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!

A great run!

I've just got back from my Tuesday evening Club Run and it was great. My legs felt strong and my breathing was easy - oh, I so love runs like that! It was cool and I even wore gloves - although they came off half way round. This weather is perfect for me. I'm planning to run again on Thursday and then I'm not sure when I shall be able to get out again. Several of us from the club have mentioned the weekend between Christmas and New Year so hopefully we shall meet up then to run off the Christmas Day excesses!

Distance: 5.96 miles
Time: 54:32
Pace: 9.08

Hello! Yes, I’m still here - It’s that time of year when there is so much to do that it seems impossible to find the time to run. I’ve managed to get to the Club on Tuesdays and also to get a weekend run in but that’s about it. Neither runs have been that long and on Saturday it was absolutely freezing – it looked beautiful though with a white glaze covering the fields.

On Saturday evening we had our Running Club Christmas Do. It was a good evening and a big turnout with over 60 of us attending (with partners). Presentations were made and I came away with the trophy for Ladies Club Champion (shared with Ann). To get this award, you have to run in qualifying 10K, 10 mile and ½ marathon races over the year. The timings are then worked out in an age-related chart and the one with the highest awards is the winner!

I’ve come to a decision over the London Marathon and have withdrawn my name from the Club draw. I really think I could do with another year of continuous running to get a good grounding to work from. I’m sure I could get round the course this April but as it is probably the only marathon I will ever run, I want to try and make sure that I run it as best I can.

I'm looking forward to 2008 and getting in some good training runs. The foundations have already been laid and it's now up to me to make the most of them.

After listening to the weather warnings on Saturday I was in two minds whether to run the 10 miler on Sunday. Well, that's fatal giving myself doubts - as soon as I start double thinking about running I choose to opt out and that's exactly what I did on Sunday. I felt a bit guilty later on in the day but I have to think positive and decide that the rest will have done me good. After looking back over my log, that was the first weekend since August that I hadn't been on a run!!!

I went along to the club on Tuesday and after having missed the weekend run, I chose to go with a small group who opted to do a longer run than the main group. In total we ran just under 7 miles, although I would like to have gone on a bit further but we have a club policy where no-one goes off on their own, especially in Winter.

I handed in my reject letter for the London Marathon to the club and will just have to wait and see whether I get a club place.....

I went up to the Club on Tuesday and had a good run. I was a bit worried about the nagging ache in my groin and a twinge in my Achilles but it was ok. No pains and a good steady 6 mile run was had. I really don’t understand what is going on with my groin but I don’t think it can be anything serious. I wonder whether I’m just thinking about it too much – you know what us runners are like being very aware of any twinge, ache or pain!

Thursday night was a different story - my legs felt heavy and tired but I think it was the thought of hill work that was making me feel that way! We ran over to where we train for the hill work which is about a mile and then I did 3 repeats and ran back. In all it was just around the 5 mile mark. I had read in Runners World just that day how good hills are to make a marked improvement in running times. I shall have to put that into practice more determinedly next time.

Some bad news came this week – I was turned down for the London Marathon! Not altogether surprised I let our Club secretary know as our Club gets a couple of entries each year. All names of those who entered and were refused get put into a hat – so I do have a second chance. I wasn’t aware of how many others had entered but she told me that at least 8 others had. So…. I’ll have to wait and see.

The Grim Challenge this weekend is off! My two other team mates have pulled out and to be honest I was not looking forward to the travelling – it is over two hours away and with a 10 o’clock start that would have meant leaving very early. The weather forecast is not good either so maybe it is a wise decision. There is a local 10 mile race which I can enter on the day so I intend to do that instead.

Catch-up

Tuesday night I ran at the club with a couple of the other runners. It was quite a cold night but we soon warmed up. I went out without my watch but someone else had their Garmin on and said we had run 5.5 miles. We had taken it steady, in truth my legs were still a bit tired from Sunday.

Thursday I had the pleasure of my husband running with me. He doesn't run very often now because of poorly knees due to too much running - he misses it but gets his exercise at the gym and on his bike. He tried to encourage me but I could have belted him one when he was pushing me to go the long way round - usually I'm up for this but didn't he know I had just ran a half marathon!

Over the weekend we had my sister & brother in-law plus nephews visiting and it took all my willpower to get up early on Saturday to go for my long run. I could so easily have not gone.... but I did it! It really was very, very cold but looked beautiful with a layer of frost coating everything in sight.

My schedule said 14 miles but I knew there was no way that I was going to go that far but I did manage 11.5 at a steady pace. I thought about the Marathon and the effort it was going to take to keep going for 26 miles!

Riverside Half Marathon

The forecast had been cold, wet and windy! As it happened, it was 2 out of 3 with the rain staying away until late afternoon. I was very unsure about what to wear opting in the end to wear my "garish" running tights and the club short sleeved t-shirt. There were many runners there braving the elements in shorts and vests and I began to doubt myself. I did get hot but was happy in what I had chosen to wear.

The organisation of the half marathon was excellent. They had pacemakers for various times and an electronic clock staked out at half way and it was the best goodie bag ever with a long-sleeved t-shirt, a bag of crisps, a cereal bar and a packet of chewy sweets! 10 out of 10.

I lined up behind the 2 hour pacemakers and felt content to tuck in behind them and not have to do any thinking..... However, after about 1/2 mile I started thinking about the course. I had looked at the map earlier and noted that it was "undulating" with two big hills. If the pacemakers kept the pace at 9 min miles I knew I would struggle with the uphill sections so I pulled ahead a little bit. I was hoping to make up the time on the flat and downhill sections that I would lose going uphill.

It was very open with clear views of the surrounding countryside (and nowhere near the river despite the name of the race!) This made it very windy and it was a struggle in parts to move forward. Despite that, I enjoyed the run and it was a real pleasure that the last two miles were downhill coming into the finish!
Mile splits:

1. 8.54 Overall time: 1.56.22
2. 8.18 Avg pace: 8.50
3. 8.37
4. 9.12
5. 9.06
6. 8.56
7. 8.22
8. 8.47
9. 9.24
10. 9.13
11. 8.57
12. 8.35
13. 8.37 + 1.19

It was so cold tonight, the coldest it has been so far. The bits of me that were covered felt fine, but my hands were still cold after 3 miles. They warmed up a bit after that so I think I'll leave off the gloves for the time being. I'm sure there will be much colder evenings to look forward to!

Getting ready for the run, I went through my drawer of old running clothes and came across a pair of running bottoms I hadn't worn for ages and ages. They're a bit garish but very comfortable. I teamed them up with a lime green long-sleeved running top and a flourescent bib. Just about ready to leave the house my 16 year old son asked me if I "was really going to leave the house dressed like that?" How torturous it is being 16, worrying about what everyone else thinks!

It was supposed to be efforts, but my legs were still feeling a bit heavy and with the half marathon on Sunday, I decided to just take it steady.

Distance: 5.25
Time: 50:19
Avg: 9.34

Tuesday club run

My legs felt ok at the start of last night's club run but by the time we were on our last mile back home, they were beginning to feel a bit heavy. My running buddies didn't seem to be suffering so I guess it's all down to age, and the older you get the longer you need to recover from a race!

