Wednesday 27 July 2005

Better week

A better week this week - some good people here :-)

However less good news on the running front.

Last week I ran on Tuesday and it was good. But I don't think I really recovered - walking 2+ miles on concrete footpaths each day is not conducive to recovery. So on Sunday my long run took a lot out of me and I'm back to sore legs. And this week more walking on concrete - so no running :-(

Maybe I'll run on Sunday :-)

A lovely evening tonight - went out to a country pub with my 'line manager' a great chance for chat about families and gossip!

Sunday 24 July 2005

Sunday running

If it is Sunday it must be the long slow plod up the undulating road - really must get off road with Pix for this

and it rained! Rain Cloud




but not enough to water the garden Blue




anyway the run:



session W5 R70 W5 Run
distance 0.33 5.23 0.28 5.83
pace 15:11 13:23 17:51 13:47
AHR 107 143 140 139



back to Cambridge tomorrow for another stint of meetings - at least a couple of friends will be here for some of the week Happy



later .........
well it has now rained for 7 hours so the garden is getting a good soaking Rainy

and the plan for next week:


Sunday W5:R70:W5 done and dusted
Monday walking
Tuesday W5:R50:W5the kingfisher run
Wednesday walking + stairs !
Thursday W5:R50:W5the kingfisher run
Friday walking + stairs !
Saturday W5:R50:W5 the kingfisher run
Sunday rest day long meeting and driving home
Monday W5:R80:W5last weeks LSR





Saturday 23 July 2005

Thanks

thanks for the hugs, friends, I have needed them

No running since Tuesday :-(

too much work and too knackered

however things are looking up - shorter meeting today and then meeting up with Red Haired Girl and maybe the other pilates people Stickless has gathered together, after their run.

Then home for about 36 hours - during which I WILL fit in a run.

Back here on Monday but less pressured and one or two GOOD folk will be coming too.

Later that day ....

A real treat - Stickless had invited forumites to join her on a Pilates for running workshop - and I would have done if not working.

However it meant I got a chance to meet up with Stickless for the first time, and also met Tigger's friend Roo - who I had met at the National Cross Country Champs last winter, and long time forum friend Red Haired Girl and also - a big surprise Aggie was there too. Aggie is a Derby social friend so that was great!

We had a bread and cheese lunch in Stickless's garden and a good old natter. And Stickless confirmed that it was perfectly possible that I saw a deer on my run on Tuesday - I was running along the stream where she sees kingfishers - will have to go again.

Friday 22 July 2005

Worn out!

it was a long meeting today, including some 'robust' exchanges

fortunately I did not have to go and eat dinner with these people as I was feeling bruised by the debate

Instead I went out for a meal and then to the theatre with a couple of elder statesmen - I must have looked in need of some comfort!

we saw Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead -it was excellent

The evening was rather spoiled by a meeting with a colleague [the 'old friend' I was missing earlier in the week :-( ]; he had been in the pub too long, was probably fed up because I went to the theatre, rather than out drinking with him. He was unpleasant to both me and my colleagues and left me feeling very down. It has happened before when he's had too much to drink and he probably will pretend it hasn't happened tomorrow.

And I am feeling guilty about being away from home because studentbeanz is feeling low

aaagh

Tuesday 19 July 2005

Tuesday


so the first Cambridge run of this visit

I looked at the map to find a suitable route for W5:R50:W5.

Up at 5.00 and off I went. It was lovely - cool but not cold, with the Sun coming up above the houses.
After about a mile of concrete pavement I turned off road and onto a path alongside a shallow stream. Some way along the path I saw a deer! At least I think it was. When I reached the point where I saw it ok course it had long gone onto the allotments (?)

I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing - I shall have to ask Stickless at the weekend.

Anyway numbers:

W5:R50:W4
Distance 0.30 : 3.6 : 0.24
AHR 108 : 141 : 121
Pace 16:39 : 13:53 : 17:12

slow but hey I was out there!

Monday 18 July 2005

Summer smells


Early this morning I walked past an extensive lavender bed, then later there's a huge lime tree.
The smells from these were so intense today - even more so this evening after a shower of rain.
I realised then that something was missing

Balmy evening in Cambridge, sweet smells of summer - and .....

old friends !

I had not realised how closely I associate the smell of lime trees with this time and place until now.

I have been coming to Cambridge at this time of year for nearly 20 years now. For most of that time working with the same people. But now I have new responsibilities and so the usual crew are not here yet.

I miss them.

Sunday 17 July 2005

Sunny Sunday

Time to up the distance again!

Now I am up to running for an hour 3 times a week, I need to increase the distance of one of the runs. So the weekend run will increase by 10 minutes each week, getting me up to 2 hours by Robin Hood - should be just about enough.

