Hello Cozy Family!!

I'm officially 'I-don't-even-know-how-long' into my training to run a 10k but it's going super well!!

What am I listening to?

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid on audiobook.

I'm loving it!!! This book will 10000% be taking over one of the top spots on my top 10 ranking when I've finished it. Just wow!! I have about 45 mins to go and I don't think I'm ready, but I also cannot wait to be emotionally destroyed or incredibly happy depending on the ending. I have been so motivated to go out each day just because I want to keep listening to the audiobook and put a rule in place that I can only listen to it whilst training. That rule is definitely working so far!!

Or, I should say, it was working... ahaha. At the start, I was going out and training more often because I just NEEDED to keep listening, but now I'm at the end, I've been procrastinating training because I don't want the audiobook to end. So it was working super well!! Until it wasn't.... oops I guess.

But I am still training and will (sadly) finish the audiobook on my next training session.

Physical update:

At the start of my training, I started to get shin splints. Not ideal at all. Especially as, when I spoke to my brother who runs a lot and has for years, he told me that I should stop running for a couple of weeks once shin splints start, otherwise if it gets worse it could have me out for months. He was speaking from experience and I remember him going through it before. So yeah, not ideal.

But I knew I couldn't just stop running or training for a few weeks, seeing as though I only had about 12-13 weeks total from the time I started training to the 10k race on 6th September. So, being the nerd I am, I did what I do best: I researched.

I found that compression socks can make a lot of difference with shin splints, especially the early onset of them, and so I immediately ordered some. And let me tell you... they are amazing!!!! I use them every time I go running now and almost immediately upon wearing them the first time, I went from shin splint pain to no pain at all! Just incredible! So I have been able to continue training and have done super well over the last week.

I have gone further and done more than I thought I could! I am so proud of myself!

Weather struggles update:

Because the UK is known for having overcast weather, rainy days, and only the occasional day that we see the sun, I really didn't even consider that the weather would have any impact on my training. Other than the occasional rainy day preventing me from going out on my runs.

Well.... that has not been the case!

We have been in a heatwave. Like one of the worst heatwaves the UK has ever experienced, with record highs in heat and humidity!! And just as one heatwave ended, another started!! We have barely had a couple of days of low humidity and basically no days of rain. And it's been WEEKS!!

I started getting up at 5am to go for my runs so I could avoid as much of the heat as possible. One day I was so tired from work the day before, I went for a run at 8am instead of 5am, and wow I barely survived! Those 3 hours difference in the morning made all the difference with heat.

I did invest in a runners vest jacket thing that holds water in essentially the breast pockets (honestly not sure what these jacket things are called lol, sorry). It has been a life saver! Taking water filled with electrolytes with me on my runs has made all the difference in this crazy weather!

Wrap up:

So, it's been a wild few weeks with horrid weather and narrowly avoiding shin splints, but despite it all I am loving training. Loving it so much more than I expected to. The Atmosphere audiobook is definitely partially to blame for how much I'm enjoying my training sessions! I have a list of audiobooks lined up to choose from after I finish Atmosphere, but I have no clue what I'll choose yet. I'm going to put up a poll this weekend so you all can help me decide.

Thank you for spending time with me today, Cozy Family!

Until next time,

Charlotte xxx