I was trying to guess at what pace we were running as I have a big plan for Sunday's half marathon...... I'm not racing round but using it as part of my training schedule for the London Marathon (I know, I haven't got a confirmed place yet, but I feel the need to start training anyway). This weekend on my schedule Iam down to run 12 miles and when my friend couldn't run the Half Marathon and offered me her place, I thought it would be a good incentive to run the distance.

I am a terror for starting off too fast in a race and then slowing down considerably towards the end. I lack confidence that if I start off a bit slower then I will be able to maintain that steady pace all the way round - I still think I would slow down thus losing the minutes I would have gained had I gone faster - LOL. Does any of this make sense???

Well, my plan is to run 9 minute or 9.30 minute miling for the first mile and for each successive mile..... I will see how my legs are on the day before deciding which speed to go for. I'm not after a PB because I want to be able to carry on with my training the following week rather than have the following days as recovery runs. Well, we shall see.....

Distance: 5.76
Time: 54:13
Avg: 9:24

Frostbite - Race 2 - Bushfields

I awoke in the night to the sound of wind howling outside but luckily by the time I got up it had calmed down. In fact, the sun was out although there were one or two dark clouds hovering.

I made my way up to the club and reported for car-parking duties. I could see there was going to be trouble when I spotted the sign for the Christmas Festival alongside our directions for car-parking! Luckily not everyone was fooled and we didn't have to re-direct too many shoppers!

On to the race itself. We had 415 runners turn up which was brilliant. Suzanne and I stood together and the plan was that we would run together but each of us would go on if we felt the other fall back. Our aim was sub-42 mins. We set off at a pace just a little bit faster than I would have liked. It's so hard not to get caught up with the pack and I decided to pull back ever so slightly until I got into my rhythm. After a half mile or so, I felt a bit more comfortable and pushed forward a little bit. I could feel Suzanne dropping back but thought she might catch me later.

As the route was all around where I lived, my husband was out and about on his bike, popping up all over the place ready to take photos. Unfortunately, none are fit to print - I look like a great big blob blobbing along!

By Mile 4 I was starting to fade and felt sure Suzanne would suddenly be on my back. It was enough for me to dig in and amidst the encouragement of our supporters I crossed the finishing line in 41:22 beating my previous PB by 37 seconds - thank goodness!

Mile 1 - 8:07
Mile 2 - 8:06
Mile 3 - 8:15
Mile 4 - 8:13
Mile 5 - 8:26

Distance: 5.03 miles

Time: 41:22

Ave Pace: 8.12

Went to watch my lad play rugby today. It was freezing cold standing there with dark clouds hovering above us. I had on two layers of everything but the cold still worked its way through to me ole bones! Bah hah, we didn't even have the pleasure of watching his team win.

(A photo taken on warmer days!)

My thoughts drifted to tomorrow's race....I laughed to myself, it wasn't that long ago I was moaning about the heat. I'm on car-parking duties first so I'll need to wrap up well and do a good warm-up.....

Tuesday's run

On Tuesday I felt I had recovered from the previous week’s 10 mile race and wanted to test my legs. I set out with Suzanne and we soon got into a good steady pace. Not long into the run we caught up with another couple and joined them. The pace was good, my legs felt strong and my breathing was ok. It had been quite chilly when starting out but I soon warmed up and wished I had put on a t-shirt rather than my Lifa – will I never learn!

After about 4 miles the pace slowed a bit and it was around this time that I noticed the niggling pain in my groin. I’d first got this during the Fenland 10 last week and was hoping that it had just been a consequence of that run. I’m not sure how much it would have forced me to reduce the pace if we hadn’t slowed down anyway.

When we had finished, I stretched out a bit and after arriving back home (just a 5 min car journey) I had a good stretching session. I really don’t want to be injured, especially now I seem to be back to the level of fitness I was at prior to my operation at the end of last year.

Saturday morning

I met up with Sheila and Laura for a Saturday morning run. It was one of those glorious autumn days with a slight chill in the air but with the sun shining and the wonderful colours of autumn all around us.

We caught up on all our news and the time and distance passed by quickly. We only ran an hour - haha how great it is to say only an hour. Time soon to start building up the distance. I had a dream last night that my entry for the London Marathon came in the post! Fingers crossed this dream comes true.

Too much effort!

I went along to the club last night and was very happy to see Ann there who had also ran the Fenland 10. I was even happier to hear that her quads were killing her too! So, maybe it had nothing to do with any of the other factors and it was just a bloody hard race!

I didn't feel up to efforts so Ann, Barrie and myself did the run but didn't put in the efforts. It was a lovely mild evening and I only wore a t-shirt (plus bottoms, of course!). I bet there's not many more of them ahead of us.

Distance: 5.2 miles
Time: 52.14

Paying the price

My quads were so sore after the race! I'm not really sure why but I suppose I could put it down to not warming up, not cooling down, plus various other factors so I guess I have only myself to blame.

When I got up on Monday morning they were no better and I could see no way that I would be running again this week. Someone at the club had given me the number of a sports physio so in desperation I rang her up and asked if she had any appointments. The earliest she could fit me in was over a week later!

Luckily, just half an hour later, she rang back saying someone had cancelled that evening's session. She gave my legs a good old workout but I didn't feel much better afterwards. I think I was expecting some sort of miraculous recovery!

On Tuesday they were still sore but gradually throughout the day they loosened up a bit. So much so, that I went along to the club. I took it easy and had a gentle jog. I made sure I stretched out afterwards and when I got home I had a nice warm bath and massaged some lotion into my quads.

I am pleased to say that this morning there was a definite improvement. They're still sore but getting better each day.

Distance: 5.65 miles

Time: 57:33

Fenland 10

Oh My Gosh, that was one really hard race.

I awoke to wind and slight rain so took with me every conceivable item of clothing that might be needed, lol. I also took along my Zen Creative with the inspiring running track all tuned in....

The rain had held off and it didn't feel too cold so I opted for shorts and a singlet -wise choice. It didn't take me long to realise that it was actually quite warm. I set off at a pace that should have felt comfortable but after about a mile my legs were feeling heavy, especially my quads. Not really sure why but I was hoping they would loosen up on the way round.

By Mile 4 my legs were still feeling heavy and I wondered whether it might be the music - you see, it has a very heavy beat and I was having to lengthen my stride to stay in tune. Also, I couldn't hear myself breathe so I felt rather "lost" - it was all very strange so I decided to turn it off and just concentrate on the running.

Unfortunately, even with the music off my legs still felt heavy! The course was mostly flat but very exposed, with gusts of wind making running quite difficult, especially from the 6 mile mark. I dug in and hung on in there, the last two miles were extremely hard work.

I felt absolutely shattered when I had finished, much more so than after the half marathon a couple of weeks ago. After a cuppa tea and a shower I started to feel a bit better. I'm happy with my performance, it's not as fast as I was hoping, but considering the weather I think I did ok.

