Monday 31 January 2005

A result!

In spite of a not very good week on the eating front, and no runnig, I managed to lose 2 pounds this week at WW!

Met a forum friend for lunch, which was good.

And been for a swim.

And got another job out of the way!!

What: swim 30 minutes

Tomorrow: gym - CV and upper body

Sunday 30 January 2005

Looking forward

Thanks to the encouragement from friends here I am sticking at it!

Made it to the gym today and just concentrated on CV stuff - too many teenagers posing on the resistance machines to get anything useful done there - that's an early morning thing.


where: gym
what: CV
time: 40:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 116

Saturday 29 January 2005

new schedule

putting on sensible head - and encouraged by RHG, I am going to stay off running until next weekend

I've looked at the RW get you round schedule and reckon I can probably pick that up next weekend, doing all the scheduled runs at 70-75% pace, rather than run-walk and using some of the rest days for CV work, so only running 4 days a week might keep my legs going.

The only worry is that both Harewood 16 and Ashby 20 come a couple of weeks early for the schedule will just have to play it by ear.

resting, resting, resting ....

still not running - keep reading stuff that says take 1-2 weeks of for shin splints - PT says two weeks as well, though she is not a runner she has been good in the past.

pain seems to have moved a bit - trouble is you start to feel little niggles you didn't notice before once you start 'listening to your body'

will go to Derby Runner this week, had a conversation with one of their staff at the club this week - need to take my shoes in for them to have a look at them.

meanwhile trying not to eat too much and get some alternative exercise - but also got loads of work on - and its just not the same :<(

Friday 28 January 2005

Resting ...

Decided not to go to the gym this morning - just rest and ice

just as well as teenbeanz has a temperature - and sore neck

so I am now fretting about that

is the sore neck from yesterday's very physical rugby match, where he also banged his head?

or something worse?

who'd be a mum eh?

Thursday 27 January 2005

Grey day

Gym again,
Grey and damp morning so less regret about not getting outside.

Acheived one work task that had been hanging over me yesterday.

Must get some more done today. No time for lurking on the foruums.

where: gym
what: CV and core strength
time: 50:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 116 (inc core time)

Wednesday 26 January 2005

giving the shin a chance

I've decided to stay off the running at least until the weekend and get in some gym work.

Then try and run on grass in the daylight.

So been to the gym this morning and done 20 minutes CV and 30 minutes upper body strength.
Squats

Now sitting here icing my leg!


where: gym
what: CV and upper body
time: 50:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 100 (inc weights time)
tomorrow: gym CV and core

Tuesday 25 January 2005

still recovering

been to London today - which meant some walking on concrete pavements - not a good recovery surface

then to the club this evening, decided to plod on teh field and protect my joints, but it was so lumpy and wet that it did not feel too good

plodded for 15 minutes but could feel my shin, so came back to the clubhouse and iced instead

have iced again this evening

will go to the gym tomorrow and do some core stuff I think


Monday 24 January 2005

stiff legs!

I am stiffer this morning than after previous half marathons - probably due to do no running or stretching in the 5 days prior to the race - another lesson learned.

I felt a lot better after a swim this morning, but have not done anything else today.


where: gym
how far: swim and stretch
time: 30:00
pace: n/a
AHR: n/a

Sunday 23 January 2005

Brass Monkey weather ...

It all began with a train journey – meeting Red Haired Girl High Fiveon the train started a great forumite weekend in York. Little Miss Happy and mark*w met us at York Station and off to the hotel. Runnybunny joined us for a meal and then it was an early night for all!

Early next morning we woke to find a fine sprinkling of snow and a glorious blue sky. After the best breakfast Travel Inn can offer at that time of the morning we were off to York Race Course for the Brass Monkey Half Marathon.

Thanks to the Green Ribbon Code we were able to make contact with Aim High!(and sister), Torque Steer, Elephant Feet and XB.
Shaking Hands
And then its time to peel off all those layers of warm clothing and just wear your running gear – some folk wore shorts, some folk went sleeveless, but I was snugly warm in Helly top and concurve tights (plus hat and gloves!!).

RHG and I did a warm up lap of the field before setting off – avoiding the blokes who all seem to have found a reason to peer over the fence in to the scrubland beyond (we did not go close enough to see what was of such interest!).

Then we are off, not having the technology to give you a mile by mile breakdown of the race, I will just describe a few memorable moments. Soon I was fairly near the back, but a few distantly behind me and a lady in a purple top 100 metres ahead. After about half a mile we had our first climb – up over the bridge crossing the A64 to Scarborough. This was followed a little later by a much steeper climb – another bridge – over a railway line I think. Then it was pretty flat from there on. At about two miles there is heavy breathing behind me – and I am overtaken by two race walkers!! Gosh they were going well – no chance of me keeping up with them
Shortly before 4 miles came the point where the route bears off to the left, but will subsequently loop back to the same point – and I made it to there before the fastest runners came back – a great triumph I thought!!