Woke up earlier than I planned this morning but it was so sunny, I decided to get out and run before it heated up more.

So off I went.



session W5 R60 W5 Run
distance 0.32 4.46 0.26 5.04
pace 15:29 13:27 19:16 13:53
AHR 108 141 140 139





So it was definitely slow - if not that long.

But it felt comfortable - so that must be a GOOD THING.


I am off to Cambridge for a week later today - so limited internet access, but will pick up emails.

Will try to email my blog - but will not be reading yours :<( Trouble is emailing seems to lose the table. Anyone solved that one yet??

So next week :

Sunday W5:R60:W5
Monday walking + stairs !
Tuesday W5:R50:W5
Wednesday walking+ stairs !
Thursday W5:R50:W5
Friday walking+ stairs !
Saturday Rest Day
Sunday W5:R70:W5



Have a good week all.

Friday 15 July 2005

Friday

Another beautiful morning for a run.
Just the right temperature when I set out - not chilly but not warm.
Warming up nicely as I got back - going to be another hot one I guess.

Last night I collected studentbeanz from the airport 20 miles away and there was torrential rain - but not a drop fell here. The garden really needs it.

Anyway here are the numbers.

session W5 R50 W5 Run
distance 0.34 3.85 0.26 4.45
pace 14:44 12:59 19:00 13:29
AHR 111 143 139 140

Wednesday 13 July 2005

Carpe Diem

Training schedule fell over yesterday.

Instead of going to the gym and doing core stuff I met up with friends (tsk tsk)
Too Happy 1 Too Happy 1 Too Happy 1

A much the better idea in fact, as you have to seize the chance for these things.

An opportunity to fantasise about races to be run and impossible times for completion. And to remind myself NOT to race in the summer when it is hot.


I shall however go and run with the club this evening - and hope there are some people happy to go nice and slowly - otherwise friendly fast peeps will feel obliged to keep me company

report back later

Club Run Running

So went to the super friendly club tonight. A kind lady agreed to run with me - saying she was very happy to run slowly Happy

No proper warm up (well it was a jogging warm up for everyone else - but rather quick for me) and straight into a 12:42 mile! It was very warm and I struggled. Had to have a few walking breaks, but my partner was good at jogging at my walking pace!!

Everyone met up for a drink afterwards - and Tigerrunner spent his time trying to persuade people to join him in making a team for Tough Guy! I promised to ......... bring the camera!!


so this is what it looked like, AHR says it all really - about 10 bpm quicker than I am used to - and it slowed me down overall because I had to walk :<(.
distance 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.76 3.76
pace 12:42 13:53 14:25 13:56 13:43
AHR 151 149 149 150 150


But I enjoyed it and will be back in three weeks after a couple of weeks training on the flatlands of Cambridge.

Monday 11 July 2005

A country mouse goes to London

A country mouse goes to London

Down to London today and on the train I read Matthew Parris in the Times. He asked "Has rural Britain responded differently to the London bombings than urban Britain? Is the country another country?"


I think he has a point that if you can identify with the people involved it becomes much more real. I knew people working in London that day and therefore could connect with it more than other people who felt yes, it was shocking but not so relevant to them. Others have made the point that bombings like this happen every day in Baghdad and we become immune to it.


So arriving at St Pancras and immediately the aftermath is apparent. A4 posters of missing people with poignant appeals for information there were not many of them but they were all pictures of young people, smiling and happy.

Then walking along the Euston Road with many others who would have travelled on the Circle Line trains, we passed St Pancras Church with its piles of flowers and beyond the screens shielding our view of the bus in Tavistock Square. People seemed hypersensitive to the sound of sirens a common enough sound on the Euston Road, but today they had more significance.

And after a busy meeting where the matters of Thursday were not discussed, except in terms of people�s travel arrangements, it was back along Marylebone Road and Euston Road. Now as I passed the screenings at Tavistock Square the place was humming loads of cameramen with very long lenses - pointing at the screens but waiting for something to happen. And of course as soon as there are cameras people stop to gawp and see what the cameras are looking at no doubt there were also people there to pay their respects, but it was not a peaceful place to do that better to be inside the church for peace and calm.

And then back on the train and home safely to the normality of small town Britain.



Sunday 10 July 2005

Scorching Sunday

It is already warm at 8.30!

Managed to do my Sunday run on a Sunday for the first time in a while :>)

It really is going to be hot out there today

Farthest I have run since FLM - so feeling pleased

But back on my boring out and back route along the main road - must find an alternative


session W5 R50 W5 Run
distance 0.31 3.78 0.25 4.34
pace 16:05 13:14 19:48 13:49
AHR 114 141 139 139

Saturday 9 July 2005

Sunny Saturday

A beautiful day today - a bit warm for running but it was a rest day :>)

Still coming to terms with what went on this week - but reflecting on the many ways in which people's goodness has shone through makes it feel less dark.

