After 30 minutes of running I decided to call it a day and make my way home. The pain wasn't unbearable but I certainly felt uncomfortable. It is only when my heel strikes the ground that I feel pain and if I could run all the way round on the tip toes that would be great!

I decided to go to the gym and do a bit of training there. I worked out on the rowing machine and the cross trainer without feeling any pain which was great. I'm very worried about my lack of running but as long as I try and stay fit a week or two without running won't hurt my training too much, I hope.

The good news is that today, Sunday, I am not feeling too bad. My side definitely doesn't hurt as much and I can even walk without feeling any pain. I'm icing it 2-3 times a day and using Ibuprofen gel so hopefully I am on the mend.

I've booked into Fitness Yoga on Monday - a strength class with yoga moves - not really sure what it's all about but will give it a go. I think I need to get more stretching into my training and if I think I'm up to it I'm hoping to go to the running club on Tuesday.

On Monday I was in agony - it hurt to walk so running was out of the question. Gradually throughout the week the pain subsided to a dull ache and on Friday I went to the doctors.

How little I know the anatomy of the body - what I thought were the hips are actually the pelvis!

So, it isn't my right hip that is sore but my right pelvis. The doc examined me and said that there didn't seem to be any bony injury and thought it was musculature. That's good news, I think? Remedy - take Ibuprofen and rub in Ibuprofen gel, and ice the area. On Friday I had also arranged to see the physio. She gave me a really good massage, getting really deep and, yes, it was painful but in a delightful sort of way!

I'm up early this morning, I've had my porridge and writing this waiting for the food to digest. I'm then out for my first run since Sunday. I'm really hoping I will be okay. I don't mind having missed this week but I really can't afford to take more time off - only 8 weeks to go until the Big Day!

Stamford 30K

Well I did it!

The weather was absolutely perfect for strolling around in a T-shirt but not so good for running a gruelling hilly 30K. Can you believe it, I actually got sunburn on my shoulders and neck!

It was as tough as I feared - one good thing was it being measured in K's. They come round a heck of a lot quicker than Mile Markers!

I took a couple of Ibuprofen before the race to keep my thigh pain in check but after about 10K I could feel a dull ache which steadily got worse until about 20K when I took a couple more painkillers. The pain didn't go away but at least it didn't get any worse.

I ran the first half of the race well within my expected time but found the second half pretty hard going, especially the last 3 miles. I hung on in there and came home in a time of 2:50 and, surprisingly, I was first Lady V50!

I queued up and had a post-run massage which I think really helped as my legs don't ache today as much as I thought they would. My thigh is incredibly sore and I couldn't sleep very well at all. I've had a quick look on the internet and my symptoms seem to indicate hip bursitis. I'm going to make an appointment with the doc and see if he confirms my diagnosis.

Distance: 30K
Time: 2:50:47
Avg Pace: 9.06

I went to the sports physio on Wednesday hoping she would be able to massage out my problems but without much success, Boo Hoo. She advised that I continue seeing her for a while.....

The run on Thursday night started off ok, and it wasn't until nearing the end that my hip area started to hurt, around the 5 mile mark. Not so bad I had to stop but it is such an annoyance!

I have a big race on tomorrow - Stamford 30K!

"It is recognised nationally as a tough event, providing a good training run for those planning to run the Flora London Marathon.

Competitors travel the length and breadth of the country to compete on the hilly, challenging course, taking in some of the nicest rural lanes of South Lincolnshire."

My plan of action? Just get round it!!

I wore my new trainers yesterday and I did a very girly thing in trying to avoid all puddles – without much success!

It was surprisingly warm for the first half of the run and then on the way back I was running into the wind, which I hadn’t even realised was there on the way out. I tried to maintain form and keep my head up although I must admit that I checked on my trainers every now and again! My right butt felt ok’ish but I never felt totally relaxed and found parts of the run quite hard going. It was a good mixed route with long straight sections, a couple of hills and some track work. I didn’t take any music and found my mind drifting…..creating a You Tube video for my JustGiving site; dying my hair for the Marathon so friends can easily recognise me; what more I can do to reach my fundraising target; what A levels my son should study next year (we had just had parents evening the night before); and so on. I really find it therapeutic and a great way to think things over.

After the run and throughout the evening my right hip was sore – not sure why; my butt had held out but I guess it’s all part of the same problem. Could my shoes have made a difference and shifted the pain? I’ve booked to see a physio later today. I am hoping for a miracle and I walk out of there completely healed!

Flora London Marathon 2008 training day

Sunday’s training day was absolutely fantastic!

