Rest and Recuperation

Well, I never did the 17 on the Sunday. I had a nightmare of a run and cut it down to 12 and that included walking up the hills, I felt just awful. Back ache, legs ached and just felt weak. So not a good day. I felt so bad I decided to have a few days off from running, which is quite unusual for me as I tend to run everyday of the week and normally just run through any problems. I didn’t run for the Monday through Thursday and only did a 2 mile run on the Friday. Ran the park run on Saturday morning and posted a 24.37 which I was ok with as not any real effort put into it. However on Sunday I only did my usual 6.5 mile run, just didn’t want to push it too soon and feel bad again and so that is what I am doing till next Saturday park run and see how I feel and then if OK I will do a longer run on the Sunday.

Because I was resting I got my backside in gear and went and bought myself a monitor for my laptop. I gave my old one to my daughter as she has to work from home and it was far better than the one her work had provided. I ended up with a Samsung 28″ 4K UHD monitor and whilst the size of the monitor takes a bit of getting used to, wow my photos (and others) really stand out on it, I am quite impressed as it wasn’t hugely expensive. So hopefully finally getting it will help me with my motivation for getting back into photography. I am surprised how much I have lost my mojo for photography since moving down here to Devon. I joined the RPS late last year and decided I am going to work towards a LRPS qualification which will give me a goal to aim for. Just seems that since I stopped doing it as a profession I lost my way a bit. I am going to concentrate on documentary type photography which is probably the most closest to the photojournalism that I was doing and really enjoyed.

So that is it for another week or so. I may just switch the news on now and see what is happening with Boris and all his parties and what is happening on the Russian/Ukraine border.

Pete

January 25, 2022 by pdimages Categories: Beach, Devon, exmouth, Marathon, music photography, Park Run, photography, photojournalism, plant based, Run, Runner, Running, South West England, Sport, The Sea, Ultra Marathon, ultra runner, ultra running, UltramarthonTags: Devon, East Devon, exmouth, Nikon, Nikon photographer, photography, photojournalism, Run, run training, Runner, Running, South West England, ultra runner, ultra running Leave a comment

Motivation

Misty Morning Run

So, it is a bit strange at the moment. I have been really struggling with motivation recently. With everything, not just running. To the extent I went to bed for an hour after lunch the other day, not because I was tired but just couldn’t be bothered with anything. After not sleeping for about 45 mins and telling myself I was being a lazy shit I did get up and went for a 6.4 mile run. Did I enjoy it, no I didn’t, it was slow as well but I am glad I kicked my arse into gear and get out. Trouble is I don’t know why I am lacking motivation, there should be no reason at all as life is ok so I can only put it down to either covid isolation, the weather (which isn’t that nice really at the moment) and a little bit of being heavier than I want to be. In 2018 on the day of the 100k I was 10st 2 Yesterday I weighed myself and I was 12 st that is 2 stone nearly more than I was 3.5 years ago. Yes I am getting older and therefore will put on weight but I don’t believe that so I can only put it down eating badly over xmas and new year.

Anyway, for saying I am lacking motivation I ran a 24.27 park run this morning. I have to say I was a bit surprised as I didn’t push it at all, didn’t get into any piss off contests with any other runner, I just sort of cruised round and so was a bit surprised at the time. I am going to do a 17 mile run tomorrow so hopefully I won’t ache a bit after what was a fairly quick run today.

I just hope I can just remind my motivation again as the next few weeks could be tough.

Pete

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022 by pdimages Categories: Beach, Devon, exmouth, Half Marathon, Marathon, Park Run, photography, photojournalism, plant based, Run, Runner, Running, South West England, Sport, The Sea, Ultra Marathon, ultra runner, ultra running, Ultramarthon, UncategorizedTags: Devon, East Devon, exmouth, Exmouth parkrun, marathon runner, mojo, motivation, Nikon, Nikon photographer, photography, photojournalism, Run, run motivation, run training, Runner, Running, South West, south west runner, tri hards runner, ultra, ultra runner Leave a comment

Food

So, you would think I would know better. I think I have finally cleared myself out of the after effects of eating xmas and new year food. I try to eat healthy and very rarely eat meat. I like to think I am vegetarian for health reasons rather than moral and so if I am presented with meat I will eat it. Generally eating a bit of meat once in a few months doesn’t do any harm. However over the xmas and new year period I have eaten so many mince pies, biscuits, chocolates and so on I have felt as rough as hell and several times on my runs I have had to make unscheduled stops over hedges or at garden centres. It has also made me put on several pounds in weight which I really feel when I am out running, so basically the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a nightmare. This morning I ran the Exmouth Parkrun in a time of 25.40 which was quicker than I wanted to do but it felt quite easy, including getting into a piss off contest with another runner who kept cutting me up and was wearing headphones to boot which I totally disagree with wearing whilst running. So the old racing Pete came into play and I forced him to run at my pace and trapped him behind other runners etc and then just left him standing and he trailed in at least a couple of minutes after me. I really don’t mind people beating me but I do mind people who have no running etiquette. Anyway point I was going to make is that I felt so much better this morning after a couple of days of eating healthy again plus taking Ibuprofen again twice a day everyday, which I got out of the habit of doing. Hopefully I will feel a bit more comfortable running again which also means longer runs and more mileage.

