Back running

On the iron tablets now and the apricots too

Now on the road again (well rail actually) so blogging by email
Saturday
teenbeanz needed to do a tempo run today so we went down to the river path, which is reasonably flat. 3 miles for me and 4 for him.

Sunday
An extra hour in bed - still seem to need lots of sleep.
But looked out of the window and saw it wasn't raining so I got on my kit and out the door.

5 miles done average pace 13:45 which is good news given my hilly route.

Should have been doing Worksop half today. I was sorry to miss seeing loads of forumites including the quick peeps from the daily training thread and the derby social crowd too. But pleased I decided not to run.

Now in Manchester - stuff to do here tomorrow then up to Durham for Tuesday and then home for a day. I WILL run with club on Wednesday .

mmmmmmmm

not sure what is going on here, getting my act together to run is just hard

Monday
meet TP - it was absolutely pouring down and silly to go out in it when we were at the gym - so we did Yassos instead - for a 6 hour marathon that is 6 minutes for 80 m easy calculation - 8 km/h - not all that quick really, but we did them, maybe should go for a notch or two quicker next time. Total distance 5 km - so that's a 3 mile run out of the way this week.

Tuesday
planned to work at home (done) around some core stuff, but just didn't get round to it - so ZERO

Wednesday
teenbeanz has a training schedule from coach at club - which includes 25 minute recovery runs on Mondays and Wednesdays - so that was we set off to do - but did not plan a long enough route, but we need to make it a block and a half to fill his time
then off to see studentbeanz, so walkign but no more running

Thursday
was going to get up and run first thing, but we all slept late and by the time I got up the traffic was full blast and I couldn't face running up the busy road and TOTM has kicked in
thought I might go to the gym this evening - then remembered I am giving blood this afternoon so will not be up to the gym after that

and I have work to do

and ....................................


bleurgh


edit later
blood rejected - low iron count, but not low enought to be anaemic

so does mean I could go out for a plod in the morning

watch this space

or not

Good weekend

Friday social

A small but select group of forumites met on Friday night - LMH and mark, SuzyQ and MrSuzyQ (who has now become a forumite and has his own name - fotoman), Muzzy and Rory Coleman - famous mad ultra man and inventor of Marathon of Britain

I think I volunteered to crew at the MOB 2006 - subject to MrBeanz agreement - more of that later.


Saturday
Off to visit friends in flattest Lincolnshire - had planned to plod a couple of miles early, but didn't make it - however we did walk a couple or three miles at Gibraltar Point - fantastic Nature Reserve - lots of geography - and birds too!

Good to meet up with old friends - mrbeanz's friends really and they were able to tell the teenbeanzes all sorts of tales of mrbeanz's mis-spent student days - so what they thought might be a boring trip turned out all right in the end!

Sunday
Up fairly early for a four mile plod. Good clear autumnal morning, not too cold and little traffic on the main road I plod along.

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:32	131	includes 5 min warm up walk
2	14:40	140	includes lots of stretching at 1.5 miles and 1.9 miles
3	13:07	144	undulating return keeping HR under control
4	13:56	146	Killer Hill
4.0	13:49	140	a good plod I thought

Was contemplating why I want to go off for a week and crew for MOB - I don't even like camping!

I think it is some kind of mid-life thing - not exactly a crisis - but I have been a wife and mother for 22 years and not done anything away from all of that that is exciting or challenging until FLM this year. Decided not to enter FLM again until I know I have a chance of doing it significantly quicker.

So need something to look forward to and be involved in - and maybe this is it?

It will be the first week in September, the teenbeanzes' first week back in Sixth Form, mrbeanz's birthday at the end of the week - so not ideal timing but there is always something ...

I'll think some more....................

plodding on

Wednesday
had hoped to be back in time for runnigng club, but it was not to be, so just some walking in Cambridge - couple of miles maybe?

