Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 31

5.72km run -> 100/100km complete!!

Today’s run, the final run, was a decent length for me and felt even longer for a couple of reasons. It was in a different city which I’d never been to, and I arrived there late so I ran while it was dark but tried to pick a lit-up route with people on it. I ended up accidentally running a very short stint of it a little away from people, and it was there that I saw a man very creepily stick his head out from around a corner and then duck back after making eye contact with me. I turned and sprinted back towards people and made the rest of my run very boring by running up and down the same stretch where there was light and people around.

I actually made sure I was in an area with at least one woman until that group left and I moved closer to the area of restaurants with lots of people outside. I don’t enjoy running the same stretch over and over but felt the need to after my encounter with the strange lone man. A fitting and terrifying way to end a fundraiser for a very worthy cause – Women’s Aid.

Delighted and relieved to have made it to the end of the 100km!

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 30

4.49km football training matches -> 94.78/100km complete

Joined the local team’s football training matches and added a few more kilometres in fairly warm weather. Nearly there!

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 29

Rest day -> 89.79/100km complete

One last rest day today! I was tempted to run a few kilometres, but I’m playing football tomorrow in a training match, and don’t know now much ground I’ll cover. So I both don’t want to go over 100km for the month, and also don’t want to finish on a rest day, as it’s better for my legs to do some of the running on the last day of the month, then rest again after.

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 28

Rest day -> 89.79/100km complete

Still more or less at 90% done so took another rest day to make up for the lack of rest days recently. Walked to a friend’s house for lunch so got some light exercise in.

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 27

Rest day -> 89.79/100km complete

Covered a lot of ground in the last week and a bit so some rest was well needed today. Wore flip-flops as much as possible to let my little blisters and a large scratch from after a mosquito bite all heal up a bit.

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 26

1.61km run, 3.28km training -> 89.79/100km complete

Ran over a kilometre and a half today to get a lift to a different training location for football, where we trained on a grass pitch rather than astro. It was slightly muddy which I had not expected – I’d assumed the ground would be rock hard but the pitch is slightly over-watered. No complaint though, it was a welcome change for my feet after the last week and a bit of running on hard ground.

Covered less ground during the session as it was a short session, just an hour, but again, we got a match in and it was very enjoyable. I played midfield for this training match rather than in the forwards, as a fitness challenge, and reminded myself that although I can often do great passes and through balls, I’m not a calm collected defender when I am back defending. Thankfully one panicked left-footed clearance of mine flukily set up a soccer-style goal which was a much better result than the ball coming straight back to us in defense.

Today was actually meant to be a rest day, as it’s the day my period arrived, and I usually don’t feel great on the first day and don’t exercise because of the stomach discomfort, but I felt fine by evening time thankfully and managed to do the whole session. Even in the warmer weather than I’m used to too, so delighted with that.

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 25

2.23km run -> 84.9/100km complete

Did a small bit of running today, mainly to get to the beach for a lovely swim, which should help with my recovery too after all the running lately. Getting ever so close to my target!

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 24

Rest day -> 82.67/100km complete

This was my first rest day in seven days, so it was well needed, and safe to take it too as I covered a lot of ground in the last week. Mainly because I needed to, but I’m still delighted with the progress I’ve made, can really see the finish line now!

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 23

2.55km run to and from metros, 4.37km training -> 82.67/100km complete

Spent a good hour today getting to my first training with a local team here. I ran to the metro and then from the second metro to the pitch, which was a good distance and up a LOT of steps, then had a really enjoyable but warm training where I ran over 4km. There was a good turnout and a few games so it was a lot of fun and an easy way to increase my distance. I plan on going to the next session too.

Thankfully was offered a lift home so didn’t take as long to get home, and even had time for a beer with the team after and still made it home in good time.

Running 100km in a month for Women’s Aid: Day 22

6.28km run -> 75.75/100km complete

Huge progress the last two days. Really did not think I’d make it to the 75% mark at this point but thankfully have done it! I was struggling with the challenge a lot this week so to now be back on track and slightly over the kilometre amount I should have done by the 23rd day is massive.

Today’s run was a night-time jog in a suburb of Barcelona, out to the pier and looping back to the start point. Quite hilly as are a lot of my runs here, and on hard ground, though I ran on a wooden walkway for as much of it as I could, maybe a couple of kilometres. Could feel it in my knees on the way home though, they’re not too happy with me. No major blister issues though, just minor ones, so yeah, very happy with that. I put aloe vera on the remains of my original large blister today, and the couple of little new ones, as it apparently helps, and has done wonders for my numerous mosquito bites, so hopefully that will keep them from getting to big or too sore.

The 6.28km I did today took me just under an hour and 2 minutes, and I averaged 9.49 minutes per kilometre. I did take a break halfway while up on the pier just to cool down and take it all in, but the heat is really slowing me down a lot. Just 3 weeks ago at the start of the challenge I did 8km in an hour and 4 minutes, so it’s noticeable how much slower this is. I’m not trying to increase speed though, just getting to the 100km mark is my goal, so I’m glad to be on track!