It was a great run at Tara Kinder last night - a few forumites met up, including Space Cadet whom we had not met before, so that was good - the Derby forum grows! 380 ran, winning time 32:38.

Marshalling was good fun, because of the looping nature of the course we saw everyone 4 times!

OK plans for the coming week.

Teenbeanzes are off on a school jaunt for the week, so we shoudl have a bit more time to ourselves, but I still seem to have agreed to do too much!

So the trainng plan has now reached 1 hour on my feet almost every other day.

I shall begin to increase the long run by 10 minutes a week, which will get me to 10 miles before RobinHood.


Sunday W5:R50:W5
Monday London - lots of walking
Tuesday Gym - core
Wednesday Club Run 60
Thursday Gym - Core strength
Friday W5:R50:W5
Saturday Rest Day
Sunday W5:R60:W5

Friday 8 July 2005

Friday

sobering news yesterday after the excitement of Wednesday

the bombs in London came as a bolt from the blue - inevitable but unexpected, I guess

and on a more personal level a friend who has overcome much in the past few years, yesterday suffered a sad loss

on to today and it seems trivial to worry about running and times, but as well as the social reasons for running, I also run to try to become healthier and last longer for my family

so I managed to get up and out for 5.00 and it was a lovely morning


session W5 R40 W5 Run
distance 0.33 3.14 0.29 3.77
pace 15:16 12:43 16:58 13:16
AHR 109 142 134 138



first time under 13:00 mm on this run since FLM - it may not seem much to you lot - but good news for me!

Thursday 7 July 2005

wobbly Wednesday

tottering day yesterday

nonrunningteenbeanz phoned to say runingteenbeanz 'was not very well' in fact was laying on the pavement in the middle of town!!

to cut a long story short RTB had fainted when crossing the road and banged his head

so a morning spent in A&E and then an afternooon in the children's ward for observations

they don't know why he fainted - CT scan all clear

so conclude it must be a virus

seems ok today and gone to school (I did take them in the car as a special concession)

I think I am the one left most drained by it all

so no club plod last night and can't get my act together this morning either

Tuesday 5 July 2005

Tuesday

an early swim and then a session with the phyzz

she did some good digging in my ITB - ouch Nervous

and we talked about stretching and exercises

and said she doesn't need to see me again Happy

provided I do the exercises

do the icing (no not ice baths - but she has mentioned that previously!!)

so I must stick at it


and not push on with the running too much too soon .....





Monday 4 July 2005

damp Monday in Manchester

no surprises there then!

called in on a mate on the way to Manchester - the mugs of tea and a natter made up for the rest of the evening in my drab hall of residence room

up early to do the run I should have done on Sunday

I was staying not far from my old school, so the plod brought back memories of school days and walking to the school field for hockey on cold winter days - passed the field but the gate was locked, so I had to settle for the pavement

but it was flat - as can be seen from the marginally better numbers compared to the last run at home


session W5 R40 W5 Run
distance 0.31 3.07 0.28 3.66
pace 13:37 13:02 17:22 13:37
AHR 104 141 126 136


Now home again - and no more gadding overnight for a couple of weeks - hooray!!
I do like going away from time to time - and much better when I can make it include a meet up with friends but just at the moment it is good to be at home with the family

AND seeing forumite friends on home territory at the weekend so even better :>))

Sunday 3 July 2005

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

I am in Edinburgh in spirit


Off to Manchester this evening for meeting tomorrow

spent too much time last night watching Live8 - the "old" ones were the best !

so did not get all done that I had intended yesterday

so no run this morning :<(

however this is the plan for the week

Sunday No time to run
Monday Manchester W5:R40:W5
Tuesday Swim and Phyzz
Wednesday Club Run 60
Thursday Gym - Core strength
Friday W5:R40:W5 and Forumites run Tara Kinder
Saturday Rest Day

see I can do tables now!! :>))

Friday 1 July 2005

Friday Fun

back home last night

and lots happening today

so out for a plod at 5.00 beanz grins smugly :-)

now have to catch up with emails and get on with marking exam papers.

then off to meet running friends this evening - beanz grins happily :>)))

session W5 R40 W5 Run
distance 0.30 3.02 0.25 3.57
pace 16:37 13:13 20:09 13:59
AHR 104 143 134 138



reflections

June was the lowest mileage since records began :<( but this week will be the highest mileage since FLM - with no silliness either :>)