So.... where have I been you may ask?

Well, you'll never guess where - Tenerife!!

I went back to the doctors because the pain in my hip/pelvis/side (or wherever) was not getting any better and I was frantic that I would not recover in time for the Marathon. He wasn't very sympathetic and told me that I needed to rest - complete rest - NOT what I wanted to hear!

As luck would have it a few friends from work had booked a one week holiday to Tenerife and there was a spare room in the villa so they invited me along. One whole week of lazing by the pool, occasionally taking a dip to cool off, sea-front walks and meals out - just what the doctor ordered!

This morning I put on my running shoes and with a little trepidation I went for a little jog to test my injury. Three weeks on inactivity and half a stone heavier have taken their toll. I tried to stay light on my feet and ran on the grass whenever I could and to start with all was well, only a very dull ache but it gradually got worse. Not so bad that I had to stop and in fact I could have run on (if my lungs had been up to it!) but decided not to overdo it first run out. I got back, stretched, showered and iced.

I'm really hoping that I won't have any after-effects. There's only six weeks to go and I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm staying realistic and at this point I'm not thinking about finishing times - just hoping that I will be fit and well on the starting line!

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!

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