Jess’ Month in Running – October ’23

October was a slightly more relaxing month for me than the previous crazy one. 

I’ve really noticed a delay in recovery and have found it super interesting looking at my watch data – such as a poor sleep score and unbalanced HRV – to show just how long it can take to recover fully. It’s definitely something I would love to pay more attention to going forward. 

This month, I was lucky enough to fit in a cheeky little trip to Greece. Despite thinking the week off work would be my time to start some hard training runs, I instead opted for some fun cycles on the beautiful quiet roads and tried padel for the first time. However, the one run I did manage was a beautiful sunset run which was the perfect reminder I needed – that getting out and moving to explore is one of my favourite things! Sometimes it’s so easy to get wrapped up in training and times and schedules that we can forget why we actually love running. 

Returning to England was a shock to the system, as I went from a 30 degree holiday to a very frosty Oxford Half Marathon that weekend. But again, I was reminded of the beauty of running as I took in the amazing running community at its finest. As I ran around this lovely city in the wintery sunshine, I crossed paths with so many familiar faces, including our very own lovely Anna who cheered me through the park!

My next upcoming goal is the Valencia Marathon in December. Originally, my aim was to break the 3 hour marathon barrier that has been my nemesis for a long time now. I have to be honest with myself that I haven’t put in the hard work that is owed for such a ridiculous goal, and I don’t feel I’m in as good a condition as I was when I was 10 seconds off my goal back in April this year. I’m still looking forward to running it all the same, and we shall see what my body is capable of when I put it to the test… 

For now, I’ll be focusing on enjoying some parkruns with friends, as well as another super exciting challenge with The Running Channel in November.

Happy running everyone!