I was very excited about my day out (note to self: must get out more!) and caught the 9.00 am train to get me into London at 10.15. I made my way to where the training day was being held without getting lost – which is a big deal, if you’re wondering.

I made my way straight to the hall where Adidas were doing the foot scans and selling the clothing! Already I could see a massive queue ahead of me and quickly joined the end. A big screen had been set up and the talks being held in the main hall were being piped through to us so we wouldn’t miss out on anything although I must admit to being distracted by the shoe scan paraphernalia – it was very techno! There was a tremendous bargain of 35% off one pair of shoes or 50% off two pairs – I’d already made up my mind to buy two pairs. I would, after all, be saving money in the long run!

My turn eventually came and it was over all too soon. I did a couple of jogs over the mat with each foot and was shown that I have a neutral gait but am very heavy on the heel, banging my heel down into the ground – must be due to my old marching days! I was advised which shoes suited me best and off I went to try them on. Two pairs of shoes, one pair of ¾ lengths and one pair shorts later I made my way through to the main hall to catch the end of that morning’s talks.

During lunch I went over to the Lucozade Sport stand and listened in on the interesting facts being given out by the girls, along with free bottles of the stuff. I also got a couple of wrist bands with the pace marked out on them for what time you want to do it in.

After making our way back to the main hall David Bedford made an entrance! Here he is, as you’ve never seen him before. He certainly lived up to his reputation of being “the most colourful character in world athletics”.

You may wonder why he was dressed like that? Well, apart from perhaps liking to wear frocks, he was trying to make the point about wearing suitable clothing! His talk was hilarious and one I was glad not to have missed.

Liz Yelling – one of Britain’s top distance athletes - and Sam Murphy – writer, runner and coach, gave us some training advice. Amongst many things Sam said to keep your head up when running and not look down, as the head weighs something like 7 lbs (can’t remember exactly) and is a big strain on the neck and back. This was something that I put into practice tonight on my run!

They finished their talk with a bit of visualisation….. we closed our eyes and as she went through the landmarks of the London Marathon we were to visualise ourselves running and then finally crossing over the finishing line. It felt really good and brought a little tear to my eye – goodness knows what I shall be like on the day.

Well done to the London Marathon Team!

And then, to finish off a great day, Hubby came to meet me and we went to Masala Zone for a meal - highly recommended!

Thursday already! Time is flying by - and each day brings me closer to the London Marathon. But, before that, I've got to get through the Stamford 30K and Bedford 20 (miles). My number arrived today for the latter and I had a quick look at the course - at least it doesn't seem as scary as the Stamford 30K! I'm just hoping this wind has blown itself away soon.

Tuesday saw me running on my own after work - I had my music with me which was great as a distraction for a short while but I really didn't like it that I couldn't hear myself breathing and I just couldn't gauge how hard I was running. Sounds daft? I know but I guess it suits some people and I'm not one of them.

After gale force winds this morning I was relieved that the weather had calmed down a little for tonight's run. It wasn't going to be very long so I decided to try and push it round and use it as a bit of a speed session. It was great at the start especially as we had the wind behind us but as soon as we turned the corner we got the full force of the wind coming straight at us! I'm sure it was good training but something I could do without.

My thoughts this week have turned to what I am eating - lots of pasta, baked potatoes and then more pasta! Yep, loads of carbs.... I'm not a vegetarian but tend to not eat a lot of meat. I've looked to see what else has a lot of protein apart from meat and read that lentils are rich in protein. Now, I'm not a great lentil lover but I have found this recipe: Beluga Lentil and Feta Cheese Salad. Sainsburys didn't sell these lentils so I searched high and low for Beluga lentils - in all the health food shops likely to sell them with no luck. I then checked back to the internet where I got the recipe and was on the point of ordering them from there when I saw in small print at the end that Tesco's stocked them. I haven't got them yet, will get them tomorrow and have the salad over the weekend. I think it looks lovely but will let you know what it tastes like.....

Yet another week has gone by - only 76 days to go.... Crikes, not that long to go at all! Did my usual two club runs and another long run yesterday, Saturday. My schedule called for 13 miles. I ran the first segment in a group but myself and Rhona went (mistakenly) a different way and ran an 8 mile route. I then carried on and ran the remainder - I shall have to get this sorted out so that I run the first segment on my own and then have some company for the second half!

