Tuesday evening

I went along to the jogging club on Tuesday evening, not quite sure how my legs would feel after Sunday's run.

I needn't have worried - they felt fine.

I started off at the back of the pack but soon got into my stride and pulled away with Matt. We kept a good pace going, even though it was still a very warm and muggy evening.

We ran a route over to Alwalton meadow, to the railway line and back through FM and up Cherry Orton hill back to the sports centre.

It was great, my legs felt really strong. Can't understand it because I was sure they would feel a bit heavy. Never mind, not going to complain, lol.

I checked my time for when I last ran this run with Ann, and I did it 4 minutes faster this time! Good to see some improvement. I put it down as 6 miles last time, but after running it today, I felt I was running as fast as or nearly as fast as Sunday's 10K pace, so I'm guessing it's a bit more than 6 miles.

Time: 1:03:24
Distance: 6+

Deeping 10K

Yes, a 10 k race!!

Not at all sure I was ready for a 10K race, I decided to approach it as my usual weekend training run. Rhona wasn't able to come running on Saturday morning due to her participating in the Moonwalk on Saturday night, Well Done Rhona!

So, Sunday morning saw me, Sheila, Laura and Mandy runnning in the Deeping 10K.

Well, whatever happened to the weather! If you have been following me in my quest for mid-life fitness, you will know that I like nothing more than a cool, drizzly weatherfront! Oh no, not today. The "good" weather decided to return - the sun was out with a vengeance.

Great if I had a BBQ to look forward to, but a 10K race?

So, we set off. Didn't see Sheila again until the end! Mandy and Laura were with me for the first 1K. I ran with Ron, good ol' Ron. We had a nice comfortable pace, all looking good. We started off steady, catching and overtaking when we could. At about 4K Ron's shins started playing up. I felt ok and he encouraged me to go on, keeping the pace steady.

I could see Mandy and Laura ahead of me. I kept the same distance between us for the next couple of K's. I could see Mandy pulling ahead of Laura.

I thought I could catch Laura by 8K. At 8K I was just a little behind. I put in a bit of an effort and caught her at 9K. Stayed with her a bit but she was looking to beat her previous 10K time and put in a spurt for the last 1/2 K. I wasn't going to go with her - I had promised myself to not do anything silly - I wanted to fnish this run with a bit extra left and not completely knackered!

I came in just 30 seconds or so behind her. I was pleased with my run. I was able to carry on this afternoon with my usual routine rather than being completely zonked out, which is how I usually feel after a race!

Time: 57:02
Distance: 10K (6 miles)

****

When I went to bed last night, I was very surprised to see I had caught the sun! I knew it was hot, but not that hot!

Thursday evening was a "Club Pub Run".

To explain: Our club hosted the event. A few years ago, a member of the club organised the event. Unfortunately he died and not long after his wife died aswell. Our Club Chairman was a very good friend and has continued honouring his friend, by continuing to organise the run each year.

A few local clubs are invited to join in and we all start off at the designated spot, obviously just a few yards away from the pub, "The Plough". The course is 6 miles, across beautiful scenic countryside with lots of local wildlife. It's not a race as such, just something a run to enjoy.

Afterwards, we all have a meal and a raffle is held. Each club has brought along some gifts for the raffle. At the end of the evening, each club's name is put into the hat and the winning club decides which charity the money goes to which was raised by the raffle - just over £100.

BTW: I didn't actually run the 6 miles - What the Heck, I wasn't going to sit there all evening red faced (which is what I usually look like after running 6 miles) so myself and a couple of others, just ran a couple of miles out and then turned back again.

It was a lovely evening, a group of people coming together through their love of running.

Tuesday evening

Got drenched again last night!

Good news is that my trainers seemed to be okay. No blisters or bruised toes.

We ran the Frostbite route which is 5 miles. I ran with Ron again, and we had a good pace going. Not too pushy but enough to make me feel like I had worked!

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 52:00

Saturday morning

Someone please remind me not to have wine on the night before a run!

I woke up with the feeling of having one glass too many the night before.....

Still, it was a nice morning, no rain, and Rhona and I ran the same run as last week. It was a good run, we caught up on our news and the run seemed to go by pretty quickly. My legs felt good. I see we did practically the same time as last week. Very consistent, lol.

I went into town in the afternoon and bought a new pair of running shoes, something I had been promising myself for ages. I didn't splash out, just bought a basic pair. Hopefully, at my ability, they will serve me well.

Time: 5 ?
Distance: 52:47

Thursday Evening

Another run with the running club. Not such a good run tonight - the weather wasn't so good, not that it bothered me. I don't mind the rain, I'd rather it was raining than the sun out, if truth be told. No, it was more the legs, the poor ol' legs.....

I don't know, for some reason, they just didn't want to play. It was really hard going, especially the first couple of miles. My hamstrings felt really tight and my legs were heavy.

