not QUITE so early ...

Had to get my run in early today, even though it is Sunday, as it is Derby 10k and I was due to marshal.

So up and out by 6.45 for a little 3 mile potter - aiming to run at 125 - HR -135. Now, we do live on 'Cornhill' so as I have said before, whichever way I go it is downhill out and uphill back, but I've been trying a new route this week. And it is still undulating but not quite such a killer steep uphill as my standard old route. But as I am running to HR and am so overweight and unfit there was quite a lot of walking on the uphill bits. But my AHR for the 3 miles was 130 - so that is spot on in the middle of the zone :>)

Then back for shower and breakfast and into town to marshall. Runnerbeanz was running, but was not very positive before we even left the house, he didn't feel well prepared, has not done many longer runs recently - just his track sessions. And in the end he blew up at 7.5 km :<(

We must get a better schedule for him, as he was SO disappointed.

Yes!!

In answer to bedders - yes I did do it this morning

30 minutes this time

I retrieved my garmin last night from Tigerrunner who had borrowed it for his FLM training - so now my running log has all these very fast training runs in it! He ran 2.51 on the day. The Sinfin peeps I went down to FLM with stopped over until Monday. Last year we walked the emabnkment - this year they went to Covent Garden and this is a picture they took:

Yep, they met the ladies winner and she was happy to have her pic taken with them :>)

Getting my Garmin back has been great - I am such a number geek, I really like to know how far how slow etc.

I been looking at Shades marathon training on three or four runs a week. It looks like a sensible approach - and seems to work at a 'get you round in a reasonable state/time' kind of way, given the miles run. So I am going to use the first half up to Robin Hood half (as I have done it for the past three years it seems a good idea to have another medal on the wall) and then pick up the last few weeks and repeat for Amsterdam half.

early birds

This is the week I am supposed to be starting my running before school. As I get up anyway at 6.00 it means getting up very early for a run first.

So today I did it. It was not a good day to start - lots else going on but I knew that if I didn't get up today I'd find another excuse tomorrow.

So I was awake before the alarm and out of the house by 5.20 - no visible sunrise but a very noisy dawn chorus.

I only went round the block once - 20 minutes run. It was not much but I felt better for it and I then had time ot get ready for the rest of the day without upsetting anyone else. I have decided on a run to HR approach. And will gradually build up the morning runs in time, and a longer run or two at the weekend.

The reason for needing extra morning time was that I took my first school trip out today. Pretty nerve racking (sp?) I have to say - we took 32 Year 9s to Alton Towers! Imagine the risk assessment!

Alll back in one piece apart from me - I stumbled going down the bus steps this morning, caught my back on the door handle and drew blood (did not discover that until this evening). I turned my ankle slightly but apart from stiffening u p a little after prolonged sitting, no long term damage there.

Can you tell that TOTM is nearly over and I am feeling perkier?

hot hot hot

Saturday
Off to London at the crack of dawn - well the 6.53 train anyway. Sinfin runners made their way to london for the marathon. First stop the Expo (after droppping our bags at the hotel).
Even before we got to the expo I told the club runners that I felt a fraud and wished I was running. Certainly once I felt the buzz I wanted to be there the next day. I managed to restrict my spending to a vest for runnerbeanz, a lovely (bargain) red top for me - and an essential cap for the next day. I met up with Hippo, Stickless and sundry other forumites on the RW stand, where i picked up two huge bags of supplies for Mile 17.

The SRC weekend has a standrd format, expo, pub, rest in the hotel and then out for pasta. As last year we went ot carluccios and had a good simple meal - foccaccia (sp) which was rather salty, spaghetti in tomato sauce and lots of water. Into Waitrose to collect supplies of water, milk and other essentials, and then back to the hotel for an early night.

Saddo that I am, I did some marking first!

Sunday
Up early for breakfast and then off to catch the DLR to Greenwich. The train was VERY crowded and it was a struggle for me to get off at Mudchute!

