So I've done it. It's over. Yesterday I ran 13.1 miles (well 13.3 but more on that later) for Rainbows Childrens Hospice. A massive thank you to everyone that has sponsored me - it's not too late to do so if you've got a spare £1 or two, you can use this link.
I was nervous yesterday morning, I woke up much earlier than the alarm and lay there thinking of miles and hills. At breakfast, where I was very pleased to find the hotel had porridge, Flino & I discovered we'd both dreamt of trying to get through a tunnel but things kept blocking our way - weird anxiety dreams!
We'd booked shuttle bus tickets to the start of the race so had to leave the hotel at 7.50am. This got us to the start area far too early so we had a wander round, covered up in some Asics foil blankets that were being given away.
Nerves are strange things, I couldn't stop yawning and had to go for a wee about 5 times. Why, at events where there are portaloos do us British only form 3 orderly queues outside a row of about 15 portaloos? Why don't we queue outside each one - surely that would make the whole process quicker? Or at least seem quicker.
It was soon time to get to our allotted start 'pens'. There were huge screens between the pens so we could see the start of the wheelchair race and the elite athetes. When they showed the Elite Mens start line I was proud to see my brother's friend Jon Gilby! He finished 32nd in an amazing time of 1hr 7mins 36seconds ( I was at around 6.5 miles then!).
Once the gun had gone off it took us about 12 minutes to actually cross the starting line. The race has to start on a motorway as it's the only 'space' big enough for 50,000 runners.
The first few miles seemed to fly by despite the rain and I was surprised how quickly we got to 6 miles. I was feeling good and the supporters, bands and other runners served as a great distraction. It was at about 10 miles that I started to feel the pain. My legs hurt, the course started to incline and I could feel myself starting to panic. I think if it hadn't been for Flino motivating me I would have stopped to walk. But I didn't stop, I reached the 12 mile marker and could see the sea where I knew the finish line was.
The last mile is all downhill which on paper sounds great but in reality hurts your knees! There were so many supporters on the sidelines, the noise was incredible. Those 1600 metres lasted a lifetime and I admit that I cried for most them. I managed a very pathetic spint over the finish line and thought I was going to throw up.
So these were my splits:
Mile 1 - 9.12
Mile 2 - 9.45
Mile 3 - 9.51
Mile 4 - 9.52
Mile 5 - 9.55
Mile 6 - 9.34
Mile 7 - 9.29
Mile 8 - 9.39
Mile 9 - 10.10
Mile 10 - 9.57
Mile 11 - 10.23
Mile 12 - 9.36
Mile 13 - 9.49 *and a bit
Final time 2.09.47
My watch clocked me at 2.08.13 at 13.2 miles but that was before the official finish.
If I hadn't been such a drama queen I probably could have finished a minute or two quicker!!
We got our finishers goodie bag, put the t-shirts on and then went to meet the other Derwent Runners at the Rainbows tent in the Charity Village. A lovely woman from Rainbows gave me a cup of tea which made me very happy. It was great to see the other Hoops and find out how they'd got on. We'd all done well especially Matt who had done a new PB of 1.18! Brilliant.
So that was it. Finished, training done, half marathon in under 2hrs 10minutes, goal acheived.
I couldn't have done without help & support from a lot of people - Flino who puts up with the majority of my moaning & whittling, Rob for writing my training plan, Rachel & Lee for looking after Frank and the Hoops - Matt, Suse, Carolyn, Adel, Bee, Rachel, Matt B. Also thanks to everyone that sent me a message before or after the race yesterday, I've got such lovely lovely friends & family.
I'm at home today, my legs hurt but I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. And thinking about how I can get to run under 2 hours.....
Showing posts with label Derwent Runners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Derwent Runners. Show all posts
Monday, 17 September 2012
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Pre race nerves....
So it's Saturday night, almost 9pm and I'm sat in a hotel room near the Metro Centre. My number is pinned to my vest, my watch is charged up, I've eaten noodles & chicken for dinner and I've been drinking lots of water all day.
I've done every training session that was on The Plan. Every mile that Rob planned for me, I've ran. I've stayed in when my friends were going out, I didn't drink alcohol for a month & my jeans are definitely feeling bigger.
I've done everything I can to prepare which is more than I can say for any other race I've ever done (about 5 in total!). All in all I'm pretty excited about the 13.1 miles ahead of me tomorrow. Let's see how I feel at the end...
I've done every training session that was on The Plan. Every mile that Rob planned for me, I've ran. I've stayed in when my friends were going out, I didn't drink alcohol for a month & my jeans are definitely feeling bigger.
I've done everything I can to prepare which is more than I can say for any other race I've ever done (about 5 in total!). All in all I'm pretty excited about the 13.1 miles ahead of me tomorrow. Let's see how I feel at the end...