I stopped and stretched a bit, and I guess they felt a bit better after that. The rain was coming down a bit harder and I felt like cutting it short and heading back, but after another mile I started to loosen up a bit.

I hung on in there and managed to do the full course: 1 mile out to the business park, 4 laps round it (one mile each lap) and then a mile back to the start.

The group this evening was a bit segmented, I eventually ended up running with Ron. It was a nice, easy pace and a comfortable run, eventually!

Distance: a short 6 - (we took a bit of a shortcut back)
Time: 61:29

Tuesday evening

Last night I nearly got carried away, nearly, but got drawn back in by Ron, our club chairman.

We started out from the club and split into our little groups. I hung back from my former running friends and ran with Ann again. Just behind us were a group of 3, Ron included. After a mile or so, Ann wanted to drop back but as I felt ok, I decided to go on.

I hadn't gone very far when Ron called me back. I thought he had something to say, but when he joined me, he reminded me that I had said I was pushing myself too much, too soon. Aaahh, those words of wisdom.

I duly hung back and ran the rest of the run with this small group.

It was a good decision - I really, really enjoyed the run. The weather was perfect, the company great and the scenery beautiful - and - it wasn't a struggle, it was a joy to be out running. Cheers Ron!

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 61:48

Saturday morning

A bit dull this morning - no sign of the sun yet. But, for me, great running weather.

Met with Rhona at 8.00 am and we ran along the path by the train track taking us into Castor Heights and then along the road into the back of Ferry Meadows. We then carried on round the lake and through the nature reserve.

Great weather for running and a chance for us to catch up on our news!

Distance: 5?
Time: 52:30

Thursday morning

Considering I had run a long run on Tuesday evening, I wasn't aching too much on Wednesday.

I got up early on Thursday and went to the gym. The weather wasn't too great so I decided to go on the Treadmill, also I was a bit short on time.

So, I did 25 minutes on the treadmill and then 10-15 minutes swimming.

Tuesday evening

Last Friday I had been discharged from the Hospital so it was with confidence that I returned to the Running Club on Tuesday evening. It was a beautiful evening, the sun was out and there was a cool gentle breeze.

On this return, I was determined not to get carried away and run with my usual group of runners. I hung back at the start and let them get ahead. I was then able to go at my own pace and another runner called Ann joined me. We stuck together for the duration of the run. It was a comfortable pace for most of the way, but a lot longer than I had been running for a while. Towards the end I was finding it a struggle, but we stuck in there and kept it going.

It was a lovely run, going down to the River and across the meadows. We then ran towards Castor but cut off the road and went down the track by the railway line. We then ran around the small lake and then on back to the start.

Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:07

Saturday morning

Saturday morning saw me out of the door at 8.00 am to meet Rhona.

Rather than running round the lake again, we ran along the footpath by the river, crossing over at the weir and then running back along the river on the other side.

It was a lovely morning, still a bit chilly but perfect for running.

Ever competitive, with a mile to go and a female jogger just in front of us, we put in a spurt and overtook her!

It was a good run and for the first time in ages, I actually enjoyed it!

Time: 38:09
Distance: 3+

Friday morning

I must be mad!

I set the alarm clock for 5.45 am and got up so I could get my run in before going to work.

I finish work at 4 o'clock so I could easily go then, it's just my willpower evaporates during the day and I find it extremely hard to get myself out there.

So, although it's hard getting up, at least the run is done and during the day I am entitled to feel very pleased with myself, lol.

This morning I again drove to the gym, parked up and then went for a run.

I chose a different route this morning, turning right out of the gym and cutting in at a pathway and crossing over the weir. Along the path and through the nature reserve back up to the gym. It was a very pretty run, I saw a couple of other joggers out but most of the time it was quite solitary and peaceful.

I didn't have very long to swim so just did a couple of lengths to stretch out and had five minutes in the jacuzzi - bliss.

Time: 30:31
Distance: 3 miles?

Wednesday morning

Set my alarm clock at 5.45 and managed to get myself out of bed. Gosh, the temptation to just reset the alarm and go back to sleep was enormous!

Had some breakfast and pottered about for an hour, waiting for the breakfast to go down I'm just not one of those people that can get up and then be out running within the next ten minutes or so, it takes me a lot longer to get going.

Although it was too early for the sun to be shining, I thought it would be warm so for the first time this year I put my shorts on! What a sight to be seen, wobbly cellulite pounding the roads!!

I was right though, it was warm, very warm.

I started off quite good, but for the last mile I slowed considerably. Still, never mind. That's another run under my belt.

Actually, I just looked back over previous runs, and I ran this a couple of minutes faster than last time, so that's cheered me up a bit!

Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 34:16

Monday morning

I couldn't decide whether to run before work or swim? Or should I swim before work and run after work? Decisions..... decisions.....

In the end I decided to get up early, drive to the gym, park up and go for a run and then I am already there so I could follow it on with a swim!