I was disoriented when I got off the train and it took me a while to work out which way the runners would be coming and where the RW cheering point would be - but I worked it out in the end.

I was on my own for quite some time and wondered what had happened to everyone else. Then I found out. A train full of runners ground to a halt at Mudchute and did not restart - so everyone offloaded and had to walk to Greenwich - maybe 2 or 3 miles? The train then blocked the line so nobody could travel in either direction. Soon more runners were walking past - from further back on the line. And the other RW supporters were having to walk with their bags of goodies - gosh was I pleased we got up so early.

And then we got ready for the day:

packed pounds of jelly babies:




blew up balloons


well you can't really miss us now can you?



but these two Brits didn't stop for a chat :<(



I had a great time, met some more forumites and Miniwomble and managed to convince myself (easily) that I was pleased I wasn't running ......

On the train on the way home I set myself some preconditions for entering the ballot next year.

I shall let you know if I meet them.

back to work

Back to work today and the cold is marginally better,

but I had forgotten how tiring being on my feet all day can be - and I've only been off 3 weeks.

Anyway, it was a good day back at the chalk face.

It's going to be hectic up until Whit - exam groups wanting to do lots of revision ( I hope), which will need marking. The colleague who left at Easter has been replaced by a mishmash of supply cover, so we three remaining members of the department will be picking up lots of the admin that was shared by 4 and will now be shared by 3 - not to mention reports, school exams etc

And as the cold retreats I need to find time to run. I am seriously considering getting up half an hour early and going out in the morning, its just no good at the end of a long day. But that will mean going to bed early - difficult to do!

huh

Why is it that every time I begin to formulate a plan I am stimied by circumstances?

Tuesday is Runnerbeanz's club night so my night for running with the Mums. I wrote on the Waister thread about my frustration with the group that night - not sticking together and not coming back the agreed route meant two of us hung around for ages waiting for one person who had just gone off and done her own thing. So we did a couple of slow miles of run with a lot of walking and hanging around - just when I had made a decision that as we had an out and back route I could run to HR. And then she wondered why we waited for her!

Wednesday I woke with the stinker of all colds, I used the time off work to see the sports therapist whilst RB saw the fizz, I had a good deep masssage and have not been able take advantage of the looser calves because I can't breathe let alone run

The cold lingers on and it has also made concentrating on work difficult and I have wasted a lot of time surfing the forums when I should be getting ahead in my preparation so I can go to support at FLM without worrying about work.

nearly giving up ....

I'm pretty fed up with running at the moment - and said to Mrbeanz this morning that maybe I should give up trying

he pointed out that I have entered a race in October so maybe I should keep at it

the trouble is that I am back at square one - still overweight and now no running fitness - I've not run consistently for a year now - since I finished FLM last April

so I went out and tried but without any plan - do I try Run-Walk or running to HR - and if so what HR?

I just don't know


so I have just posted this on RW training thread

the question
I can't decide whether to go back to basics and start with run 1 walk 1

or base train at 70% HR

I think I tend to mix them both and end up with worst of all possible worlds!


An added problem, not mentioned on the thread, is that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays I run with other folk - who don't understand schedules - and certainly not structured run-walking, so I tend to just huff and puff and struggle to keep up on those days. And I don't have the courage to say 'this is what I am doing' for all sorts of reasons.

Help????

back home

well, I walked a lot, ran a couple of times

had some good wine

really relaxed

and took some pix too

A day out to Lake Garda

this path is in fact level - it just looks undulating close to - the lines in the distance are also wavy!



I just couldn't resist the tree trunk


Lake Garda on a sunny day in March (it was raining back in the home town)


back to the home town across the mountains


Up the hill
Another day and a walk on the local highpoint (I'm afraid we went most of the way up in the car!)



The sinking city
the last day and a morning in Venice before the flight home:

in Venice everything is delivered by water - even the water!


yes the sky really was this blue

I just love the variety of styles and colours ....



one of my favourite views


and now its back to everyday life - but at least I lost a pound while I was there :>))

maybe it was all the fresh veg: