back to normal!

just discovered that I can resize the pics in edit - doh

so normal service is resumed


no plodding today


work deadlines loom and kept me awake last night so better to get the work done, sleep well and run another day

just a short plod

a short plod this morning- back ached again especially on the hills - the after effects of an afternoon in the garden yesterday I think

trouble is the garden needs loads of TLC at the moment - I have never really got on top of it this year, as the spring was spent training for FLM

had planned W5:R50:W5 but back ache made me turn back after 20 minutes

however prior to that I was not going too badly - if I can keep my pace under 13 mm when it is not to hilly I shall be happy at the moment

session	OUT W5	OUT R15:55	BACK R23:46	Run
distance	0.37	1.23	1.6	3.2
pace	13.5	12:56	14:50	13:56
AHR				136

HRM was playing up so no sensible numbers on the out and back

new running partner

I think I have found a local running partner at last :>)

RP is a new member of staff at the gym and has not done more than 10k - but is entered for Robin Hood half!!

so we went out today for a 2 hour plod - by her 10k pace she is quicker than me, but does not have the endurance

so for the first 5 miles she was tootling along chatting away and I was keeping up


but after 5 miles she began to find it harder - and as we were doing run a mile walk a minute (or two) she was asking 'surely the mile is up'

so we could be quite good for each other - she'll pull me a long - and I'll help her get out the door and help her endurance

we will probably only meet once a week for a long run, but that means I can do my long run off road along cycle tracks - which is much better :>)


so a positive outcome


here's the data (if blogger is behaving)

distance	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	0.96	7.96>
pace	13:40	14:11	14:06	14:11	15:06	13:37	15:30	14:33	14:26
AHR	133	144	141	140	140	1465	139	143	141

so, it was slow, but included a few pauses to stretch during our "walk a minute" minute

rubbish plod!

back from what was supposed to be a gentle 4 miler

but instead of getting up at 5 to do it I left it until 10

which meant my main road route was full of smelly traffic


so off roqad into the park

but its uneven and UP

and my back began to ache

now sore legs I can deal, with but back - aaagh

and I am supposed to be doing a long one tomorrow


so I decided to cut it short


and it was mostly uphill back and I could NOT run

so it was a pathetic 2.2 miles in 34:17 - pace slower in the 'run' than the warm up walk!!

but I have come back and stretched - something I have failed to do on the last couple of plods

so fingers crossed for a flat long run tomorrow


stilll 2.2 mile is 2.2 miles in the bank (as Ruth might say)

come on beanz, get on with it

ran Monday, planned to run tonight at the club, but it was a 10 k handicap and I have never run 10k, but knew I would be sooo much slower than everyone else, so chickened out


and went along to time keep

which was really good cos I got to meet people and learn a few names instead of arriving back after everyone else had gone to the pub! (not really, most peeps waited for last man back, who would probably have plodded with me if I'd dared do it)

anyway it means I've had a good time at the club, but not done my run - was in York all day, and could not get out of bed early enough to run this morning

so I think I am going to be brave and go for two days on the trot - a slow 4 miles tomorrow


and then a long run on Friday - 2 hours along the river path with a fellow plodder


I have just cheered myself up by looking at what I was doing this time last year in preparation for Robin Hood

and it does not look too bad - my non-long uns were mostly 3 miles ish rather than the 4 + miles I am doing now :>))

so maybe I will survive in 17 days?

and Windsor a fortnight later?

running in the rain

After a week of glorious weather in Cornwall its back to dampness and rain

drizzle on the way out turned to a downpour on the way back

my normal out and back route - I've split the run into the two halves to show the "upness" of the return route

parts of the flat and downhill bits felt really good


must conquer the uphill bits!

session	W5	R24:20	R25:40	R5	Run
distance	0.31	1.90	1.82	0.27	4.29
pace	16:04	12:48	14:05	18:44	13:58
AHR	110	145	148	145	142

new start on sensible eating today - must get some of this weight off - would make hills sooo much easier I am sure!

Home!

OK so home

fatter

less fit

but rested


so back to work tomorrow


back to plodding tomorrow


and back to sensible eating tomorrow



and putting pics into the holiday blog has messed up the width


hey ho


I'll take them out in a few days, but they took ages to do, cos I can't get the easy blogger way to work :<(

Summer holiday 2

And the Sun continues to shine......

Thursday : Rain forecast from the NW later in the day, so off to the other coast to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. I've been twice before but it is still a great visit - the jungle is past its best in August but the herbaceous beds and the vegetable beds were fantastic

and lots of walking too!
And it just started raining as we walked back to the car!

Friday :
Awoke to a bright morning and felt like a run so I did. Just a couple of miles round the edge of the golf course - it was windy and hilly but at least I was out there.
Morning in St Ives, shopping and mooching
Afternoon on the beach whilst the teenbeanzes build a mega sandcastle with sea defences - we then wait until it is overwhelmed by the incoming sea.


Saturday :
Early swim before breakfast.
A short (3.75 m) walk along the SW Coastal Path - fantastic views across Carbis Bay.

Back on the train, with more views.
A lazy afternoon of board games.

Home tomorrow !

Summer holiday

Strange being away

Out of touch with friends

And also out of touch with work - a really good break!