Mile Splits:

Mile 1 - 8:25
Mile 2 - 8:37
Mile 3 - 8:24
Mile 4 - 8:36
Mile 5 - 8:34
Mile 6 - 8.43
Mile 7 - 8.59
Mile 8 - 9.14
Mile 9 - 9.07
Mile 10 - 9:07

Overall Time: 1:28:29
Avg Pace: 8.46

I haven't run all week!

Everyone around me seems to have this dreaded virus, cough, sneezes, thick head, etc and I think I have had a touch of it. Or I must have because I don't see how I could not have caught any bugs. Anyway, once you start scrutinising how you feel in such minute detail (which all runners seem to do, lol) I had convinced myself that I had a sore throat and a runny nose.

I'm panicking a bit about tomorrow's race....although in reality a week from running shouldn't have done me any harm. In fact, I should feel fresh and strong - just so long as this tickle in my throat goes away....

Gave Tuesday night a miss but went along to the club on Thursday. By then, my legs weren't quite so heavy and I felt ready for a run. It was quite a cold night but I soon warmed up once we got going. It was enjoyable and most of the run was spent discussing Sunday's half marathon and how well all the club runners did.

Saturday morning just saw myself and Marianne able to make it. We didn't meet until 9.45 and it was such a pleasure to have a lie-in. It was a bright sunny morning but very cool in the shade, absolutely perfect for a run. We ran my favourite run, down by the river and across the meadow. It is so beautiful and peaceful and I am so fortunate to have such a lovely run right on my doorstep.

Once we had run the circuit (4.3 miles) Marianne headed off home and I ran the lap again. During the week my Zen Creative Stone arrived so armed with downloaded songs I had it to keep my company. I had also downloaded a podcast of motivational spinning/running music and I put this on for the last mile. It is recorded at 171 bpm and I certainly felt myself speeding up to keep in tune with it!

Great Eastern Half Marathon - Oct 2007

I had an early night the evening before the race and slept well.

The first thing I did when I woke up was check to see what the weather was like. It looked promising as it was cool but, of course, it was still fairly early. The race didn’t start until 11 o’clock so there was time for it to change. As it happened, for the most part it stayed cloudy with the sun breaking through intermittently.

I packed my bag checking I had everything I needed but with a niggling feeling that I had forgotten something. As Rhona and I made our way to the start I saw several people eating their bananas and realised that was what I had forgotten to bring. I had planned to have one an hour before the start of the run so we quickly popped into ASDA and bought one. It was only ½ hour until the start and I was a bit worried about eating it so close but decided to have it anyway.

We met up with the other Bushfield Joggers and there was a real buzz about the place. Everyone was excited talked about the times they hoped to run it in. I had written down 9 min mile splits on my hand but wasn’t feeling very confident about being able to maintain them for the whole 13 miles.

We made our way to the start and somehow amongst the crowd of runners, I lost everyone. I made my way to the time slot that I wanted to start from but couldn’t see any other Bushfield jogger. After about a nervous 5 min wait the gun went off. It then seemed like a couple more minutes before we actually started to move and even then very slowly. We eventually passed the start line and the runners thinned out ever so slightly. I tried not to get carried away and go off too quickly.

After checking my watch at the first mile marker I was pleasantly surprised to see I had run it in 8.22 and yet I felt pretty good. I tried to keep my pace the same, pushing myself just outside my comfort zone but maintaining a good breathing pattern. I had taken a bottle of Lucozade Sport Hydroactive to drink as I ran. Even when drinking these type of drinks I find I need the fresh taste of pure water to clear my mouth so I took on water at the drinking stations.

The run was going well, the miles were being eaten up and I was feeling good. My husband was waiting for me at Mile 7 to cheer me on. I had finished my bottle of water around the 5 mile mark and he had another bottle waiting for me.

Around Mile 10 I could feel my legs starting to stiffen up a bit, especially around the groin. Past memories of seizing up at the end of a previous race preyed on my mind so I tried to alter my stride length and vary my posture. I was feeling tired by now but knew that the end was getting closer and closer. Around 11-12 miles a runner tried to jog alongside me but I could feel his pace was slightly faster than I wanted to go. It was a real distraction so I pulled away to the side and let him go off. He pulled ahead of me but then within ½ mile I came across him and he was walking.

For the last mile our club were marshalling and I got tremendous encouragement from hearing them cheer me on. I checked my watch and knew that I had beaten my time from last year and was content with that. However, when I turned the bend into the home straight with the clock above it, I could see that if I pushed a bit harder I might be able to make it under 1.55.

I pushed on, passed the finish line, had my chip zapped with some sort of device and made my way through to the finishing funnel. I remembered not to stop abruptly but keep jogging on the spot trying to let my legs to get slowly accustomed to not moving. I stretched out a bit and grabbed a banana from the side along with a sports drink and went to try to find my husband. At that time I wasn’t sure if I had beaten 1.55 but I didn’t really care, I was elated to have had such a good run.

I am still overjoyed and can’t quite believe it. What pleases me most is the fact that after the run I didn’t feel as ill as I sometimes have done in the past after a race. I put this down to having the banana before the run, keeping myself hydrated with the sports drinks and the banana at the end of the race.

Sorry for the text being centred - couldn't change the setting!!

Great Eastern Half Marathon Race Report

Facts and Figures

Overall time: 1:54:13
Avg Pace: 8:42
Overall Pos: 1093/2283
Gender Pos: 198/811
Age group: 8/27

Mile Splits:

Mile 1 - 8.22
Mile 2 - 8.28
Mile 3 - 8.14
Mile 4 - 8.17
Mile 5 - 8.37
Mile 6 - 8.45
Mile 7 - 8.33
Mile 8 - 8.43
Mile 9 - 8.53
Mile 10 - 9.03
Mile 11 - 9.06
Mile 12 - 9.02
Mile 13 + 1- 10.15

If I said I was happy that would be an understatement!

I had a great race. I felt comfortable at the pace I was running, the weather got a bit sunny in places but for the majority of time it was cloudy. I beat last year's time by 4 minutes!

The encouragement I got from my husband at the 7 mile point and the other Bushy Club Runners and Marshalls was brilliant.

More to come later.....

Tapering...

This Tuesday and Thursday saw me trying to take it easy.... it's hard, holding back and I'm not so sure I did a good job of it on Tuesday! Last night, I deliberately held back from my usual group of runners and joined a slightly slower group. I'm not so sure I felt any better for it though!

Afterwards, all talk was of the half marathon on Sunday....what times everyone was hoping to do....talk of not being as fit as they would have liked etc. I kept quiet. I would like to do the same time as last year, just under two hours. A few weeks ago I wasn't so sure I would be able to but just lately, with a few good runs under my belt, I'm feeling optimistic. Watch this space...

Race report - Frostbite League

Sunday saw the first race of the Frostbite League. As for the weather, it was good. Cool but not cold, I'm sure there will be much worse to come!

I travelled there in a car with 4 other ladies, I was supposed to be the navigator. Haha, that's a joke, me?! As is to be expected, I got us lost! We'd left enough time and found our way there by asking a kindly gent although I must say in my defence, the venue was not sign posted at all.