Then its out on a minor road across farm land – rather exposed in places, but fortunately not too windy, although for a while we lost the Sun behind clouds. Trundling through the occasional village, I don’t remember much about the next five miles – I managed to keep a fairly steady pace of just over 12 minute miles by running a mile, walking for 30 seconds, and keeping my HR around 145-150 (75-80%).

All along the route the marshals were incredibly helpful – both at marshalling the traffic and also at encouraging the runners – great stuff. Soon after 11 miles my calf muscles experienced some strange ripples, making running pretty painful, walking eased it but I did not want to walk too much. A kind marshal gave me a quick and painful massage which helped a little, but I was slowing now. At the A64 crossing point it is about 1 mile to the finish – I had 14 minutes to get back before the cut-off of 2:45!

Could I do it? As I turned the corner into the race course I could see a crowd of waving people 100 metres ahead – they turned out to be my much quicker forumite friends – thanks to RB, LMH, mark and RHG for waiting for me (was EF there too? – I think so). So now I had to do it! LMH encouraged me and ran me in for the last 100 metres – thanks for that it really helped.

So I made it – 2:43:27 on my watch and a PB by more than a minute, and under 2:45 on the official clock.

And at least two peeps behind me!

Then after collecting a super sweat shirt, warming up and listening to the prizes being presented, it was off to the pub for lunch!

A great day had by all.

By the way 5 of us got PBs!!

And Aim High beat his sis!

It was especially good to meet so many great forumites.

What difference the forums make - I cannot imagine I would have even entred if I thought I was going to be on my own - and MrBeanz does not feel the need to come and support as there are other friends there.

FriendlySo thanks friends.Big Hug


where: Brass Monkey Half
how far: 21 km 13.1 miles
time: 2:43:27
pace: 12.5 minute miles
AHR: 147
core: not as well as all that surely??

Friday 21 January 2005

upgrading blog


This resting is getting to me - should be working but instead I am "enhancing" my blog!!

Thanks for all the help Leon.

No running to write about so festering instead.

Couch Potato

Don't worry will not always go for multicoloured posts, but I just noticed the pallette on the toolbar!!




Thursday 20 January 2005

trains!

Resting again and down to London this afetrnoon.

Train back stopped for an hour in the dark outside Mrket Harborough :<(

Too late and tired to go to the gym

but I have been resting the knee and icing and taking neurofen, in the hope that all this things will get the inflammation down enough to let me run on Sunday

Wednesday 19 January 2005

retail therapy :>)

well I have rested and iced today - as instructed

and exercised my purse with a bit of retail therapy - if you can't run buy some kit!

now have some black tights - not flattering but will be better than shorts or tracksters for Sunday,
and there will not be anyone behind me to look at the rear view anyway!

was tempted by off road shoes, but not this week

Tuesday 18 January 2005

sore shin :<((

from this going soo well, during last nights plod was a little sore in my left shin - not enough to stop plodding, but definitely there


so tonight was club night - no running partners there now, the other plodding Mums seem to have all given up

however one of the coaches is a sports masseur/therapist, so I had a quick consultation and after a couple of painful prods he prounced the dreaded words "shin splints"

offered various suggestions:

padding in the heels of my shoes to reduce jarring, running on softer surfaces, ricing, resting .... and if I feel it is necessary a painful session of massage with him.....

had thought I might have a little plod on the field , but it was pouring with rain and blowing a hooly so I had second thoughts and decided a day's rest would not do any harm

some reading on the RW site I shall go for some rest, ice and see how it goes - really want to do BM this weekend, so may also take some ibuprofen to help get thorugh that and thensee how it goes.

Must make the effort to do more off road running - but locally off road also means hilly, or a very boring field!

so:
where: nothing

tomorrow: possible short jog or gym

Monday 17 January 2005

work ....

mrbeanz ok now - but no idea what it was

been to brum today, work of course

managed to squeeze in a plod before WW


which probably helps explain the 2½ pounds OFF!!!



where: road
how far: 5.2 km 3.2 miles
time: 43:06
pace: 13.3 minute miles
AHR: 132
core: no - again

tomorrow: club

Sunday 16 January 2005

safely home

mrbeanz is safely home

runningteenbeanz and I managed a run


so the world looks a whole lot better tonight!


We had a great run in the park - mud and hills made for a slow pace, but it was such a lovely mornign we could not do anything else.
We might make it our regular weekend run together, as it is the sort of run that mrbeanz would rather I did not do alone, a few remote bits. And the hills are good training! Am tempted to think about xc next winter.



where: park - mud and hills
how far: 4.98 km 3.1 miles
time: 44:18
pace: 14.2 minute miles
AHR: 136
core: not yet



trying out colours!