Friday, 7 September 2012
Getting Hooked
It's Saturday morning, 7.30am and I've been up for 2 hours already. I'm not even planning on doing a long run today. Frank the wake up call dog is the culprit. Now he's back asleep in his basket & I'm too wide awake to go back to bed. I've been Googling 'How to get your puppy to sleep longer' ......
I've not ran much this week. 35 minutes on Monday and then 8 miles on Thursday after work. I had to really motivate myself to do the 8 miles. It was sunny, I'd not had the greatest day at work and a week of 5.30 alarm calls had taken it's toll. I left the office with heavy legs, ran a mile, did some stretches and then things started to feel better. I just ran up the river path for a couple of miles, round the empty roads of what I think will one day be a business park (strange at the moment, roads are ready, there's a pub but nothing else!) then I turned around and headed back into Derby. I got into town and thought about running straight home but that would only have got me to 6 miles so I ran into Darley Park. A drunk man walking past me told me to 'never stop believing' so I took his advice and managed the full 8 miles!
When I stopped I thought about the first time I ran 8 miles which was about a month ago. It seemed like a bit deal then, a long run. And I'd just done it after work. Just a little jog on the way home!
I've got to do 35 minutes today, a couple more jogs in the week and then it will be time for the Big Day. I get butterflies thinking about it. In some ways I'd like another month so I can get a little bit faster but then again I'd just like to get it over with. To have done it, to be sat down next Sunday thinking I've just ran a half marathon.
A couple of people have asked whether I'll stick to running regularly afterwards. I'd like to say yes, I like what running has done to my body, I'm thinner, I look more toned, I'm proud that I've stuck to the plan, I feel like I'm becoming a 'runner' rather than someone that just pretends now & again. I'll need to find a new challenge though, having a training plan and something to aim for is what has pushed me. Maybe this is what people called 'Getting Hooked'.
I've not ran much this week. 35 minutes on Monday and then 8 miles on Thursday after work. I had to really motivate myself to do the 8 miles. It was sunny, I'd not had the greatest day at work and a week of 5.30 alarm calls had taken it's toll. I left the office with heavy legs, ran a mile, did some stretches and then things started to feel better. I just ran up the river path for a couple of miles, round the empty roads of what I think will one day be a business park (strange at the moment, roads are ready, there's a pub but nothing else!) then I turned around and headed back into Derby. I got into town and thought about running straight home but that would only have got me to 6 miles so I ran into Darley Park. A drunk man walking past me told me to 'never stop believing' so I took his advice and managed the full 8 miles!
When I stopped I thought about the first time I ran 8 miles which was about a month ago. It seemed like a bit deal then, a long run. And I'd just done it after work. Just a little jog on the way home!
I've got to do 35 minutes today, a couple more jogs in the week and then it will be time for the Big Day. I get butterflies thinking about it. In some ways I'd like another month so I can get a little bit faster but then again I'd just like to get it over with. To have done it, to be sat down next Sunday thinking I've just ran a half marathon.
A couple of people have asked whether I'll stick to running regularly afterwards. I'd like to say yes, I like what running has done to my body, I'm thinner, I look more toned, I'm proud that I've stuck to the plan, I feel like I'm becoming a 'runner' rather than someone that just pretends now & again. I'll need to find a new challenge though, having a training plan and something to aim for is what has pushed me. Maybe this is what people called 'Getting Hooked'.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Strong is the new skinny...
Usually on a weekend morning you might find me reading the papers, having a coffee or sleeping in. 10 years ago on a Sunday morning at this time I would have just got in from a night out. This morning I was in the garden with Frank at 6am and yesterday I had run 11 miles by 10am! I hate admitting it but I think I'm almost a grown up now.....
So, 11 miles. I got up at 6.30, ate some scrambled egg on toast as we'd run out of porridge, drank some water, mopped the floor a few a more times after Frank and eventually got out of the door just in time to meet Adele, Sues & Carolyn at Darley Park.
The route was - Darley, Allestree, Duffield, Milford, Makney, Little Eaton, Darley. There were a couple of good hills thrown in as well. I hate hills. Rob explained to me last night this was all to do with my threshold levels. Basically, I've not been running enough miles for long enough so whenever I have to exert extra effort i.e. a hill, my legs & the rest of my body have to slow down. That's the non scientific answer anyway.
Running with other people definitely made the time pass quicker, even though we weren't doing much talking. I felt fine until we got to the last bit through Little Eaton and then I had to rely on some motivation from Carolyn and Suse to get me up Ford Lane hill.
These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.30
Mile 2 10.26
Mile 3 9.56
Mile 4 10.10
Mile 5 10.12
Mile 6 10.06
Mile 7 9.58
Mile 8 10.01
Mile 9 10.16
Mile 10 11.07 *Ford Lane hill
Mile 11 10.37
Overall average pace was 10.17, total time 1.53 and the best bit, 1306 calories burnt.