On to the run..... I knew it would be a hard run as the course was on grass and through some woods so I would just see how I felt on the day. I set off pretty quick and managed to hold on there for all the way round repeating to myself, It's only 5 miles...it's only 4 miles, etc, down to the last mile.

I was pleased with my time and as a team, we did very well. We came 6/15. I'm looking forward to the next Frostbite in November - our club is hosting the event and, all being well, the course should be a bit faster.

Time: 42:18
Distance: 5 miles
Avg pace: 8:26

Hill work

On Thursday we ran over to Alwalton and did hill reps. The fastest runners managed to squeeze 5 in, but I only managed 4 in the time we had. We then ran back to the club. It was a good session and I'm sure I will benefit from it in time. I'm sure the answer to being a good runner is variation.

Time: 46:34
Distance: 5 miles

Tuesday evening

I woke up this morning with a really stiff neck! I'd obviously slept in an awkward position and it really hurt and ached all day long. I wasn't sure how it would be when I was running but I needn't have worried. It ached a little but not enough to interfere with the run.

I'm really not enjoying these dark evenings -it's so hard to see where you're going. We try to stick to well-lit paths but sometimes it's not possible. We also had to run past a few gangs of youths who passed a comment or two but nothing too serious although I certainly wouldn't have wanted to have been on my own!

It was a good run, my legs felt strong and it felt like a good pace. I'm still wearing T-shirt and shorts and found the temperature just perfect.

Distance: 5.7
Time: 53:24
Avg pace: 9.23

Saturday's run

This is the last long run I intend to do before the Half Marathon. I didn't want to go as far as last week so planned on running about 10 miles. It was our usual route over the meadows and through the back of Ferry Meadows. We added on the rowing lake and back through the nature reserve. All in all a good steady run, chattering with friends, enjoying the company and being at one with nature!

Distance: 10.7
Time: 1:50:48
Avg Pace: 10.19

Efforts!

Efforts! I think that says it all!!

Distance: 5.2 miles
Time: 46:38
Avg Pace: 8.55

Tuesday evening

Another really good run! Again, a lovely cool evening with just a gentle breeze, perfect running conditions for me. I wouldn't have minded if we had even had just a little drizzle!

Started off in a big group but slowly divided into smaller sets of even pace. After a mile or so, I was feeling good. Surprisingly so, after my long run on Saturday, but it didn't seem to have a lasting effect. There was a little group ahead of me, so I pushed hard and caught them up.

About another mile or so further on, half the group split off and took a shorter route. Three of us pushed on and after half a mile or so Barry caught us. Hailey then dropped back with Barry and Phil and I pushed on together.

It felt good, although it was getting dark by now and it was hard to see where we were putting our feet sometimes. The last couple of miles seemed a long long way and the sight of the floodlights over the football pitch gladdened my heart as that is also where the finish is!

The last mile was really hard going and I was having to push it to keep with Phil. I encouaged him to go ahead but he was having none of it. The effort was worth it as when I uploaded my Garmin I see that was our fastest mile!

Distance: 7.1
Time: 1:02:40

Pace: 8.49

Long Run

With just three weekends to go until the Half Marathon I decided I really must get a very long run in. I know some people are happy to have covered most of the distance but, for me, I like to enter the race confident with the knowledge that I can run the distance.

Myself, Marianne and Suzanne set out at 9.30 yesterday morning. It was misty and I couldn't tell whether it was going to be one of those mornings when the sun broke through or it would stay cool - I was hoping for the latter! I mapped out a route in my mind which covered two laps as Marianne didn't want to go as far as Suzanne and myself. We set out at a comfortable pace and after 6 miles Marianne headed home.

We pushed on and upped the pace a bit. It wasn't soul-destroying knowing that we were running the course again (as I know it can be sometimes) but around the 10 mile mark Suzanne's knee was playing up so we cut in and headed towards home.

However, Suzanne had run to our starting point so, of course, she still had to run back home! It added on about just under 2 miles in total and as I wasn't feeling too bad (relatively speaking) I ran most of the way with her and then ran back again to the start.

This made a total distance of 13.5 miles! Yippee!!

Distance: 13.58
Time: 2:23:36
Overall pace: 10:34

Thursday

I couldn't make the club night again tonight - that's several Thursdays in a row. Anyone would think I was trying to dodge the hillwork or the speed sessions, lol.

I felt absolutely shattered coming home from work and contemplated having a lie down before going on the run (or even not bothering with the run!) but I knew if I did that I probably would end up not going. So, donning shoes and Garmin and a bottle of sports drink to give me a much needed boost I set out.

I decided to just run my old route round the lakes at Ferry Meadows and then the nature reserve. I took it easy and hoped I was running about 10 min miling. I decided that if I was, I would be pleased with that because I felt I could have gone on for a lot longer at that pace (so why didn't I you might ask?).

Distances have been playing on my mind a lot lately, especially as I am considering entering the London Marathon!

Distance: 4.1

Time: 41:34

Pace: 10.05

Tuesday eveing

I had another good run this evening. It really must be these cooler evenings and, oh boy, are they getting cooler?! And Darker, oh yes, much darker. Some intelligent ones amongst us thought to wear their flourescent vests and we certainly needed them, especially towards the end of the run.

We clocked up another 8 miles, or just under. My legs felt good and strong. I know I should be happy with doing the distance and feeling good but, and yes there is a but, I am slightly disappointed with the time. The pace works out at 9.23 min miling but it certainly felt faster than that, more like 9 min miling. Never mind, I won't lose any sleep over it.

Distance: 7.9
Time: 1:14:06
Pace: 9.23

Well, that's another long run done!

With just 26 days to go until the Half Marathon I was starting to panic. I wasn't at all sure I would be able to run 13 miles but I now feel confident that I can do it - just not at all sure in what time.

It wasn't a fast run but it was two hours on my feet. Next Saturday I intend to do another long run, probably about 11 miles or so.

Two hours - when I stop and think about it, I find it incredible. The fact that I can run for two hours is just amazing. It's good sometimes to take stock and actually realise what an achievement it is. Well, I think so, anyway.

After Tuesday evening's run I thought I had cracked it. My running was coming together and I felt like I was running with effort. Huh, no way!

This evening I went out with Laura at 4.30 to run 5 miles. I didn't have any idea what was in store for me - I thought my legs had recovered from Tuesday night's run, they certainly hadn't felt like they were aching during the day.

But oh my goodness. They felt like lead and it was a struggle all the way round. The weather didn't help with it being very warm and muggy. I think that is the key - I definitely run a whole lot better in the cooler weather. That's good news then with Winter just around the corner. Remind me of this when I moan about how cold it is ......

Distance: 5.15
Time: 51:56
Pace: 10.05

Tuesday evening

Had a marvellous run this evening!

Jogged round to Laura's and we then jogged up to the club. After a bit of hanging around there waiting for everyone to turn up, we set off. The plan was to run 8 miles. The jog up to the club had warmed me up and I set off feeling really comfortable. I stuck at that pace, dropping back every now and again to keep a small group together but eventually ending up with just Suzanne, myself and Dave.