I've been feeling quite weary this week and the enormity of running 26.2 miles is really hitting me - or, not so much the actual distance but all the training that's involved in the lead up to it. I got news this week of the itinerary for the Training Day in London - there will be plenty of advice on offer from the Course and Finish Directors about what to expect on the course; David Bedford giving unique tips and Liz Yelling offering invaluable training advice, and, of course, Flora London Marathon official souvenir sales! I should come away with plenty of advice and knowledge to see me through the next few weeks of training.

After the race on Sunday I fully expected my legs to feel a bit tired and stiff over the next couple of days and I wasn’t disappointed! I would like to have gone swimming on Monday to ease them out a bit but I just couldn’t fit it in this week. Consequently, on Tuesday night’s club run I took it fairly easy. It was great going to the club and everyone congratulating me on the Folksworth 15, I felt very proud of myself.

By Wednesday I was feeling quite tired and could have missed the cross training session at the gym but persuaded myself into going thinking that I couldn’t start skipping sessions now when there are still weeks to go until the Marathon! I didn’t spend that long there, just doing what I had to do and getting home quick.

Last night’s run was quite a hard one. We did the same route as Tuesday but in reverse. I ran with Suzanne and we started out at quite a steady pace. We kept it up for 3 miles but then Suzanne had to stop for a call of nature – I couldn’t quite get back into the pace after that. My legs felt heavy and I found it hard going. On checking the time when we got back I wasn’t surprised to see that we had run it a minute or so faster than Tuesday even including the stop. No wonder I was finding it hard work!

How I love Fridays! No running, no gym – just REST!

Folksworth 15 Race Report

As you will know, I was not looking forward to this race at all. As if 15 miles wasn't hard enough, it was jam packed with HILLS! Luckily, the weather wasn't too bad, although it was windy it could have been a lot worse.

So, I started the day off with a big bowl of porridge, packed a gel sports drink, a banana, a water bottle and a sports drink bottle in my bag after having already dropped off a sports drink round a friend who would be marshalling the race at the 7 mile point. The plan was that I would have finished my first bottle by then and would be ready for the next. I also popped a few jelly babies in my shorts pocket. As it happened, I drank the two bottles of sports drink and had a jelly baby every time I approached a hill - not at all sure it made any difference but it made me feel better!

I had no preconceived idea of pace, I was just going to run at whatever felt comfortable and try and make the most of the downhill sections as I knew I would lose quite a bit of time on the uphill. The gun went and although there were not that many of us (435) the road was quite narrow and it took 38 seconds for me to cross the starting line!

I set off nice and steady and was surprised to see that I passed the first mile marker in 9.02. It then took me the next mile to work out what that was minus the 38 secs! The first big long hill came in at 3 miles - this was long and kept steadily climbing, we then had a small dip followed by a smallish hill and then a lovely long downhill section! This brought us to Mile 7 to the BIG HILL. There's nothing I can say, it's just a killer and you have to just get stuck in and work your way to the top.

It was great that a few of our club members were Marshalls (yes, I picked up my drinks bottle here) and their encouragement was greatly appreciated! My hubby was also there to support and took this photo of me coming up the hill - you can see beyond us runners to where we had come from (and this was not the top of the hill, no sirree, there was still a way to go!Some people hate the idea of a 2 lap race - I'm not so sure. At least you know what's coming. So we continued on to do the whole thing again, running past a side road where the finish line was situated.

Around 8-9 miles I could feel my hip, thigh, buttock area starting to ache a little bit and tried not think about it. I was counting the miles .... 10 miles ....11 miles - around this time I got a bit confused and was trying to work out what I thought my time might be. I was multiplying the miles by 10 and then taking off minutes and and forgot I had passed the 11 mile mark so when I approached what I thought was 11 miles and saw it was in fact 12 miles I was deliriously happy! I must have had a sugar overload, perhaps too many jelly babies fuddling the brain! Anyway, it was such a psychological boost - only 3 miles to go not the 4 I thought. Of course, I still had the BIG HILL but at least I knew it was the last hill and not much further on from there.

Once up the hill, I pushed on and managed to overtake a few people on the way to the finishing line. I looked up at the clock and it said 2:17:41. I crossed the line with a great big smile on my face. I felt good, my legs were tired but all in all a good run!

Time: 2.17.41
Dist: 15 miles
Avg Pace: 9.07

Sue Ryder Care

It's been a very busy week! I've got in my two Club runs, 6 and 7 miles respectively and managed to get to the gym on Monday and Wednesday to continue with the cross training, so really I should be feeling optimistic about the race tomorrow - uh oh, no way. Take a look at the course, OMG those hills! And the worse thing is, it's a two lap course!! This is my biggest challenge to date!