When I finished running I walked (well in a fashion) down Broadway to get home. In 2 weeks time I have to run 2 more miles but 2 weeks ago I had only run 9 miles so I know I can do it. I think, being realistic, my target time of 2 hours is possibly not going to happen given that would mean me running at 9.07 pace for the full 13 miles. 2 hours 10 mins is more likely. Flino is going to run with me so I can be sure of running even splits - he's the human metronome.
This week coming is the last, possibly hardest so far, full week of training:
Monday 35 minutes at 9.45
Tuesday 2 x 4 miles at 9 min mile pace with 5 mins recovery
Thursday 5 x 3 mins at 8 min mile pace with 90 seconds walk recovery
Saturday 2 hour run
I've been finding inspiration recently from this blog. Strong is the new skinny. We all need healthy, positive role models, not famous for fifteen minutes fakers. Like my Gran used to say "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice".
The whole point of this run is to raise money for Rainbows. The hospice is the only one of its kind in the East Midlands, it offers valuable support for life limited children and their families. So for anyone that is reading this you can sponsor me here. I'm sure you'll agree it's a very worthy cause.
So, 11 miles. I got up at 6.30, ate some scrambled egg on toast as we'd run out of porridge, drank some water, mopped the floor a few a more times after Frank and eventually got out of the door just in time to meet Adele, Sues & Carolyn at Darley Park.
The route was - Darley, Allestree, Duffield, Milford, Makney, Little Eaton, Darley. There were a couple of good hills thrown in as well. I hate hills. Rob explained to me last night this was all to do with my threshold levels. Basically, I've not been running enough miles for long enough so whenever I have to exert extra effort i.e. a hill, my legs & the rest of my body have to slow down. That's the non scientific answer anyway.
Running with other people definitely made the time pass quicker, even though we weren't doing much talking. I felt fine until we got to the last bit through Little Eaton and then I had to rely on some motivation from Carolyn and Suse to get me up Ford Lane hill.
These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.30
Mile 2 10.26
Mile 3 9.56
Mile 4 10.10
Mile 5 10.12
Mile 6 10.06
Mile 7 9.58
Mile 8 10.01
Mile 9 10.16
Mile 10 11.07 *Ford Lane hill
Mile 11 10.37
Overall average pace was 10.17, total time 1.53 and the best bit, 1306 calories burnt.
When I finished running I walked (well in a fashion) down Broadway to get home. In 2 weeks time I have to run 2 more miles but 2 weeks ago I had only run 9 miles so I know I can do it. I think, being realistic, my target time of 2 hours is possibly not going to happen given that would mean me running at 9.07 pace for the full 13 miles. 2 hours 10 mins is more likely. Flino is going to run with me so I can be sure of running even splits - he's the human metronome.
This week coming is the last, possibly hardest so far, full week of training:
Monday 35 minutes at 9.45
Tuesday 2 x 4 miles at 9 min mile pace with 5 mins recovery
Thursday 5 x 3 mins at 8 min mile pace with 90 seconds walk recovery
Saturday 2 hour run
I've been finding inspiration recently from this blog. Strong is the new skinny. We all need healthy, positive role models, not famous for fifteen minutes fakers. Like my Gran used to say "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice".
The whole point of this run is to raise money for Rainbows. The hospice is the only one of its kind in the East Midlands, it offers valuable support for life limited children and their families. So for anyone that is reading this you can sponsor me here. I'm sure you'll agree it's a very worthy cause.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
It's a sqeeze....
It's Thursday tomorrow, this week has passed by in a blur of Frank the dog, feeding him, clearing up after him, talking about him, worrying about him and generally becoming obsessed. Paul is away this week so I've been thrown in at the deep end, it's definitely an experience!
Having a dog has made me realise that my next door neighbours are absolutely lovely. They've checked on Frank a couple of times whilst I've been at work and were also my comfort blanket on Monday when I attempted to leave the house to go for a run - which meant leaving Frank for a whole 35 minutes.
I was glad of those 35 minutes, they made me feel calmer as I pushed my aching legs round the park. It was good to be outside, not worrying, not picking up dog mess, just concentrating on breathing. I didn't manage to get to the Derwent Runners on Tuesday night, I'd been out all day at work and didn't want to leave the little bundle of fun on his own during the evening too. I also had an insect bite on my ankle. Yes, this sounds like a poor excuse except I am a total freak when it comes to insect bites, most people get a small raised itchy lump for a couple of hours, maybe a day. I got bitten on Sunday and my ankle was still the size of an elephant this morning. I couldn't do my shoe up!
The swelling had reduced somewhat by this afternoon (I had been given some hardcore anti histamines) so after I fed Frank and wore him out enough so he was quiet, I put my trainers on and headed out. I was meant to do an hour at 9 - 9.15 pace but it was late, I hadn't had my dinner and didn't want to leave Frank for too long. In the end I did 5 miles. These were my splits:
Mile 1 - 9.58
Mile 2 - 9.15
Mile 3 - 9.13
Mile 4 - 9.48 *Darley Abbey hill
Mile 5 - 8.38
I was pretty pleased with the last mile. My legs were ok and I felt good.