The cooler evening temperature suits me just perfect. As well, I was off work today so managed to have a bowl of pasta 2-3 hours before the run which must have given me the energy I needed. I felt in good form - at last. It's been a long time since I have been out running and felt so good!

I really pushed the mileage up last week albeit not intentionally. Tuesday Club night we ran our usual 5 miles but on Thursday I was going out in the evening so decided to go for a run straight after work. I persuaded hubby to join me - we often used to run together but he had to give up running because of bad knees. I only planned on running my usual route round the lakes but once we were out we pushed on a bit and ended up running 7.8 miles. Poor man! His knees and thighs were a bit sore when he had finished!

On Saturday, four of us went out planning to run a long one and, sure enough, after a couple of others dropping off, me and Sheila ran 11 miles! I am so pleased, it is a real boost to cover that distance knowing the half marathon is only a few weeks off! It wasn't in a marvellous time, but that's not important, its covering the distance that means the most at this stage.

Saturday morning

Ran with Sheila. It was a very pleasant run, we took it easy although on saying that, the first 2-3 miles were rather difficult, much harder than they should have been. I found my breathing difficult but then again that could have been because we were talking too much! It was warm and sunny in places but a bit cooler in the shade. The time and miles flew by so I guess that means it was enjoyable!

Last year I thought this was about 10 miles, today with my Garmin I see it is just 9.25. Oh well, wouldn't it make a nice change if I had under-estimated the distance, just once....


Time: 1:36:48
Distance: 9.25
Pace: 10.25

Last Thursday we did efforts at the club. They were really hard and I pushed myself to make the most of the session and, oh boy, it felt so good - afterwards! It was really hard work but with a few more effort sessions, I will hopefully see the fruits of my labour some time in the future.

I met up with Laura on Saturday to get a longish run in and we ran about 8 miles. Not bad but I know I should be upping the distance now with only 6 weeks to go until the half marathon. I got a couple more runs in during the week and I am meeting with Sheila in about an hour to go for our Saturday morning run.

I've just looked back at what I was doing this time last year and I am surprised to see that I am pretty much at the same stage of my training. I was thinking about running 9 miles for my long run that day so may be things aren't looking too bad for the half marathon in October :-)

Tuesday

As I was going out on Tuesday evening, I decided to go for my run after work rather than waiting to go to the club and then have a mad dash getting ready to go out.

I only ran twice last week and in fact feel that for the past few weeks I really haven't been putting in enough training. I'm certainly down on last year and at this rate I have no hope of matching my half marathon time, let alone beating it!

So, I decided to do my old 8 mile run, which I did often last year. It was a bit windy but bearable - rain was always a distant threat. I took my daughter's Creative Zen which really made a difference. I was able to lose myself in the music, only problem was when the tune was a slow one, I definitely felt the pace drop!

I didn't find this run as easy as I should have and the lack of long runs is telling. I'm due to go to the club on Thursday and have arranged with two friends to do a long one on Saturday and hopefully should be able to get the Saturday runs in now for the lead-up to the Half Marathon.

It's great having my Garmin - only problem is when you find out that the run you thought was 8.2 miles turns out to be just 7.7.

Distance: 7.7 miles
Time: 1:16:14

Pace: 9.52

Catch-up

I did run last week, I just wasn't in the blogging frame of mind. Went along to the club on Tuesday and had a really nice run. The weather was good, warm but not too humid and the route we went on was very nice. As most of us were racing the next evening, we took it quite easy.

Distance: 6.6
Time: 1:07:22
Pace: 10:06

Wednesday was the last race in the 5K series. I had run enough races to get a t-shirt which I picked up on the night. Oh, I do so like getting running t-shirts!

I had decided that if the weather conditions were good for me, I would go for it. It had been raining all day which made it a bit cooler than it had been for a while. It didn't actually rain for the race and ideally I would have liked a drizzle but nevertheless, I still decided to give it a go.

I set off at a good pace and tried to keep it going. I felt I was slowing down around 3-4K but then gave it all for the last 1K. I was rewarded with a PB and hopefully next season I will get under the 26 min mark.

Distance: 5K
Time: 26:07

For various reasons I decided to forego this mornings run. It's always the same, whenever I decide to put all my effort into something, be it a training plan, or something similar, I fall at the very first hurdle!

Still, not completely ducking out, I did go to the gym. I persuaded my 15 year old son to come along and attend the Junior Gym (10-15 year olds). He wasn't at all sure as he thought he would be the oldest one there, and sure enough, he was! However, he enjoyed it and I'm hoping he will go along again.

I did my full weights programme - which is both Monday and Wednesdays circuit put together. I then intended to swim afterwards, but guess what! I forgot my swimming costume, doh!

Anyway, whilst there I saw a poster advertising The Grim Challenge. It looks very interesting, to say the least. It's described as 8 miles off road running, wading and crawling!

I'm interested and will see if any of my friends are mad enough to consider joining me!

I've managed to haul myself out of bed four mornings in a row to do my weights and swimming. The fourth morning was very hard but I knew Friday was my rest day! I'm not aching from the weights so I'm wondering whether I need to make them a bit harder? The swimming is good, I can feel my hamstrings are working and I'm improving on my technique, just a little.

The run last night was good. It was a lovely evening, still a bit warm for me but most people seemed to think it was ok. There were two groups, one doing 5 mile with efforts and one just doing the 5 miles. Guess which group I fell into!? I really must put in some effort with these training nights but most of the time I'm happy to go along and run at a comfortable pace. I've got the lst 5K race next Wednesday, so if the weather is to my preference (ie cool and drizzly), perhaps I'll go for it there!

Distance: 5.29
Time: 50:35
Pace: 9.33

Variety is the spice of life

I think it is time to put more variety in my training so with that in mind I went to the gym and worked out a weights programme. I'm only doing upper body and stomach as I don't want to work on my legs and make them too tired for running. The programme only takes about 30 minutes but gives my arms, shoulders, chest, back and stomach a good workout. I aim to do this twice a week, Monday and Wednesday mornings before going to work.

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I am doing 30 minutes of swimming, alternate breast stroke and front crawl. I would love to do all front crawl but don't have the technique yet and need a length of breast stroke to recover my breathing.

I am then running Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the club and a long run on Saturday mornings. This leaves Friday and Sunday as rest days, yippee!

All going well - so far, but then again it is only Tuesday!

Went along to the club tonight and a group of us set off for a 6 mile run. My legs felt strong as I hadn't run for a week. The group fragmented a bit as some went off a bit faster, I hung back and stayed within my comfortable pace. Although I felt strong, it was a warm evening.

It was a very enjoyable run and we all felt so comfortable that we added on a mile loop bringing the total up to 7 miles.

Distance: 7.03 miles

Time: 1:09:32

Pace: 9.53

Week off!

My two little nephews, Thomas and Matthew, have been staying with us for a week while their mum and dad went to a wedding in Prague and stayed on for a few extra days. This meant that I missed out on my running this week, not that I intended to miss out but to be truthful, I was too exhausted by the end of each day! I'd forgotten what hard work it is to look after 2 year and 5 year olds. We had such fun each day going on outings that I feel I got my exercise that way!

Saturday morning

I woke up this morning to bright sunshine - what a change!