Thursday
up early for a 3 mile plod - still not cold at 7.00, but must find my gloves because it will be soon

first run following the phyzz on Tuesday - hamstring fine, calves tight for first couple of miles, stretched lots, but by the third mile they were feeling easier, but back ached coming up the hill, slowing me down to a walk

not worth a table for 3 miles

what: 3.22 miles
where: up the road and back
time: 45:36
pace: 14:10
AHR: 136

Friday
meeting TP - should have been a 6 miler, but she has an injured foot, so we went into the gym instead and I tried out her new programme for the treadmill class - she is a PT too

pyramids - increasing incline from 5 to 10 - could not run at the steeper inclines - never been that high before!

still 2.2 miles done

now trying to get some work done and in the post this afternoon


read this article in the Guardian yesterday - must get the book - my working life needs sorting!

in between journeys

just a short day at home between work travels

yesterday Exeter - a long way to go for a meeting

but I stole an hour at the end of the day to go walk about before getting a later (but through) train

it seemed from brief acquaintance to be quite a pleasant place to live, not too large and with access to some stunning countryside

wandered round the cathedral, which is a sensible size too with some old Norman bits and then add ons - and a nice green space around it

back home last night

to the gym and phyzz this morning - another go at needling the trigger points - seems to have been effective on my hamstring that was sore earlier

we'll see how the calves stand up to running tomorrow - if I am back in time that is

I was planning to go out with the running club, but I've just had the agenda and it is a long one, so that is looking less likely - and the meeting is not quite what I thought it was, and the business I am concerned with is last item :<(

short plod

Just a couple of miles - Killer Hill with Teenbeanz

slower overall than last week, though that is because the stretching time after the first mile was prolonged

looking forward to Abingdon reports later - but will be on my way to Exeter by then, so will have to read blogs when I get back tomorrow night

autumn days

Saturday

met up with a fell running colleague at my meeting this weekend - he ran in the Vets World Champs in the Lake District last month and had a great time

so we both agreed to go out for a plod this morning - but not together - I am soo conscious of being so slow

anyway up and out at 7, still dark, but not at all cold

and a plod along the streets of Coventry - at base pace with stops in the first couple of miles for stretching, I managed a 'quick' third mile as I did not stop to stretch but did walk when the HR rose too high - so was pleased with the numbers:

Mile	Pace	AHR	time
1	14:29	129	14:29
2	14:11	144	28:40
3	12:50	146	41:30
0.14	12:29	148	43:17
3.14	13:46	140	43:17

Skipped off the end of the meeting to come home to watch teenbeanz run his first XC of the season. Added bonus of watching Tigerrunnner run too. He then walked round with me to support TB. TB struggled - he hadn't run since Tuesday and couldn't keep up with the field, so TR ran some of the second lap to support TB.

TB was fed up at the end but feeling more sanguine now - trouble is there are some talented runners in his age group - he has moved up an agegroup this season and there is not the range of standards there is in the men's race, so its a bit demoralising for him.

Ho Hum

Southampton in the rain

Tuesday

a couple of meetings in Southampton provided an opportunity to meet up with RobW :>) – no not for a run – he’s out of my class

but a meal, a natter about running, and a gossip about other bloggers (!) was something to look forward to



you know how it is when you are chatting away, driving round a strange town in the dark, in the rain, in a strange car?

well its really easy to take a wrong turning ………………..





or two!





eventually we found the car park and a space big enough for the tank



and a short walk took us to a restaurant where we had a good meal and chat





thanks Rob for a good evening


nothing like meeting up with a virtual friend and reality turning out to be just as good




oh and the gossip?




finishing time for Abingdon?




mmm poor race preparation by the runner – longest run????



but famous for just going out there and doing it …………………




we await the race report with baited breath ………………………

another good run

I have found treasure in my TP

we went out again today - is your longest run also supposed to be your fastest???

TP is quicker than me so she plods along and I work a bit harder and go a bit quicker than I would on my own

we both need lots of stretching in the early miles, so the pace we run at is quicker than the pace that shows as we stopped for a stretch at 1 mile, 2 miles and 3 miles

legs just began to feel good at 4 miles!!

Mile	Pace	AHR	time
1	13:22	130	12:59
2	13:54	138	26:53
3	14:37	141	41:30
4	12:49	144	54:19
5	13:10	144	1:07:29
.03	12:59	149	1:08:16
5.03	13:34	139	1:08:16

so thanks TP!

killer hill

I was planning on 4 miles this morning, but then realised I ran yesterday, will go out tomorrow with TP and hope to do a short run on Tuesday cos I can, so decided to attack killer hill and just do the 2 miles.