Tomorrow's interval session is 10 x 1min @ faster than 8 min mile pace with 1 minute walk recovery. I want to see if I can keep each minute under 7.45 pace.
This week I've felt overwhelmed with having a dog, I've thought a few times 'what have I done?!', I'm tired, I have to plan my day to fit everything in and it seems like a chore. Tonight when I was running I remembered how I felt when I started this training and thought about how I feel about running now. In time I know I will grow to love Frank.
Having a dog has made me realise that my next door neighbours are absolutely lovely. They've checked on Frank a couple of times whilst I've been at work and were also my comfort blanket on Monday when I attempted to leave the house to go for a run - which meant leaving Frank for a whole 35 minutes.
I was glad of those 35 minutes, they made me feel calmer as I pushed my aching legs round the park. It was good to be outside, not worrying, not picking up dog mess, just concentrating on breathing. I didn't manage to get to the Derwent Runners on Tuesday night, I'd been out all day at work and didn't want to leave the little bundle of fun on his own during the evening too. I also had an insect bite on my ankle. Yes, this sounds like a poor excuse except I am a total freak when it comes to insect bites, most people get a small raised itchy lump for a couple of hours, maybe a day. I got bitten on Sunday and my ankle was still the size of an elephant this morning. I couldn't do my shoe up!
The swelling had reduced somewhat by this afternoon (I had been given some hardcore anti histamines) so after I fed Frank and wore him out enough so he was quiet, I put my trainers on and headed out. I was meant to do an hour at 9 - 9.15 pace but it was late, I hadn't had my dinner and didn't want to leave Frank for too long. In the end I did 5 miles. These were my splits:
Mile 1 - 9.58
Mile 2 - 9.15
Mile 3 - 9.13
Mile 4 - 9.48 *Darley Abbey hill
Mile 5 - 8.38
I was pretty pleased with the last mile. My legs were ok and I felt good.
Tomorrow's interval session is 10 x 1min @ faster than 8 min mile pace with 1 minute walk recovery. I want to see if I can keep each minute under 7.45 pace.
This week I've felt overwhelmed with having a dog, I've thought a few times 'what have I done?!', I'm tired, I have to plan my day to fit everything in and it seems like a chore. Tonight when I was running I remembered how I felt when I started this training and thought about how I feel about running now. In time I know I will grow to love Frank.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Get on your bike....
Tuesday went sort of like this -
Today was a rest day, I cycled to and from work, went to see a man about a dog * and had chips for my tea. Perfect.
* Yes, an actual dog, watch this space!
Get up
Cycle to work - loads of roadworks at the moment so I thought it would be quicker to cycle. I was right, 14 minutes door to door!
Work
Cycle home - it was hot
Eat some fish pie - this was a highlight, I'd made it the day before and it's event better when it's leftover.
Cycle to running club - still hot.
Attempt to run at 9 minute miles - fail miserably for the first 3 miles as it was all uphill.
By this point I was miserable. I generally hate hills. I hate the effort, I hate the way my legs won't work, I hate that I want to stop and I hate that I can't run faster! I was meant to be doing 50 minutes at 9 - 9.15 minute mile pace. The first 3 miles I was averaging 10.20 pace. Fortunately for me, another one of the Hoops offered to run with me for the last 3 miles. I was so grateful as by this point I was beginning to feel like I'd failed at my session.
We split off from the main group and ran on the road for the last miles - average pace 9.20. Much better. It was hard to keep going after the hilly start but I was pleased when I finished. This is why a running club is great, there are always people that will help & support you, dig you out of the sticky patch and motivate you to keep going. I even managed to get on the bike and cycle up the hill to go home!
* Yes, an actual dog, watch this space!
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Clean & Jerk
Rest day today - well a rest from running. I had a session with Rich this morning. I mentioned that I'd been watching the weightlifting so we decided to give the Clean & Jerk a go. I was pretty pleased with my 30kg effort:
Then I looked at the Olympic results for my weight category. They lift up to 165kg. Oh well - 4 years to go to Rio, I'm sure I can build it up a bit in 4 years?
We also did more plyometrics, jumping over small hurdles, using the TRX and finished off with some more powerful jumps over a step box. I noticed that my jumps have improved over the past few weeks which made me happy. They used to hurt and seem to take all my effort but today I managed to spring over the step box as well as the hurdles.
I've felt good this week, being on holiday has meant I've had plenty of sleep and have relaxed. Watching the Olympics has motivated me to try harder plus I've had a few afternoon naps!! I hope I can keep it up when I go back to work - the determination I mean, I can't imagine the afternoon naps would go down well in any office.
Interval session tomorrow with the Derwent Runners:
8 x 400m @ 8 minute mile pace with 1 minute recovery.
After the session I'm going for a drink with the lovely Sooz & Charlotte from the club. I've heard that it's important to have something to aim for when training, so I'll be focusing on a large glass of wine during every one of those 400m.
Then I looked at the Olympic results for my weight category. They lift up to 165kg. Oh well - 4 years to go to Rio, I'm sure I can build it up a bit in 4 years?
We also did more plyometrics, jumping over small hurdles, using the TRX and finished off with some more powerful jumps over a step box. I noticed that my jumps have improved over the past few weeks which made me happy. They used to hurt and seem to take all my effort but today I managed to spring over the step box as well as the hurdles.
I've felt good this week, being on holiday has meant I've had plenty of sleep and have relaxed. Watching the Olympics has motivated me to try harder plus I've had a few afternoon naps!! I hope I can keep it up when I go back to work - the determination I mean, I can't imagine the afternoon naps would go down well in any office.
Interval session tomorrow with the Derwent Runners:
8 x 400m @ 8 minute mile pace with 1 minute recovery.
After the session I'm going for a drink with the lovely Sooz & Charlotte from the club. I've heard that it's important to have something to aim for when training, so I'll be focusing on a large glass of wine during every one of those 400m.
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
4 down, 9 to go
I'm still on holiday this week so managed to do my 3 mile recovery run yesterday and my faster 4 mile run this morning. It's so much easier to get up & go running when you don't have to go to work!
Yesterday Flino and I ran a steady 3 miles around Darley Park, my legs felt good after a day resting on the sofa on Sunday. The pace got quicker during the last mile and I ended up sprinting up Kedleston Road trying to keep up.
My splits were:
Mile 1 9.59
Mile 2 10.06
Mile 3 10.05
On my plan for today was -
" Warm up, 40 mins at 9 - 9.15 minute miles, cool down"
I decided to do the run this morning rather than try and fit it in with the Derwent Runners usual club run tonight as Rob had stressed the importance of them:
I wanted to make sure I ran at the right pace and had found it hard last week at the club run as I always talk too much! I also wanted to have a go at running a faster pace on my own rather than have Flino pace me.
I got up & ate my breakfast, watched some Olympic news, did some dynamic stretches - these are my favourites:
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If I do these before I run I don't get that 'lead legs' feeling.
I jogged for half a mile and then increased my pace to the prescribed 9 - 9.15. It felt surprisingly ok, I kept checking my watch to make sure I was running at the right speed and headed down City Road. I turned up Haslams Lane and into Darley Park, ran past the tennis courts and back to Chester Green. I did a loop of the Green to add on some distance and then turned back towards the car park, over the Iron Bridge and back up to home.
The last half a mile was hard, I wanted to slow down and could hear my Darth Vader breathing creeping in. I didn't have the sprint finish of yesterday but managed to keep going until the 40 minutes were up. These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.01 (including .5 mile warm up)
Mile 2 9.12
Mile 3 9.18
Mile 4 9.12
Mile 5 4.29 (.5 of a mile)
Overall I was pretty pleased with myself! Just another 9 to do at that pace....
Yesterday Flino and I ran a steady 3 miles around Darley Park, my legs felt good after a day resting on the sofa on Sunday. The pace got quicker during the last mile and I ended up sprinting up Kedleston Road trying to keep up.
My splits were:
Mile 1 9.59
Mile 2 10.06
Mile 3 10.05
On my plan for today was -
" Warm up, 40 mins at 9 - 9.15 minute miles, cool down"
I decided to do the run this morning rather than try and fit it in with the Derwent Runners usual club run tonight as Rob had stressed the importance of them:
I wanted to make sure I ran at the right pace and had found it hard last week at the club run as I always talk too much! I also wanted to have a go at running a faster pace on my own rather than have Flino pace me.
I got up & ate my breakfast, watched some Olympic news, did some dynamic stretches - these are my favourites:
.PNG)
.PNG)
I jogged for half a mile and then increased my pace to the prescribed 9 - 9.15. It felt surprisingly ok, I kept checking my watch to make sure I was running at the right speed and headed down City Road. I turned up Haslams Lane and into Darley Park, ran past the tennis courts and back to Chester Green. I did a loop of the Green to add on some distance and then turned back towards the car park, over the Iron Bridge and back up to home.
The last half a mile was hard, I wanted to slow down and could hear my Darth Vader breathing creeping in. I didn't have the sprint finish of yesterday but managed to keep going until the 40 minutes were up. These were my splits:
Mile 1 10.01 (including .5 mile warm up)
Mile 2 9.12
Mile 3 9.18
Mile 4 9.12
Mile 5 4.29 (.5 of a mile)
Overall I was pretty pleased with myself! Just another 9 to do at that pace....
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
The Needles
I didn't run yesterday. I thought after my herculean effort on Sunday I needed a rest even though there was a 35 minute run on the schedule.