Met up with Laura who was still recovering from running a half marathon last weekend at Milton Keynes. This was her first run since then so she didn't fancy going too far or too fast. That suited me fine as I am always ready to take the easy option - especially on a very warm day!

We decided on an hour and chose a route that we thought would take us that long. We had a lot of catching up to do which made the run very pleasant. We went at a pace that was comfortable but could tell before the end that it wasn't going to be an hour long but we decided to just carry on with what we had planned. In all, it measured just over 5 miles and took us 51:53.

Time: 51.53
Distance: 5.14
Pace: 10.06

Thursday evening

After a day of heavy rain it managed to remain dry for Thursday evening's club run. The plan this evening was HILLS! Now, I really do need to train on hills as they are really my downfall - although we don't encounter many hills in this area of England, but when I do, they knock me back.

Unfortunately I wouldn't have time this evening to include the hill work as well in my training session as I was going out afterwards, so I compensated and decided to do a hard run pushing myself to the hill. There were a couple of others that weren't doing the hill as well, and I ran back a mile or so with them and then pushed on for the final mile.

My mile splits were:

8:50
8:55
9:45
9:21
7:49

In the 9.45 mile it was a bit slower because we had stopped to speak to a couple of other club members and the last mile split was not quite a mile as the total distance and time of the run was:

Distance: 4.93
Time: 44:33
Miling: 9.01

A good run, working out at 9 minute miling, even if a bit unevenly paced!

Werrington Guesstimate

Tuesday evening saw a huge number of Bushy Club joggers over at Werrington to compete in the Guesstimate that they hold every year, although this would be my first year of entering. The idea is that you guess how long it will take you to run 5 miles and the person nearest to their estimated time is the winner.

As it was a fairly warm evening and I didn't fancy a hard challenging run I decided to give myself a realistic time of 50 minutes which would be comfortable 10 min miling. It felt quite strange running without a watch and also being unaware of the course so not even knowing how far we had run. I ran the course staying at a comfortable pace but it was clear that either I or the others around me were not in their guesstimated time as one girl I asked said she was down for 45 mins!

It was a lovely fun atmosphere and made a real change from the usual training run.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I ran it in 47:51 - so, ok, not very close to the 50 minutes but pleased that I had found it so comfortable to run around the 9.30 min miling.

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 47:51

Saturday morning

Just before I went away for the weekend last Saturday, I woke early and decided I might as well get up and go for a little jog. I hadn't planned on running over the weekend but as I was awake I might as well. Interestingly, it was a run that I had done many, many times last year when I started training for the half marathon. I was keen to see how far it actually measured on my Garmin - and was quite disappointed in the result! At the start of my training I had thought it was about 5 miles because of the length of time it took me and how hard I found it! Gradually as I improved I realised it wasn't 5 miles and thought it was nearer 4. Ha, imagine my disappointment then when it measured 3.36....

Time: 33:36
Distance: 3.36
Pace: 10.05

5K series and Eye Handicap

I've had two races this week. The first was on Wednesday and it was the third 5K race in a series of 5 over at Ferry Meadows. It was the same course as Race 1 and after a day of rain the sun decided to come out and shine down on all of us. It was going to be far too warm for me to do a PB so I decided to just run the race and try and enjoy it. My friend Rhona had chosen to run this as well, so I kept with her. To be honest, I don't think I could have gone much faster as my legs still felt a bit heavy from Sunday's race.

Distance: 5K
Time: 27:58
Ave pace: 9.00 min miling

The second race was a Handicap race over at Eye. This time, after a day of complete sunshine, the heavens opened about an hour before the race and we had a big thunderstorm! The distance was just under 4 miles and we had each been given a start time based on a previous 5 mile race. My start time was 10:13, with Yvonne just starting off about 20 seconds in front of me and Mandy about 40 seconds.

The weather conditions suited me much better so I put in a bit of an effort for this one. I could see Yvonne had caught Mandy about one third of the way round. I started off quite strong and at one point I thought I was going to catch them up but it was never to be. One guy overtook me and I managed to get back in front of him. Mandy finally pulled away from Yvonne over the last quarter of a mile. I was gaining ground but I just couldn't make up enough. If it had been a longer distance I may have done a bit better but, all in all, I was pleased with my performance.
I don't have the results of my time yet but will update when they come through.

Bushy 25th Anniversary 10K

Our jogging club has been going for 25 years. That's some achievement! And its going from strength to strength with many new faces joining us all the time.

Today, we held a 10K to celebrate the 25th Anniversary and invited several other jogging clubs in the local area to take part.

My target today was to beat the club record for the 10K in my age category! Time to beat: 55:40 set in 2001. I knew it was possible as I had run a faster time for the 6 mile run at Whissendine on Thursday but unfortunately that run didn't count as it was a 6 mile run and not a 10K.

I set off from the starting line a bit faster than I would normally but felt ok so pushed on. By halfway round I knew I was on schedule and could allow myself to just pull back a bit to keep my breathing under control and not blow out!

I missed the 8K marker and by the time 9K appeared, a fellow Bushfield lady was hot on my tail. Her name is Yvonne and she had just joined the club and looked to be in the same age group as me! Oh no, I wasn't about to put in this effort and then not achieve the club record right on the line. I could tell she was struggling a bit whereas I felt I had just kept enough in reserve to push myself forward. I stretched out and prayed that she wouldn't keep with me. I could see the finishing line ahead and went for it managing to stay in front - this time.

Distance: 10K

Time: 53:13

Whissendine 6

All day long the weather had been alternating between showers and sunshine but the rain stayed away for the run.
Whissendine is a lovely village just outside Oundle, very picturesque and also very HILLY! It was a charity run and the village had set up raffle stalls, BBQ, and there was a general feeling of goodwill and cheer with lots of spectators at the start and finish.

My plan was to start off steady and just see how my legs were feeling on the night. The course started off with a downhill section immediately followed by, you've guessed it! an UPHILL section that definitely took out a few people! Once I had recovered from the first hill I got into my stride and tried to enjoy the run, taking in the countryside. I particularly remember Mile 4 being one big hill, going on and on and on......

Thankfully, the half mile leading into the finish was on a downhill section. I was very pleased with my run, especially taking into account the hills - I know I'm not good on hills. In fact, there was another lady runner who kept overtaking me on the hills and then I would catch her up on the flat and this went on throughout the run. Unfortunately, she just beat me to the line!

Mile 1: 9.15
Mile 2: 8.43
Mile 3: 8.51
Mile 4: 9.35
Mile 5: 9.03
Mile 6: 8.43
Avg: 9.01

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 54:10

Went to the club on Tuesday for a run, Rhona came along too. It was a warm evening and we ran the Frostbite route, taking it easy. I thought my legs had recovered from Saturday's long run but once we set off I found my legs quite heavy. All in all, a pleasant run.

5 miles

Saturday morning long run

Super run on Saturday morning. I woke up to a nice sunny morning and filled the biggest water bottle I owned as we intended to do a long run, around about the 2 hour mark.