Did it in 20 seconds quicker than last week and only 2 very short walks today - so I will beat it yet!

Its a hectic week this week, working away from home Tuesday to Saturday, with the odd return to get clean clothes and wave at the family, so will be trying ot fit exercise in where I can.

a good start

Friday
Another light switched on by an item on the radio about diabetes - they are all there to get me to take this seriously.
It linked in with somehting the blessed Delia said years ago - about giving up added sugar competely - she said she did it for Lent each year, and that having given it up you get to the stage where you don't miss it too much and that you need less sweetness.
So - trying to avoid anything with added sugar - or artificial sweetners - will help withthe weightloss and also help my insulin levels andmaybe stave off the diabetes.

So starting as I mean to go on today I will start. Arriving at the training venue there are the biscuits - but also a basket of fruit and even mini packets of raisins. So a good start to the day.

And I managed to carry it on throughout the day.

A very tiring day's training - on the go from arriving at 8.30 until leaving at 4.00 - either formal sessions or answering questions.

Home and 'flop' and early night.

Saturday
Lie in until 8.00 - real luxury and then out for a plod with teenbeanz. His XC season starts next week, so we decided to go in the park - very hilly and hard work but good for the legs.

Just a couple of miles with lots of stretching. Then back and I have done some core stuff - press ups, crunches and glutes :>))

Now breakfast and shower call.

running again

Wednesday
I had promised myself I'd go out at lunchtime - but I failed to get out the door

I have to recognise that unless I have arranged to meet someone to run I HAVE to do it first thing, before I am awake - otherwise I can always find an excuse


I'd like to go out earlier, but on a school day I can't go out until I've seen the teenbeanzes out the door really


Thursday
Arranged to meet TP today at the gym and go for a run.

One of the receptionists spoke to me and said she'd been out with the running club last night - and sorry not to see me. Explained about slow running - and she said I was NOT to let that stop me going - maybe I will give in and go back.

We debated how far to go, I didn't really have time for more than an hour, so we agreed on that, but will increase the time by about 15 minutes each week.
And it was good - drizzly and grey, but off we went along the river path, stopping at each mile to stretch the calves we chatted throughout - TP having more breath to chat than me, but I did manage to talk, so not too fast. Did not have HR alerts on, but chatting meant it was probably about right pace.

And when we got back I found I had been going quicker than I have for ages :>)

Mile	Pace	AHR	time
1	13:58	128	13:58
2	13:43	152	27:41
3	13:13	148	40:59
4	13:03	150	54:02
4.23	13:33	143	57:20

catching up

Sunday
Out for a miniplod on Sunday morning - did not have time for as far as I had planned as I had to get back home for family stuff.
Off to London in the evenign for a meeting on Monday - need ot be at the venue for 8.00 am

Monday
Just a mile or so walking in London and a very heavy work day. Highlight of the day was Robert Winston talking about the importance of Science teachers :>)
Back home and collapse.

Tuesday
Gym first thing - programme 2 lots of CV and then squats, crunches and lunges

Then into the phyzz - after a once over and discussion of how things were she gave me some key exercise for the glutes. The good thing about these is that I can do them when away - assuming they give me a hotel room big enough to lie on the floor - not always the case!!
Then some soft tissue needling - an alternative way of dealing with my chewed up muscles. We'll see wheter it has worked - leg abit stiff now.

Off to lunch with LMH which was good - am pleased I am not doing Abingdon in 2 weeks!

And now I MUST work.

running is good!

I emailed Tigerrunner to say I did not think I'd be coming to the club for a while, and explained why. He replied with a lovely email, encouraging me to come and saying they would sort out some one to run with me each week - and if not run, just come for the drink and chat! We'll see.


Went out for a short plod with teenbeanz this morning - he is running in the Northern Road Relays tomorrow in Liverpool, so just wanted a gentle run this morning.

It was good - as I didn't go far and wasn't too tired coming back, I tried to run all the way back up killer hill - didn't manage it but made it farther than usual.

As he does not go as far as me in his weekend run, it will be good to make it a get up this ***** hill challenge and he can do it twice if he isn't racing at the weekend.

Will have to do my longer run another day.

Hoping to go out with TP later in the week.