I regretted that tonight. I was meant to do 4 miles. 1 mile warm up then 3 miles at 9 - 9.15 minute mile pace.
Mile 1 - no problem, legs felt heavy but I thought I'd give them a mile to warm up.
Mile 2 - sped up, most of it was downhill so it felt ok.
Mile 3 - legs wouldn't work, couldn't really get above 9.30.
Mile 4 - ridiculous, my calves felt like iron and I was struggling towards the end.
Perhaps I should have done the 35 minutes yesterday and got the pain out of the way? Would it have hurt more? I've heard about 'recovery' runs and always thought they sounded like a waste of time. I should have listened to Bobby!
I had an acupuncture session today. I talked to Joby about my tight shoulders and darth vader breathing when I run. She suggested I try some Tai Chi and showed me a basic move that would help to 'centre' my energy. I thought about it tonight when I was running and tried to keep my core straight and strong. I'm really interested in acupuncture and alternative therapies. I've been having sessions with Joby for over a year and have become more and more interested in it. It doesn't hurt, the needles are tiny and I get to lie still for 45 minutes!
We're decorating at the moment, today I painted a ceiling. Twice. I've never really decorated before now. It's hard work, you have to think about what your doing before you do it, you can't just rock up, splash some paint about and expect your room to look great. It's the tiny details that are important. But today, I painted a ceiling, twice and am pretty pleased with the results.
I regretted that tonight. I was meant to do 4 miles. 1 mile warm up then 3 miles at 9 - 9.15 minute mile pace.
Mile 1 - no problem, legs felt heavy but I thought I'd give them a mile to warm up.
Mile 2 - sped up, most of it was downhill so it felt ok.
Mile 3 - legs wouldn't work, couldn't really get above 9.30.
Mile 4 - ridiculous, my calves felt like iron and I was struggling towards the end.
Perhaps I should have done the 35 minutes yesterday and got the pain out of the way? Would it have hurt more? I've heard about 'recovery' runs and always thought they sounded like a waste of time. I should have listened to Bobby!
I had an acupuncture session today. I talked to Joby about my tight shoulders and darth vader breathing when I run. She suggested I try some Tai Chi and showed me a basic move that would help to 'centre' my energy. I thought about it tonight when I was running and tried to keep my core straight and strong. I'm really interested in acupuncture and alternative therapies. I've been having sessions with Joby for over a year and have become more and more interested in it. It doesn't hurt, the needles are tiny and I get to lie still for 45 minutes!
We're decorating at the moment, today I painted a ceiling. Twice. I've never really decorated before now. It's hard work, you have to think about what your doing before you do it, you can't just rock up, splash some paint about and expect your room to look great. It's the tiny details that are important. But today, I painted a ceiling, twice and am pretty pleased with the results.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Top 3 things
Inspired by a comment at work today here's my Top 3 Things about running:
1. Stress reduction - Gives you time to think (or forget) about your day
2. Health - Keeps me moving and gets me outside
3. Social - I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners
I'm a Libra and like to be balanced so these are the Bottom 3 Things about running:
1. Washing - there is always dirty kit to be washed
2. Effort - it's easier to lie on the sofa watching TV
3. All encompassing - it's easy to become obsessed and turn into a running bore!
I did my 3 miles today that I should have done on Monday. I ran home from work. My calves hurt. It was a nice day. My watch told me I'd run my fastest mile yet.
I did 20 minutes of stretching when I got home. Then ate chips for my tea. Like I said, being a Libra means I like to balance in my life.....
1. Stress reduction - Gives you time to think (or forget) about your day
2. Health - Keeps me moving and gets me outside
3. Social - I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners
I'm a Libra and like to be balanced so these are the Bottom 3 Things about running:
1. Washing - there is always dirty kit to be washed
2. Effort - it's easier to lie on the sofa watching TV
3. All encompassing - it's easy to become obsessed and turn into a running bore!
I did my 3 miles today that I should have done on Monday. I ran home from work. My calves hurt. It was a nice day. My watch told me I'd run my fastest mile yet.
I did 20 minutes of stretching when I got home. Then ate chips for my tea. Like I said, being a Libra means I like to balance in my life.....
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
The little things
I paid attention to what I'd written yesterday and made sure I'd eaten enough during the day and had drank plenty of water.
Breakfast:
Coffee
Cornflakes with banana
Snack:
Small packet of pretzels
Water
Lunch:
Chicken flatbread
Fruit Salad
Decaf Tea
Snack:
Dried Apricots
Bottle of water
It definitely made a difference as I felt ready to run by the time I'd got back from work. I was almost looking forward to it after a 3 hour drive home from a meeting.
Tuesday night is Derwent Runners club night. We have 3 different groups, 4 miles, 6 miles and fast 6 miles. I always run in the 4 mile group. The speed suits my pace. I've tried the 6 mile group a couple of times but am usually left at the back struggling to get up the hills!