Just thought I'd try out changing the colour of my text - to see if I can do it

so here goes:

This text will be red.

It works!

But it will take me a lot longer to work out how to do this side bar stuff - could ask teenbeanzes, but they don't know I've got a blog!!

Saturday 15 January 2005

.........later

Well he seems better this evening - not in such pain, just a dull ache now, but they are keeping him in overnight for observation.

But still no idea what the problem was - wind???!!!

maybe runningteenbeanz and I will get a run tomorrow morning

don't know what to do with myself ...

At 5.30 this morning mrbeanz woke with severe abdominal pains resulting in a trip to hospital where he still is.

He doesn't cope with pain well, so it has been a fairly traumatic time.


And they still don't know what is wrong with him. He has had intravenous (sp?) morphine and is probably having various undignified invasions of his body as I write this.

Trouble is, if I am sitting by his bed I feel I should be at home with teenbeanzes, if I am at home with them, they don't seem to need me and get on with their computer games and I feel I should be at the hospital. I cannot even think about running, would seem too selfish.

What to do?

Friday 14 January 2005

back to the gym

needed a gynm session today - so upper body strength stuff followed by a short plod on the tready

I am picking up the car from the garage later so may just run there - will have to get out the map and see how far it is!


where: gym
how far: 1.9 km 1.2 miles
time: 15:00
pace: 12.6 minute miles
AHR: 129
core: 45 minutes upper body

tomorrow: 10 miles on the road

Thursday 13 January 2005

keeping going

Back to the road tonight - fellow plodder seems to have deserted - must contact her to see if they are ok.

Eating just about in control, but need to plan alternatives to bread at lunchtime - a sandwich is so easy to make in a hurry.

Run turned out to be about the same pace and HR as Tuesday, and comfortable - certainly could keep it going for longer if necessary.

where: road
how far: 6.2 km 3.8 miles
time: 41:25
pace: 12.1 minute miles
AHR: 134
core: none :-(

tomorrow: gym

Wednesday 12 January 2005

later the same day ............

What a beautiful day (sorry you guys cooped in offices and hospitals)after my earlier gym session I couldn't not go out for a run - blue sky and sunshine with some wind.

Started out up the road, HR all over the place - needing to walk to get it down to 75% - legs obviously still recovering from this morning session. Decided it was too good to just go up the main road, so deviated into the park. Ok for a while - grass to run on - lovely, but then hit the hills - well I reckon I've walked more than I've run this afternoon, and it certainly was not a steady aerobic run, but it was invigorating.



Just worked out pace - must get a garmin - I've had to guess the distance from the map, and as I wasn't running on marked paths its all a bit iffy - but something like 15 minute miles!!!

And crossed at least 6 contour lines on the way up!!

where: park
how far: 4.3 km 2.6 miles
time: 41:25
pace: 15.4 minute miles
AHR: 139
core: gym - legs and upper body

tomorrow: road run

gym session

Wow, have not had a session with the PT for some time. Ia sked her for a programme to support my base trainig - so legs, arms and core strength.

Did she work my legs - sprints on the bike, stairs two at a time, leg press, more bike and then some upper body.......


wonder what it will be like to plod later - currently refuelled and going to sdo some work....


later

Tuesday 11 January 2005

steady run

After a day in London, with a little walking, it was off to the club. No partner (again) so I could do my own thing, which was good. Two steady laps felt comfortable and was just what I needed.

I like the new eating programme, though if I were not running I am not sure I could manage with just 3 spare points! Which goes to show that I was eating too much before.

will need to eat loads of fruit to fill the gaps.

where: road
how far: 6.2 km km 3.9 miles
time: 46:51
pace: 12.1 minute miles
AHR: 136
core: not done

tomorrow: session with PT - and park run later?

Monday 10 January 2005

weightwatching begins!

A good start to the day with 45 minutes on the tready,also made an appointment with the PT for Wednesday - need a realistic programme of strength exercises to complement base training. Based on 2 visits to the gym a week.

Back to WW tonight - first time since 22nd December - have put on 1 pound in that time not too bad for Christmas, but had hoped to stay the same.
New programme for WW - choice of no counting but eating three meals a day from a limited list - as much as you want from a broad range of fruit, veg, cereals -but not bread (seems ot be leaning to low /medium GI carbs in there). Additionally free snacking from the allowed fruit and veg and also 21 points for other stuff - bread, wine, cheese ... Bonus points as before - although based on weight and perceived level of exercise and supposed to eat a max of 12 per week still. That cannot work for anyone running as much as we do though. It does also say 'aim to earn more than you eat' which is better guidance I think.
The alternative programme is points based but the number of allowed points is more focused - based on not just weight, also age, lifestyle etc.

weight 13st 11lbs

where: treadmill
how far: 5.76 km 3.6 miles
time: 45:00
pace: 12.5 minute miles
AHR: 132
core: not done

tomorrow: 45 minutes club or tready if back too late

Sunday 9 January 2005

back running and its great!

