jeopardy. Across the city (and country) events were announcing cancellations. Luckily for us, Rushcliffe was good to go for the first of this year's DOrunning team parkrun roadshow. A whopping 850 participants and the brilliant volunteers braved the sub zero temperatures to take part under the bright winter sun. 

Today was the first proper 'long Sunday run' of the training block. Setting out with the rest the DOrunning group then branching off onto my own little adventure, I managed to plod out 10 and a half miles which I'm really pleased with! It wasn't my favourite run ever but I definitely didn't hate it either. The same as last Sunday, I just took my time, stopped and took a few photos and enjoyed a good podcast then playlist. I've never seen Holme Pierrepont flooded and frozen before, it looks like something from a film. 

I know I'm not always going to be as motivated as I feel this week, and ticking off every planned session isn't going to feel quite so straightforward. So for now, I'm making the most of it and pushing myself forward... some would say I'm #justDOingit! 

Week two

🏃‍♀️Runs done: 5

👟Miles ran: 25.74

✅Highlight: Being able to enjoy parkrun

🤔Biggest challenge: being bloody freezing on every single run 

🎯Plan for next week: Include at least one 10k along the long Sunday run