So, anyway, on to why I have been so busy - I've been giving some thought as to which Charity to run for. After much consideration, and it wasn't an easy choice as each Charity is so deserving, I have chosen Sue Ryder Care.

In the United Kingdom five million people are affected, directly or indirectly by neurological conditions. Sue Ryder Care offer specialised care to people with complex illnesses and conditions including:

Cancer
Multiple Sclerosis
Stroke
Parkinson’s Disease
Motor Neurone Disease
Huntington’s Disease
Brain Injury

Their vision is “Care that liberates lives”. This means helping people get the best from life whatever their diagnosis.

A very worthy cause, I hope you will agree. If you would like to know more about what Sue Ryder Care are all about you can find that information here!

I'm so happy now knowing that others may get some benefit from my efforts of running the London Marathon - now all I have to do is get out there and run!

Sunday's Frostbite 5 mile race

Sunday’s Frostbite League race was over at Ramsey on country tracks and round a couple of fields. With all the rain we have had lately I knew it was going to be muddy – very muddy. I wore hubby’s old cross-country trainers which had a really good grip on the sole. They fitted well and got me through the mud with minimal slippage but worse than mud was the wind. I hate it! It was sooooo hard fighting against it! Thank goodness it was only 5 miles – I just don’t think I could have gone on any further. It’s left me feeling pretty worried about next week’s 15 miler – I already know it’s “undulating” but have also been told it’s exposed and windy!

Round-up

I’ve been quite good this week, getting myself to the gym to do a bit of cross-training. On Monday I went straight after work to swim. It was ok. I don’t mind swimming, it’s all the palaver that goes with it – the washing hair and getting it dry. It takes longer getting dressed after than the actual time I spend in the water! Particularly on Monday – I just couldn’t get my goggles to fit properly and after a couple of lengths the right eye kept filling up so I had to keep stopping to let water out. It was so annoying. The only way to stop it was to push them on so hard to get suction that my eyes felt like they were popping out! Anyway, I got so fed up that I only managed 20 minutes.

Tuesday I went along to the Running Club and had a good run there. I started off steady but was able to push it for the last mile. I was really pleased, I wasn’t sure how my legs were going to be but I was fine, no aching or heavy legs. We were due to run 7 miles but the group I was with decided to cut it short to 6 miles because of lack of time. Never mind, 6 miles is good.

Wednesday I went back to the gym, this time to do 2000 metres rowing (11 mins) and then some sit-ups and upper body weights. It was good and I could feel I had worked out the next day – but not too much, just the right amount of aching!

Thursday’s weather forecast was awful – heavy rain and winds so I decided to go to the gym instead of the club for my running session. I don’t much like running on the treadmill so to make it more interesting I set it on a Hill programme – 45 mins at 5.5 speed. It was good, just about the right speed and some quite big hills!

All in all, a good week.

Marathon training

So, just when I thought I could forget about my training schedule, I went over it once again to remind myself what sort of training I should be doing for the London Marathon. It sounds so easy and simple on paper, how very different it is in reality! My Runners World magazine arrived this weekend and I have been having a good read of it, especially the section on marathon training. In their 14 week training plan they recommend that the long run is counted in minutes rather than miles which I suppose is a good idea. Their longest run is for 170 mins. I'm sure they know best as they are the experts but I'm not sure I would feel confident on the day if my previously longest run was only (!) 170 mins. Still, there is a lot of useful advice and ideas so I shall take what I can from it but carry on with my schedule.

I went out on Saturday morning with quite a little crowd of us, all of mixed abilities. We chose to do a route involving 5 mile laps so that those who wanted to do less could peel off at each lap. After two laps I was left on my own. I thought about just doing a couple of miles but chose to do the whole lap again, making it 15 miles, the same as last week. I didn't find the last couple of miles as hard as last week, but once I had finished I was very sore, especially around my right hip with pain radiating right down my leg. I walked for about half mile to warm down and did lots of stretching exercises.

Breaking down the times I did 1st lap 55.03, 2nd lap 52.38, 3rd lap 48.45. That's really encouraging that I could manage the third lap faster than the first two. I'm wondering whether that's why my hip was aching, in that I had slowed down quite a bit for the first lap which meant altering my natural stride? Oh, I don't know! This is all technical stuff.

I didn't feel too bad this morning but still a bit stiff and tired. Today should have been a rest day but I decided I needed to do something to loosen up, so me and hubby walked to the gym (1/2 hour) and I did 10 mins on the rowing machine followed by sit-ups and stretching exercises. I then did some upper body weight training and then finally a 10 min swim. I certainly felt less stiff and more relaxed after all that.