Went out for 7 miles that's a nearly long definitely slow run for me, it should have been 9 for the schedule, but did not have time for the last couple of miles.

I really concentrated on keeping below 70% on the way out - and do you know what, the return run (uphill) was the best I've ever done - HR stayed below 75% and I ran the 1½ miles uphill without need of pause for walking - and felt I could have kept going further at the end!!

This is good stuff!

where: road
how far: 13.2 km 7 miles
time: 1:32:26
pace: 13.2 minute miles
AHR: 131
core: crunch & pressups - done

tomorrow: 45 minutes road or tready

Saturday 8 January 2005

lazy ...

well I did not go out at all:(

After being buffeted by the wind at minibeanz's xc I did not feel like running in it, and Derby were playing at home, so no room in the car park at the gym sooo with these pathetic excuses I did not run.....

Wind!

Back from windy Leeds and only managed one 20 minute run on the tready while I was there :( The tready was awful - very rocky and rattly and I could not face going on it again. If I were buying one it would have to be something like the lifefitness thwy have at the gym.

Did plenty of walking and stairs though, so hopefully not too much lost.

Off to take runningminibeanz to his XC race in a bit, then back and I WILL go for a 40 minute run.

Wednesday 5 January 2005

no time to run yet

got to get myself organised to post some work before I catch a train - so no time to run this mroning.

Will have to take over the tready in the hotel.

Tuesday 4 January 2005

back to the club

More peeps chatting to me at the club, now I have a club place, perhaps they believe I might be a serious plodder, rather than just posing on club nights? And two folk commented they'd seen me out running in the week and thought I was running well!! (Obviously did not see me on a walking bit then.)

Anyway partner texted to say she wasn't coming, which was ok cos I could do my own pace - not sure how BT goes if you don't run alone?

Off to a conference in Leeds tomorrow afternoon - need ot fit in a run before going. There is a tready at the hotel, but they may not let me use it for 40 minutes, often time-limited in hotel gyms, cos they have so few CV machines. Don't fancy Leeds city centre streets in the dark!

Ah well, it's a good walk to the conference from there, so will get time on feet if not running.

where: club
how far: 5.2 km 3.2 miles
time: 38.25
pace: 11.8 minute miles
AHR: 138
core: crunch & pressups - done

tomorrow: try to fit in 40 minutes road

Monday 3 January 2005

dodging the golf balls :<(

runningminibeanz and I have been for a run in the park - full of bleepy golfers impeding our normal route, discretion was the better part of valour so we took an alternative route - no idea how far but 40 minutes of mud and hills!

where: park
how far: 3.9?km 2.4ish miles
time: 40:00
pace: 16.4? minute miles did not feel that slow but the map cannot lie and there were some steep ups that could not be run down!
AHR: 133
core: crunch & pressups - done

tomorrow: club - 40 minutes with training partner

Sunday 2 January 2005

tready or nothing

Well, decided to make shepherd's pie for lunch rather than go for a run. Then later, having eaten said pie was too stuffed to run!

So ended up with an evening visit to the gym, not something I usually do - but at least it meant I did my 40 minutes - will do that more often, rather than miss the run.

where: treadmill
how far: 5.1 km 3.2 miles
time: 40:00
pace: 12.6 minute miles
AHR: 134
core: done

tomorrow: 40 minutes in the park with minibeanz

23 miles for week - highest ever! and I don't feel knackered - BT rules OK

Saturday 1 January 2005

New Year!

Well have I every intention of making it as good a new year as I can - difficult to say "happy" when there is so much going on in the world.

Runningminibeanz and I have been for our run - 36 minutes in the park - mud, hills, woods, squirrels birds ..... In fact it was listening to the birds singing that got me out of bed early on this Saturday morning! Minibeanz's first run since before Christmas as he has had a stinking cold. Club starts back on Tuesday and races next two Saturdays so he needed to get back into it. I think I am slow enough to make him run gently!

So aims for this year:

Work - not leave work to the last minute - do some proper scheduling and stick to it - this means limiting time on forums of course!!

Health - eat more healthily, aim to lose a pound a week - should be at goal before next Christmas that way.

Running - keep up base training after FLM, 30 miles/week should be reasonable

Fitness - do some core stuff everyday - this will be hard to stick to as I find it a chore

where: in the park
how far: 3.9(ish) km 2.4 miles
time: 36.55 (was supposed to be first day of 40 minutes - but did not go far enough!)
pace: 15.1 minute miles
AHR: 134

tomorrow: 40 minutes on the road