Also this week I finished reading Don McCullin’s autobiography. I bought it about 30 years ago and read it then and decided to read it again. Those of you who know me that I love photography (I was a photojournalist for a few years) and Don McCullin is one of my heroes. An awesome book and read but I had forgotten just what a tortured man he was/is. Which is hardly surprising after the life he led for 20 odd years on the frontline of wars around the world. I like both his war photographs and his peace photographs. Like me he is self taught and learnt the hard way.

So, that’s me for today, I am now off to make a nice healthy lunch 🙂

Pete

January 8, 2022January 8, 2022 by pdimages Categories: Devon, exmouth, Park Run, photography, photojournalism, plant based, Run, Runner, Running, South West England, Sport, Ultra Marathon, ultra runner, ultra running, Ultramarthon, UncategorizedTags: Don McCullin, eating, Exmouth parkrun, food, healthy, healthy eating, McCullin, Nikon, Nikon photographer, parkrun, photography, photojournalism, plant based, Run, Runner, Running, ultra runner, ultrarunning, vegetarian Leave a comment

January 1st

So, first day of 2022 and I certainly hope it is a better year for all of us. 2021 wasn’t a bad year for me as the lockdown didn’t really affect me that much as still ran everyday pretty much and ran one of the best races I have run for quite a few years, that being the 50k Ultra.

Today started with the first Exmouth Parkrun of 2022. 450 runners which was a lot more than a normal week, which was nice but you have to question why. Winner did it in 15 mins and was a visitor from somewhere or other. Exmouth is a popular place to come and get a PB for the 5k I did it in 26.30 which is roughly the time I wanted to do it in. I can of course do it a lot faster but want to keep my pace to a training pace so that the Sunday run is neither tired or painful. It also gives you more time to be sociable with people. Didn’t spend any time on the bike turbo today as hoping to do the long run tomorrow so don’t want to over do it.

So, first day of the year, I won’t be posting everyday as I have a diary for recording my daily thoughts. I will post here now and again when I feel the need to either rant or to just put down my thoughts that I am prepared to share with anybody that cares to read my posts.

Hope you all had a good New Years Day.

Pete

races

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022 by pdimages Categories: Devon, exmouth, Half Marathon, Live music photography, Marathon, music photography, Park Run, photography, photojournalism, Run, Runner, Running, South West England, Sport, Ultra Marathon, ultra runner, ultra running, Ultramarthon, UncategorizedTags: Devon, East Devon, exmouth, life, music photography, musings, new year, Nikon, Nikon photographer, parkrun, photography, photojournalism, Run, Runner, Running, ultra, ultrarunner Leave a comment

New Year new start.

So, what is this all about.

For too long now I have been thinking that my blog is or could be interesting to other people and of course I have learnt that it isn’t. That is my fault for not making it interesting. These days I don’t do anything wildly exciting anyway. Yes I am a 66 year old successful runner and done lots of interesting things and races over the years (50 years of running) but because a lot was pre-internet and when the internet did come along I wasn’t very good at promoting myself, pouting, talking about what I had eaten that day, I think you get the drift, well my blog just became boring. I have had an interesting life and when I talk to people about it they say I need to put it down on paper and write a book about my life. Well I am not going to because I think most people who don’t know me would find it boring or maybe even average. So, my stories may or may not come out over the years, who knows or even cares.

So that’s the depressing bit over and done with. Where am I now. Well, last year did a 50k Ultra running race and loved every minute. It was one of the most enjoyable races I have done for many years. 32 miles from Exmouth to Exeter, around Exeter a couple of time and back again. It was awesome and I came 11th in a time of 5.19 I also as part of the training for it did a race from Dartmoor Prison to Ivybridge, 16 miles straight across Dartmoor and just loved it and I now now I really like Dartmoor and I am going to spend more time up there. I have started signing up for races for 2022 including running to 50k Ultra again in October.

I have also joined the Royal Photographic Society and I am going to work towards a L.R.P.S. I am also going to join Exmouth photo club. I need to renew my enthusiasm for photography again and get my brain working and exercised again. I feel that the pandemic has really knocked my enthusiasm for it. Also I think because down here in Devon there just isn’t the same scope for the dark urban industrial landscapes that I so love and the music, theatre and journalism that I loved. And so I am going to change direction and focus on documentary and contemporary photography/projects. I don’t expect it to be very easy at all but equally that is why I want to do it, to get my brain working again.

I, like so many others in the world have been locked down and keeping my distance from others and have lost my way and enthusiasm for so many things. I don’t for one minute think that I am depressed or in a depressing state but I do think I have lost my way over the last couple of years of the pandemic.

So, here goes…….let’s see what happens.

December 28, 2021December 28, 2021 by pdimages Categories: Devon, exmouth, photography, photojournalism, Run, Runner, Running, South West England, Ultra Marathon, ultra runner, ultra running, Ultramarthon, UncategorizedTags: Devon, East Devon, exmouth, life, musings, newyear, Nikon, Nikon photographer, photography, photojournalism, Royal Photographic Society, RPS, Runner, Running, ultra runner Leave a comment