Runner's World training tips recommend cross-training so I shall try and swim a bit more and use the Rowing Machine.

Time: 2:36:26
Dist: 15 miles
Pace: 10.28

Some exciting news and a bit scary as well!

One of the guys from the club had a guaranteed club entry for the London Marathon but has injured his leg and has decided not to run and I have been offered the entry! I decided it must be fate and have said YES!

OMG! I must get down to some serious training now and with that in mind I have lined up a 15 mile race on the 20th this month, a 30K (18 miles) on 10 Feb and 20 mile race on 16 March. I've been on to Runners World and entered for all three.

I've seen on the London Marathon entry form there is a training seminar at the beginning of February and have booked a day there to get advice on training, diet, injuries, etc. And, more interestingly, clothing and shoes are available to purchase!

My legs were still a bit tired from Saturday's run so I could easily have talked myself out of going to the club tonight, especially as it was cold and damp. However, I am feeling very fat and unfit from the Christmas overload so I made myself go along. I'm glad I went - it was great meeting up with everyone. Most of us were not very keen to go too far so we agreed on a 4 mile route with extra bits people could add on if they so wished. Needless to say, I just did the basic 4 miler!

Time: 39.16
Dist: 4.22
Avg Pace: 9.17

Oh my gosh, did I ache after my long run on Saturday! I was really suffering, especially around my hips and lower back. I knew when I was running the last couple of miles that I had started leaning over a bit and I paid the price. It just goes to show how weak my core muscles are. New Year's resolution? Do some sit-ups - regularly!

I went to the gym yesterday and did 10 mins each on the rowing machine, cross-trainer and treadmill. Cor, did my legs ache on the treadmill but I felt much better after exercising, my muscles had loosened up a bit and I didn't feel so stiff. I also did a few sit-ups!

Today, I feel fine. Probably could go for a run if only I didn't have such a hangover from our New Year's Eve celebrations!

Happy New Year to you all!

I met up with a couple of friends this morning for our Saturday morning run. After discussions of how long and where we were to run, we decided on a run along the railway line into town and then back along the rowing lake. It can be a boring run as there are two very long straight stretches but with company and a little chatter it doesn't seem so bad!

We arrived back at the start 8.8 miles later. However, I still felt like I could go on a bit and with the thought of the Folksworth 15 just three weeks away, I decided to carry on for a bit further. At first I planned to run a couple more miles and then I thought that maybe I could get it up to 13 miles. And then I thought, well, why I don't I try for 15!

Those last couple of miles were really hard but, of course, that is the first time I have run over 13 miles so it was always going to be difficult. I will be happier running the Folksworth 15 now that I know I can cover the distance.

Dist: 15 miles
Time: 2:28:47
Avg Pace: 9.50

And son came too

After having ingested an awful lot of chocolates, wine and food in the past week of festivities I decided it was time to get my running shoes back on! And, surprise surprise my 16 year old son, Sean, said he wanted to come too. He'd mentioned over the Christmas holidays that he wanted to start running in the New Year aiming to complete a 10K race. He's played rugby over the winter season so he has a fairly basic standard of fitness but as we runners know, there is no substitute for running.

After a discussion of how far he thought he could run - I thought he could manage 5 miles at a fairly steady pace but he thought 3 miles sounded better. I knew he would be faster than me at the start but wouldn't be able to keep the pace up which is why I thought a steady 5 would be better but I relented and 3 miles it was.

I set out faster than I would have normally done and tried to keep the pace up all the way round. It was very windy but luckily in our favour for the first half of the run. Coming back was a different matter and it felt like we were running against a brick wall. Sean was going well and kept going strong all the way home.

Once home he collapsed in a heap and said he felt sick! Haha, I remember that feeling from my very early days of running. He had borrowed a pair of my husband's old trainers and said that they were too small. So, if he is serious about running we may need to pop to the shops to get him his own pair. However, let's see how he feels later today....

Time: 26:48
Dist: 3.08
Pace: 8.42

I had another great run on Thursday evening. Again, it was a nice cool evening and as I knew this would be my last run for a few days I was determined to make it a good one. There were not many of us at the club and we set off together. We were running the same route as Tuesday but the other way round. I ran with Alison and we pushed it all the way round - or rather, I pushed it. Alison is faster than me so it was just the competition I needed to get me round.

I don't know about you, but I easily get confused when we turn the runs round and run the other way! There were a couple of junctions we came to and dithered a bit but even so we managed to beat Tuesday's time!

Merry Christmas to you all!