We all met up at the car park, there were 8 of us in total, all of differing abilities, but we all started off together. Around the hour mark, 3 started to make their way back home which left 5. Not long after that, another one veered off home.

That left the 4 of us, Sheila, Mandy, Laura and Me. We were going well keeping the pace nice and steady. It was a bit warm but not too scorching and I was managing well with my water, taking sips every now and again.

We were on our way back and Laura went the quick way home, just cutting it short by a couple of minutes and the three of us carried on to the car park. I felt good, in fact I felt I could have probably carried on for a bit longer - that's a great way to finish a long run.

You can see, if you click on the map and then click on Analyser you that our mile splits weren't very fast, but that wasn't the plan for today, we wanted a long run that was enjoyable - and it certainly was!

Avg Pace: 10.45

Distance: 11.3 miles

Time: 2:01.40

5K Series - Race 2 - Eye

As you can see from the smiles, the race went well and without incident!

We were lucky with the weather again, rain before the race and just after but not during it. Not that I would have minded, but good news for the marshalls and spectators!

It was a good course, 2 1/2 K out and then turning back on itself, which could have been dispiriting seeing all the front runners on their way back when you are still running out, but in fact it was great to see and cheer on our fellow club runners - lots of encouragement could be heard!

My time was only a few seconds slower than Race 1 and considering the route which had a few more hills in it and there it was quite windy, I'm pleased with that and the very best thing, I was ok at the end, no legs seizing up etc. I had prepared a lot better for this run, pasta at lunch and a banana sandwich an hour or so before the run but I think the biggest factor was that it wasn't too hot.

Time: 26:26

Distance: 5K

Monday evening

I ran a long run on Saturday morning and I have the 5K race on Wednesday, so with that in mind I decided not to go to the club on Tuesday night. Instead, Sheila and I arranged to go out on Monday whilst my son was having his guitar lesson with her husband, Mike.

We set off at a good pace and managed to keep it going most of the way. It was a very humid evening and rain was never far off - in fact, just after we had finished it poured down!

I'm rather wary of Wednesday's 5K after what happened to me at the last one! I'm going to just see how it goes on the night but I'm definitely going to be better prepared for it. I have pasta for lunch and will have a banana sandwich about an hour before the start, which is 7.30. The weather is so unpredictable at the moment, one minute torrential downpours followed by sun, which is amazingly warm. We even had hailstones yesterday! Whilst I'm not wishing for a repeat of the hailstones, I certainly hope the sun isn't out in it's full glory.

Pace: 9:34

Time: 53 minutes
Distance: 5.5 miles

Been a bit slack this week, not only in my running but in writing up my blog.

I went to the club on Tuesday night but there weren't many people there - I think several of them had volunteered to marshal the Race of Life run that was on that evening. However, Laura turned up so I had a running buddy and we stuck together. It was a cool evening, slightly drizzly and we had a good run, about 5 miles.

My legs had still been feeling a bit grumpy around the groin from last Wednesday's 5K so I thought I would give myself a complete rest from exercise and skip Thursdays run.

I met up on Saturday morning with Sheila, Laura and Rhona and the intention was to run for about 1 1/2 hours. The weather forecast for this weekend was terrible, very bad thunderstorms and torrential rain but it managed to hold off for our run. We ran for an hour and Rhona decided that was enough for her. We carried on, intending to run another 3 miles or so, but actually ended up running for another 45 minutes - so I guess we probably ran about 10-11 miles in total.

I certainly felt tired towards the end of the run but definitely a sense of achievement as well.

Time: 1:45
Distance: 10+

Yaxley 7

I had been out for a couple of slow jogs since Wednesday to "test" my legs and they felt a bit tired and aching but nothing much more than that so I decided to go ahead with the run on Sunday. I was determined to take it easy though and not get too carried away.

The weather wasn't looking good, very bad thunderstorms and heavy driving rain! By the time our race started however, the heavy rain had moved on and we were only left with a very slight drizzle. Our jogging club had a good turnout, about 10 of us had turned up. I set off from the starting line and lost sight of Laura, managed to see her and then stuck together for the rest of the run as we had a good comfortable pace going. There was a lovely spirit about the run, lots of support on the streets and terrific marshalling.

The route started off with a hill! That sorted a few of us out and spread the field, there was a lap and then the hill again towards the end. I think between miles 4 to 5, was a bit hard going, it seemed to take forever to see the Mile 5 marker.

I wore my Garmin and have managed to work out how to download the run. If interested, you can click on the map and see more information about the run.




Distance: 7 miles
Time: 65:33

Post race review

I can now officially say I have had the most embarrassing moment of my life. When I told my husband this, he asked if I had come last. No, oh no, coming last is not embarrassing - someone has to. It was worse than that!

But before I go on to the most embarrassing moment of my life, I'll say a little bit about the race. There was a good turnout, especially from our jogging club - about 10 of us I think. The mood was good and although I can't say we were exactly looking forward to the race, we weren't actually dreading it - after all, it's only 5K.

There had been a little bit of rain half an hour before the start but that had cleared up and the sun was out. At the start line I saw a very old friend, Alan and his daughter Katie. Wished them luck and got back in line behind them.

The start was a bit stumbling but we soon got spread out. I set off at a good pace, pushing it but holding a bit back. Sheila, Mandy and Alan set off much faster and I didn't try to keep with them. I was looking out for the first K marker and started counting down. The course was 2 laps round the lake so coming round to the 2K marker I could see the 4K marker as well. I kept up the pace, overtaking on the way, and I had Mandy in my sights. I eventually caught Mandy at just gone 4K. The effort to catch her was enough for me and she eventually pulled away again just before the finish.

I came through the finish line and felt dreadfully thirsty. I went in search of water but couldn't find the table. I remember asking someone and they pointed me in the right direction. It was at this time my most embarrassing moment started!

I could feel my legs starting to seize up - it felt a bit like cramp. I couldn't walk, my calf muscles and the tops of my legs in the groin area were tightening up. I saw one of my team mates and called them over and said I was desperate for a drink and that I couldn't walk, my legs were cramping up.

They called over the physios and I had to lay down right in the middle of the field in the midst of all the runners. Oh my, it was a good job I was already red in the face from the run!

They massaged my legs and although the calf muscles were beginning to ease, my groin felt really painful and I couldn't bend, to either sit up or stand. After 5-10 minutes of massage I was helped to stand. I began to move around and someone got me a power drink - that tasted absolutely wonderful.

I got offers of lifts home but as I only lived about a mile away, I thought it would be good to walk. I started out slow and could feel my legs slowly easing back into life by the time I got home.

The next day, my legs felt extremely stiff, especially my right calf and the groin. That evening I went for a very gentle jog followed by a swim. My legs ached a bit but after a few minutes I felt fine jogging and at the start of the swim, my groin was very sore. Eventually it loosened up and I felt fine.

I've looked up what could have been the cause of my problems and I think it was something to do with electrolyte imbalance. I think what I have learned from this is that I chould not under-estimate the effort it takes to run a race, even if it is only 5K. I know I suffer badly in the sun and heat and it was a very warm evening. I should have taken a water bottle round with me but I didn't because, again, it was only 5K. I hdn't had enough to eat that day, especially carbo-rich foods.

