Yellow leaf ...

This title has nothing to do with my blog today, I just think it is very funny. Those of you who understand, great, and those of you who don’t, hihihi...

So today I had a full day with my choir and therefore decided to skip my running group training and just go for a run myself later. Didn’t feel like being stressed for time on a holiday, too much of that in other days! After the choir thing, I came home and got relaxed in my sofa. Watched The Simpsons in Iceland, had a friend for a short visit, and watched the newest Game of Thrones episode. I really need someone to kill that Geoffrey monster, seriously, he is too horrible!! It was very difficult to get off the sofa and out for a run. I almost didn’t make it. But I did. Hurray for me. 

I was only going to do 5K today, have been feeling tired in my legs and feet and don’t want to overdo it. It was a disaster. I hit a wall, basically. Just couldn’t get any speed and barely managed to run half of the distance, walking the rest. Seriously, what is that all about? Shoes? That’s what I think. So now I am prioritising buying new shoes as soon as possible. I feel like my stamina and form is fine and getting much better, but I’m just so tired in my legs that I just give up trying to run faster and I don’t really do fartlek or interval training at all. I use hills, but that’s all. Let’s hope that next week I will be running like Speedy Gonzales with my new shoes.

I have actually been very active for a while now. Seems like I have a routine. Running on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Walking/hiking on Tuesdays and Sundays. And rest days on Wednesdays and Fridays. Plus strength training 3xweek. I think it is a good routine. Right?

Operation systems ...

These last couple of weeks have been totally without running. First, I went to Dublin and didn’t take my running gear with me as I was flying RyanAir without luggage and simply no space in my luggage. With that as an excuse, I just enjoyed Dublin and the lovely people there. I did walk some, but mostly just relaxed. It was lovely. The following week I got the flu, and had to work on an article 

 I’m writing plus another project that had deadlines on the 2^nd and 5^th of May. So no running for me. 

But now I’m back. On Tuesday I went for a fantastic walk with super lovely women, 10 km in lovely Nordmarka in Oslo. It was fantastic but serious workout at well. Today, I went for a 5km run in the pouring rain. My time is still not so great, 5km in 35 minutes, so there is plenty of room for improvements. But I can feel that my form is much better already, but I feel very tired in my feet. I think now I just have to go and get better shoes, can’t wait any longer! Well, will have to wait for my next pay check due to overspenditure in Dublin, but that is a story for a different blog (shopaholic’s blog, perhaps!). And today I went to meet other Icelandic running enthusiasts here in Oslo and we are on our way to form a great running group that will meet a couple of times each week. It will be great to have that support and discipline a group training gives you. I look forward to our first meeting next Monday :)

I have discovered that I have two modes of operating. Well, I’ve known this for a while, but finally I’m able to put it into words. One mode is “safe mode”, where I only have the most necessary systems operating. I sleep, eat, go to work, watch TV and try to meet a few people around. Basically I do very little. Not good at all as I get very very lazy in this mode, it kills down every initiative and interest, very very terrible! 

Then there is “windows mode”, where I have all possible programs running at the same time, working, running, singing, socialising, 10 tabs open in the browser, logged into Facebook, LinkedIn, Skype, Gmail and god knows what, listening to Spotify, playing majong or solitaire, watching videos on Youtube, working on several documents on word, multitasking de luxe. That is the mode that fits me best and I get super effective, doing everything I need to do plus everything else. Great. Today I seem to be back to “windows mode” and I’m loving it. Hopefully, there will be no viruses crashing my system in the near future ;)

My first 10km run of the season is getting closer. I am only concentrating on finishing that run in one piece, and actually looking forward to the atmosphere and experience of a street run :)