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