It was a beautiful morning and with just that extra bit of time up before going out running, my body seemed much better to cope with it. I didn't go too far, about 3 miles I think. The first couple of miles seemed pretty easy but I must admit to struggling a bit for the last mile.

It was great to swim afterwards. I could feel the stretches and knew it was doing me good, easing my aching muscles. And it worked, because during the day my legs felt fine and no aching at all.

Distance: 3 miles?
Time: 31:17

I managed to get a couple of early morning swims in before work on Thursday and Friday.

Today, I met up with Rhona and we went out on our Saturday morning run. Rhona is recovering from a shoulder operation so she is feeling as dispirited as me. We both struggled round the lake but are filled with hope knowing that we have done it before, so the future is bright.

Time: 37:33
Distance: 3.5

OMG - has it really been 18 days since I last went for a run! No wonder it was so difficult!!!


Nothing at all to do with all the Easter Eggs and Chocolate I've been consuming!!


I've been really busy the last couple of weeks but that's not a good enough excuse really - I guess I've been putting off that first run back. Cos then, it's back to running regularly, isn't it?

So, excuses behind me, I got up this morning with the idea of doing some form of exercise. At first I had thought about swimming but as I was just putting off the inevitable I decided to don my running shoes and get out there!

It was hard, really hard. My hips seemed very stiff and my legs were buckling at the knees. I wasn't going fast enough to get out of breath so no struggling there, lol. I think I need to be out of bed a lot longer than 1/2 hour for my body to wake up, haha.

Distance: 2.5
Time: 24:19

Gosh, the run last night was exhausting! At the very start my hamstrings felt tight and so I knew it was going to be a tough one – I hung back from running with George as I seem to get carried away when I am with him. I thought that by taking it easy and not pushing it that it would be a comfortable run but I never seemed to get into my pace and I found it hard going all the way round.

Now that the clocks have gone forward by one hour it meant that Tuesday evening's run was in daylight – and what a joy that was! It was a lovely run, through the woods and down by the rowing lake and then back up through the woods – it’s just a shame I wasn’t able to enjoy it.

On reflection, I think that I have gone back to the running club too soon. I am always worried that I am pushing it too much and that I still may do some damage to my stomach. I try not to run hard but don’t seem to be able to stop myself from going off with my old running partners.

With that in mind, I have decided to give the running group a miss for the time being and just take things a bit easier on my own. I am still aiming to run 2-3 times a week, but limit myself to about ½ hour and gradually build up my strength and speed.

That’s the plan!

Time: 55:59
Distance: 5.8

Initially I had thought about doing my old 8 mile run on Saturday morning but after giving it a lot of thought I decided that it was probably a bit too soon to be covering that distance. I was disappointed but knew it wouldn't be too long before I would be able to run that far.

I set out from the Health Club with a route in mind, not exactly sure how far it would be. In fact, it is part of my 8 mile run as on that circuit I run past the Health Club probably just about over half way round the course. It was tempting to add on little loops ie round the rowing lake or up past the railway line to the bridge but I stuck to my planned run and just looked out for extra loops I could add on when I was a bit fitter.

I came in back round the big lake and, boy, was it windy! I was running head into the wind and it was real good when I turned up and had the wind behind me!

On getting back to the Health Club I got changed into my swimming gear and had a 15 min swim to stretch out my leg muscles. It seems to work as my legs don't seem to ache so much after having the swim.

Distance: 4+
Time: 49:05

Big turn out on Thursday at the running club and it was decided to do efforts. I thought it best to opt out as I think it is a bit too soon after my op.

Mandy and I decided to do a steady run and set off, along with everybody else but not joining in the efforts! After about 3 miles the main group turned off to run back a different way but Mandy and myself carried on. Just a bit further on we could see George and a couple of other runners, so speeding up slightly we eventually managed to catch them up. By now, I was warmed up and decided to push it for a bit longer, George came with me and the two of us pulled away from the others.

We stayed in front coming in a minute or so before Mandy, Alan and Sheelagh.

I'm not entirely sure it was sensible to be pushing myself like that, but I felt ok so went along with my body and how it was feeling.

I went home and had a nice warm bath to ease my leg muscles and slept very well that night!

Time: 53.42
Distance: 5+

Tuesday night saw me back up at the running club. The weather had been pretty poor all day and I had been giving it second thoughts but decided that it really didn't matter what the weather was doing.

As it happened it was a great night, the rain stayed away and although it was a bit cold, I soon got warm and discarded the running gloves a couple of miles into the run.

I had two new running companions, Mandy and Sharon. Mandy is training for the London Marathon and had run a half marathon at the weekend, so didn't want to push it too much and Sharon had had three weeks off with illness, so we were evenly paced.

It was a nice route, about 4'ish miles and a steady pace.

Time: 42:10
Distance: 4+