Loads of sunshine
Swimming in the pool every day
Lots of rest

Mozzy after effects almost gone - but not run yet.

It is very hilly here - steep walk down to the beach and the coastal path into St. Ives. Good 15 minutes of CV coming back up!

So far:
Monday

St Ives - Tate and Hepworth museums,

and lots of walking

back to the hotel for a swim with the teenbeanzes

Tuesday

early morning swim and morning on the beach

afternoon of reading, crosswords and Sudokus

Wednesday

Geevor Tin Mine, Levant Beam Engine and Land's End.

Sublime to the ridiculous!

Rain forecast for tomorrow so maybe into St Ives? Should try and run.

More later in the week.

off on holidays ......

first thing tomorrow!


to Cornwall


there will be sun ( we hope), sea and sand

woodland walks - or even plods




and plenty of relaxation ......................

attacked by killer mozzy

so the barbecue was fun but ......

standing around on a summer's evening always carries a risk

I seem to have encountered a particularly viscious mozzy

who has crawled over my legs taking out chunks

one (at least) has become infected so now I have a leg like a balloon

and antibiotics

and can't contemplate going out with the friendly club tonight

I've cried off more than I have been :<(

achey legs

managed a short session at the gym yesterday

followed by lunch with LMH

then a break before being back on taxi service

a scout barbecue in the evening which meant standing around for 2½ hours - including some fun silly games which required jiggging from one leg to the other - difficult when they really ache



did not stop me going for a plod this morning though :>)

session	W5	R50	R5	Run
distance	0.352	3.84	0.27	4.42
pace	15:43	13:01	18:39	13:33
AHR	118	145	143	137

this was back on my old undulating route - with a net run downwards on the outward undulations - giving a pace of
12:45 mm for the outward 25 minutes
13:17 mm for the return 25 minutes

best overall pace on this run since FLM!

I think I am beginning to recover - maybe even get quicker one day!!!

a tiring day ...

It started well with an early morning run - I decided to abandon my FLM up the road and back route - it's too mindblowingly boring - the same undulations every time aaaagh.


so turn the other direction and down to the river - through the park and back along the other side



of course DOWN to the river means it is seriously UP coming back


but the route is 4 miles with the potential for a flattish 2 mile loop in the park

so I shall be back for that later in the week


as for today it went like this :

session	W5	R50	W5	Run
distance	0.34	3.63	0.31	4.28
pace	14:49	13:45	16:15	14:01
AHR	116	142	135	143

back home, stretch and shower then its off to Alton Towers with the two teenbeanzes and a couple of Swedish scouts who are staying for a few days

I had not been before and did not know what to expect

fond thoughts of wandering through the picturesque gardens and sipping cups of tea whilst the lads tried out the rides were dashed

as they did not know what to expect either, I spent a lot of time waiting for them to go on rides and then walking across the site to the next ride

all very tiring

back home, cook a meal and then off for a walk in the park - down to the river along this morning's route, but just a couple of miles this time


legs are beginning to request some respite!

time for upper body at the gym tomorrow I think

Robin Hood - 5 weeks to go!

Getting worried about Robin Hood, I looked at how much running I was doing last summer at this time to compare with this year.

[Always resort to data when worried!]

	2004 weekly mileage	2005 weekly mileage
HM-14	0.33	2.39
HM-13	14.4	0.00
HM-12	11.4	5.7
HM-11	10.0	5.3
HM-10	5.6	9.7
HM-9	0.0	11.8
HM-8	1.9	13.3
HM-7	7.5	10.0
HM-6	10.6	0.0
HM-5 this week	5.0	14
HM-4	5.0	16
HM-3	21.0	15 holiday
HM-2	13.5	20
HM-1	18.4	21
Robin Hood	19.5	25

as last time July was a difficult time to get the miles in

if I can stick to the schedule between now and the race (life is less frenetic, so I should be able to) I might even reach it in better shape than last time :>)

So this week:

Sunday	rest
Monday	W5:R80:W5
Tuesday	rest
Wednesday	swim
Thursday	W5:R50:W5
Friday	rest Derby Social
Saturday	W5:R60:W5
Sunday	rest - visitors

Longer and very slow ....

Robin Hood is getting perilously close and although I have not run all week I really need ot build up my long runs.

So adding 10 minutes to last weeks long run was the least I could do. Although I have not run since last Sunday I really needed to get a long run in.

So I went out this morning.

First plan was ot start with a lap of the park with teenbeanz, but he was in a CBA mood, so I was on my own.

On autopilot I set off up the main road - which is OK at 5 am, but not so pleasant at 9.00 am on a Monday morning.

The prospect of 90 minutes of traffic fumes was not good, so I decided to turn off and run a road I hav eonly ever driven before. Although there are not footpaths all along, it is not too narrow, not too much traffic. However I had failed to realise what a steep hill it included! So there was rather a lot of walking - and still my HR was above 70% on those bits.

I am supposed to finish with 5 minutes walk to cool down, but as part of the last bit of the route was downhill I could not resist running it!

session	W5	R80	R5	Run
distance	0.35	5.62	0.36	6.32
pace	14:19	14:14	13:58	14:14
AHR	118	145	143	143

Good fun, but not exactly base training!