I did the 4 miles tonight, it was quite warm when we started running - 28 degrees still at 7pm but I felt ok. There were a couple of hills that usually make me do the Darth Vader breathing but tonight I managed to run up them & have a conversation as well. I know I'm not noticeably faster or thinner yet but it's little things like this that are spurring me on at the moment.
Breakfast:
Coffee
Cornflakes with banana
Snack:
Small packet of pretzels
Water
Lunch:
Chicken flatbread
Fruit Salad
Decaf Tea
Snack:
Dried Apricots
Bottle of water
It definitely made a difference as I felt ready to run by the time I'd got back from work. I was almost looking forward to it after a 3 hour drive home from a meeting.
Tuesday night is Derwent Runners club night. We have 3 different groups, 4 miles, 6 miles and fast 6 miles. I always run in the 4 mile group. The speed suits my pace. I've tried the 6 mile group a couple of times but am usually left at the back struggling to get up the hills!
I did the 4 miles tonight, it was quite warm when we started running - 28 degrees still at 7pm but I felt ok. There were a couple of hills that usually make me do the Darth Vader breathing but tonight I managed to run up them & have a conversation as well. I know I'm not noticeably faster or thinner yet but it's little things like this that are spurring me on at the moment.
Friday, 20 July 2012
A You Tube Sensation....
I work part time, 3 days a week. Some people say - what do you do all day? This is what I did today;
Got up.
Ate breakfast.
Walked a mile to PT.
Did my PT session. Rich is helping me to increase my speed & lower body strength. Watch this video to see some of my session today....It was HARD. My arms were aching, I was short of breath and my quads were on fire.
Then at the end of the session we also did this short speed drill. It almost finished me off! All of my session is detailed here.
When I train with Rich I feel differnt to when I run. I'm confident when I train, I feel like I know what I'm doing and although Rich pushes me it's still 'my thing'. With running I always feel like I'm bottom of the class.
I walked home and spent most of the rest of the day putting washing in & out of the maching and moving it about on radiators - yes I had the heating on in July.
My mum & dad also came round for a cup of tea.
I didn't watch Bargin Hunt or Jeremy Kyle.
Derwent Runners had a good turn out at the Tara Kinder 10K with our very own Matt Cartwright coming third! Brilliant.
Six miles tomorrow morning. I'm debating whether to have a lie in and run later in the day or just get up at go so it's done & out of the way. I liked running early last week. Tomorrow I'll have done 3 weeks of training. Ticking the sessions off & begining to see a little glimmer of improvement.
Got up.
Ate breakfast.
Walked a mile to PT.
Did my PT session. Rich is helping me to increase my speed & lower body strength. Watch this video to see some of my session today....It was HARD. My arms were aching, I was short of breath and my quads were on fire.
Then at the end of the session we also did this short speed drill. It almost finished me off! All of my session is detailed here.
When I train with Rich I feel differnt to when I run. I'm confident when I train, I feel like I know what I'm doing and although Rich pushes me it's still 'my thing'. With running I always feel like I'm bottom of the class.
I walked home and spent most of the rest of the day putting washing in & out of the maching and moving it about on radiators - yes I had the heating on in July.
My mum & dad also came round for a cup of tea.
I didn't watch Bargin Hunt or Jeremy Kyle.
Derwent Runners had a good turn out at the Tara Kinder 10K with our very own Matt Cartwright coming third! Brilliant.
Six miles tomorrow morning. I'm debating whether to have a lie in and run later in the day or just get up at go so it's done & out of the way. I liked running early last week. Tomorrow I'll have done 3 weeks of training. Ticking the sessions off & begining to see a little glimmer of improvement.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Hoops!
Today started in a rush. I washed my hair and didn't have enough time to dry it so I left the house looking a bit like a lion. I sorted a few things out at work that have been on my mind for a while and when 5pm came round I was ready to try out the new watch.
I got my trainers on, switched the watch on (remembering instructions from Flino as to what buttons to press) and jogged over to the Pride Park loop to start my 6x1 min intervals. Watch was working fine, telling me how fast I was running and how far I'd covered. Which was great, until I realised that for intervals I wanted it to tell me how fast I was running and also how long I'd been running for, or better yet, how long I had left to run. I pressed some buttons and managed to get it to tell me when a minute was up by beeping at me.
Great, I started running quite fast looking at my wrist - it said I was running 11 min mile pace. I don't think I was. I decided that I'd just run pretty quick for a minute and then walk for another minute. Repeat this six times. Jog back round the loop to cool down and remember how to breathe again. Session done. Although it was short, I felt like I had worked hard.
Interval training is meant to be one of the best ways to increase your fitness and improve your endurance.
I clearly need to learn more about the watch but overall a good days running.