On Sunday I had planned to run the Yaxley 7 (miles). I still intend to but this time I think I will take a sports drink around with me, plan a carbo-rich lunch and most importantly, take it easy and enjoy the run!

Splits:

1K - 5.02
2K - 5.16
3K - 5.11
4K - 5.24
5K - 5.09

Time: 26:14
Distance: 5K

Sunday morning

Ran on Sunday with Laura and Rhona. Rhona is just getting back into it and Laura had a busy day ahead, so we planned to take it easy and run for about an hour. The weather was good and it was a very enjoyable run.

I’ve been having a play with my Garmin and can work out a few extra things on it. I’ve splashed out and upgraded my membership to Motionbased which means I can analyse my runs more thoroughly – in reality it means I can have a bit more fun with the stats. I am now able to see how fast (or slow) I ran each mile – particularly useful when it comes to races.

I’m getting a bit worried about Wednesday’s 5K race. It’s the first in a series of 5 and I’ve managed to convince Laura and Sheila to run them as well. We know it will be a good speed training session and that’s the reason we are doing them, but I’ve got an awful feeling I shall be left standing on the starting line. These 5K races draw in the very fast runners who take it incredibly seriously but hey, what the heck, I’ve as much right as them to be there. Let’s hope they don’t start packing up before I’ve even made it back!

Thursday Evening

In typical great British weather, it absolutely poured on Thursday night's run. What a change from Tuesday with the sun full out! I must say, I much preferred Thursday's run - I just can't take the heat.

I decided to take it much easier on Thursday. After seeing that I ran 9.10 pace on Tuesday, I realised why it seemed such a hard run! That's very close to my race pace!

I turned my Garmin on while we were huddled outside waiting to start but it took ages to track the satellites. By the time they were found, everyone had started. I had to put in a bit of an effort to catch my little group up but eventually did so about 1/2 mile down the road but I took it easy from then on.

I think maybe it took so long to track the satellites because I was stood sheltering under a building rather than being in the open? Bit silly really sheltering as I was soon out in the open getting very wet!

Time: 58:30
Distance: 5.96
Pace: 9:49

It's arrived, my Garmin Forernner 205!

Got it charged up, had a play and then took it out for its first run last night.

It felt a bit strange at first, after all, even though it is neat and sleek, it's still quite a hefty thing to have around the wrist.

It was a big turn out for our running club and yet again another couple of new members. It was a very warm, muggy evening and most of us had turned up in shorts and vest. I took my water bottle along, and it was much needed.

The pace was pretty zippy and I hung in there as usually I am a much slower starter. After a while I settled down and for the next couple of miles it was good. I then found it quite hard going, the sun was draining me of all energy and I longed for the shade of the woods.

I just hung on in there and was so pleased when we got to the finishing straight.

I was keen to get home and upload my run to the MotionBased Agent software that I had previously downloaded. Once done, I was able to see that I had run a total time of 55:07 at 9:12 pace. However, I had a moving time of 55:00 at 9.10 pace (must have been the traffic lights)and I ran a distance of 5.99 miles. Brilliant, no more guesswork.

There are lots of other things you can find out and various ways of seeing the run on satellite maps, street maps, etc. I'm not sure whether these maps can be exported to a blog and would be very interested if anyone else knows the answer to that.

Now, if only it could actually do the run for me......

Time: 55:00
Distance: 5.99 miles
Pace: 9.10

Saturday morning

It seemed to be pretty warm out there and I was going out a bit later than normal, so I planned to do a nice and easy run at a very comfortable pace. I thought about 8 miles would be a good distance and chose my favourite run which I discovered last year. I put it on You Tube and I am excited to say it has even been commented on!



All was going well, I was right about the weather and was very pleased I had taken my water bottle with me, I had to stop at the Golf Club half way round and do a refill. I was enjoying the run until about a mile from home.

As I was running up a long track a woman with her three children and dog were just ahead of me. As I drew close her dog bounded up to me barking. I stopped and she called him back, saying sorry. I started to run off when the dog came after me again. She called him back saying that he was usually so friendly she couldn't understand why he was barking at me. I was beginning to lose my cool by now. I asked her to put the dog on its lead or at least hold on to it, so I could get away. As I was saying this a cyclist came past, and grinning said to her, "Don't worry, he's alright".

Well, I exploded! I shouted after him asking whether he would like to be chased by a barking dog on his cycle. He turned back to look at me and I said "Yes, YOU! How would you like it?"

The lady by this time had hold of her dog, still saying how friendly he is!

Ggggrrrhhhh....

At least it pumped through enough adrenalin to keep me going to the end of my run, lol.

Time: 1:20:56
Distance: 8 miles

Eye Charity 5

The Eye Charity 5 Road Race was an excellently run (lol) event. The money raised goes towards Eye Running Club's chosen charity, hence the title. The organisation of this event was excellent, there were plenty of marshals, water provided half way round and loads of support. The course itself is a bit of a blurry memory. I don’t really take too much notice of what’s around me, most of my concentration is on the person in front of me and whether I can catch them up! From what I do remember it was mainly on the flat with one or two little hills interspersed along the way.

I started off at a "just a little bit faster than normal comfortable pace" and was quickly left towards the back of the field – everyone else just seemed to zoom off! I held back and gradually increased my pace once I had settled into my stride. I remember passing through Mile 1 at 8:30 and feeling very pleased with that. I could see a couple of our club members up ahead and could tell that I was very gradually gaining on them. I passed through Mile 2 at about 17.30. I felt ok, legs felt strong but I had to concentrate on my breathing, taking deep breaths every now and again.

The field had really spread out by now and I was running down a very long track with a loop out to the right and then going left up on the road. This meant that when I came to the end of the track I could see runners the other side of the track running the other way, it could have been a little bit disheartening but I didn't mind, it was good to see some familiar faces. I was now at Mile 3. I can’t remember the rest of the split times, I just knew that I was doing ok. I caught up with the two club guys in front and managed to push on ahead of them. There was a little bit of a hill between 3 ½ mile and 4 ½ miles which I struggled with, but I had enough left in me to push it hard for the last ½ mile to the finish. It was very uplifting, coming in and hearing my fellow club runners cheering me on. Thanks guys!

I'm quite pleased with my time - I'm still on the mend and hopefully my times throughout the year will steadily improve.

Here are the positions.

Time: 43:29
Distance 5 miles

PS. I have some very exciting news! My Forerunner 205 is ordered!!

The next day following the very hilly Corby 5, my legs weren't aching as much as I thought they might be. However, the aching kicked in the day after that (Friday) - all up the front part of my leg (shin?). I think it must have been from the downhill section!

I went out for a little jog that evening to try to stretch them out and it seemed to work. I didn't go far nor too fast - just round the big lake at Ferry Meadows and through the Nature Reserve - about 3.5 miles.

I was away over the weekend in London so no long run but it felt like I must have walked a marathon the amount of walking we did!

Went along to the club last night and just did a 5 mile run, we have a race coming up on Thursday so we decided to save ourselves for then!

Time: 48:56
Distance: 5 miles