Tonight we went to Jack Rabbits for dinner to say goodbye to Peaky as she is off on her travels for a month. What a brilliant evening, the food was amazing - it's all cooked on an Aga and everything is delicious! I was very close to cracking on the no drinking but managed to find some resolve at the last minute. I didn't want to have to write that I'd given up.
I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners and whenever we go out we spend most of the night laughing and not really talking about running. It's a very friendly, sociable club and has helped me to realised that not everyone that runs is a 'serious' runner.
I'm full of lovely food now and feeling very tired and happy. 9am PT session tomorrow to burn off the huge piece of Apricot Tart and Cream that I had for pudding. All this exercise has to have some benefits!
I got my trainers on, switched the watch on (remembering instructions from Flino as to what buttons to press) and jogged over to the Pride Park loop to start my 6x1 min intervals. Watch was working fine, telling me how fast I was running and how far I'd covered. Which was great, until I realised that for intervals I wanted it to tell me how fast I was running and also how long I'd been running for, or better yet, how long I had left to run. I pressed some buttons and managed to get it to tell me when a minute was up by beeping at me.
Great, I started running quite fast looking at my wrist - it said I was running 11 min mile pace. I don't think I was. I decided that I'd just run pretty quick for a minute and then walk for another minute. Repeat this six times. Jog back round the loop to cool down and remember how to breathe again. Session done. Although it was short, I felt like I had worked hard.
Interval training is meant to be one of the best ways to increase your fitness and improve your endurance.
I clearly need to learn more about the watch but overall a good days running.
Tonight we went to Jack Rabbits for dinner to say goodbye to Peaky as she is off on her travels for a month. What a brilliant evening, the food was amazing - it's all cooked on an Aga and everything is delicious! I was very close to cracking on the no drinking but managed to find some resolve at the last minute. I didn't want to have to write that I'd given up.
I've met some great friends through Derwent Runners and whenever we go out we spend most of the night laughing and not really talking about running. It's a very friendly, sociable club and has helped me to realised that not everyone that runs is a 'serious' runner.
I'm full of lovely food now and feeling very tired and happy. 9am PT session tomorrow to burn off the huge piece of Apricot Tart and Cream that I had for pudding. All this exercise has to have some benefits!
Thursday, 12 July 2012
The dinner of kings
I had a good day today, my friend made a good decision which has made her happier, I had a productive meeting in Northampton this afternoon and I ran 4 miles, 2 of them at 9 minute mile pace.
I wasn't sure how I was going to do the 2 quicker miles, so I put a post on the Derwent Runners facebook page to see if anyone would run with me and sure enough Caine obliged. I needed someone to run those 2 miles with me, it's not a long way but I needed someone to tell me how fast I was going and to keep me running at the same pace. I've not crossed the 'technology' line yet with my training. I should probably get one of those watches. But I don't want to become obsessed with pace. Can you get quicker without one though?
I ran a mile down to the park to meet Caine and then we started the two mile stretch at a faster pace. The first mile was ok, the first half of the second mile was harder and the last half a mile was a challenge. 18 minutes later I'd done the 2 miles. After a little walk to get my breath back, I jogged home thinking about running 13 miles at roughly that pace. I've got another 10 weeks though so I'm not dwelling on that thought.
Right now I'm going to eat one of my favourite dinners - baked potato, fish fingers and beans - the dinner of kings. The potato has to be done in the oven though, no microwave. Crispy skin is essential. The fish fingers - cheaper the better - also cooked in the oven. The beans, I'm a Heinz girl and they have to be heated up in a pan. All this running makes me permanently hungry.
Friday's challenge - going to the Beer Festival without drinking alcohol. I think I can do it. After sprints in the monsoon last Friday anything is possible.
I wasn't sure how I was going to do the 2 quicker miles, so I put a post on the Derwent Runners facebook page to see if anyone would run with me and sure enough Caine obliged. I needed someone to run those 2 miles with me, it's not a long way but I needed someone to tell me how fast I was going and to keep me running at the same pace. I've not crossed the 'technology' line yet with my training. I should probably get one of those watches. But I don't want to become obsessed with pace. Can you get quicker without one though?
I ran a mile down to the park to meet Caine and then we started the two mile stretch at a faster pace. The first mile was ok, the first half of the second mile was harder and the last half a mile was a challenge. 18 minutes later I'd done the 2 miles. After a little walk to get my breath back, I jogged home thinking about running 13 miles at roughly that pace. I've got another 10 weeks though so I'm not dwelling on that thought.
Right now I'm going to eat one of my favourite dinners - baked potato, fish fingers and beans - the dinner of kings. The potato has to be done in the oven though, no microwave. Crispy skin is essential. The fish fingers - cheaper the better - also cooked in the oven. The beans, I'm a Heinz girl and they have to be heated up in a pan. All this running makes me permanently hungry.
Friday's challenge - going to the Beer Festival without drinking alcohol. I think I can do it. After sprints in the monsoon last Friday anything is possible.
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