More of a walk .....

.....than a run


It is such a beautiful morning I decided I had to go in the park than on the tarmac, so I did. The only trouble is it is a bit vertical:


The first mile is down - but I am warming up in that mile, trying to get the legs to accept the fact theyhave to work.
The next mile is UP and my HR was working well just walking up.
Finally an opportunity to run!

But it was lovely just walking - birds, rabbits, squirrels and the odd dog walker.

anything is better than nothing

Rather than feel miserable that I can't fit in the training I'd like to do I decided just to get out and do what I can - and match my racing to what is possible.

So I got up and did 4 miles before going off to Sheffield for the day.

And felt much better for having done it :>))

lost the plot .....

I seem to have lost the plot this week. I haven't run since Monday and can't get my act together now either.

I could blame it on work - I have loads to do and find difficulty in justifying taking time out in the day to run.

Not only is early morning the best time for running for me, it is also the most productive time for getting on with marking. So today marking is taking priority.

The week
Tuesday - I didn't get back from a meeting in York until gone 8
Wednesday - Governor's during the day and then a do at my new school - a lovely evening with music and food and a chance to get to chat to a few more folk - but no time to run an dno club night
Thursday - only day at home all day so I must break the back of the marking today and this evening a presentation at the teenbeanz's school and a fundraising do for a friend going to teach in Ethiopia with CAFOD
Friday - being trained in Sheffield all day and a teenbenaz taxi service in the evening
Saturday - speech day at new school

So fitting in plodding is going to be difficult - can't see where this week's long run is going to go either

and I didn't do enough runs last week


and the week before that was a write-off


Ho Hum - if all I've got toworry about is when to fit in a run I can't be too badly off can I??

still hot!

I managed 4 slow miles this morning with teenbeanz jogging along by my side - and occasionally persuaded to zoom a bit.

Then spent the rest of the day walking up and down stairs in my new school - moving equipment around - with the help of both the TBs :>)

friends .....

several people have posted about friends recently

I just want to talk about very concrete experiences

Tuesday
In Cambridge for a week and in a different hotel from colleagues - which is fine - I am close to the river for running and the other peeps are all colleagues rather than friends

So Tuesday evening I went to eat with some long time friends - they supported me when I was in the early years of teaching 30 years ago - I taught one of their boys. It was really good to catch up with them - it didn't feel like 30 years though!

Wednesday
A friend and colleague is in town for a different meeting - and he quite understands when I can't face trekking across town in the evening to meet for a meal with him and his team.

Friday
Home at last! Great to see the family and student beanz, home for a month.
And then a forum night out - collecting PH from the station and on to the pub. There were 17 of us from across the East Midlands - including LMH and mark*w - the first forumites I ever met in the flesh. The forums may have their problems - but I have made some good friends there.
PH came back home with us, met the teenbeanzes en masse and survived - great to have her to stay.

Saturday
Up early for a plod with PH - coach said I should do 11 miles - PH wanted a few more for her weekly total!
Suffice to say we had a compromise on 12.6 - but walking the last mile or so whilst exploring a new bit of route.
It was HOT.
And there was quite a lot of walking to keep the HR under control.
But it was a lovely morning - we nattered and plodded and I barely noticed the toxic two!

Running with friends is just the best :>)

No run today

Another lovely morning but I needed to be in work early and with my brain functioning so getting up even earlier to run was not really an option.

Same applies to Friday - but this time I also have a long drive home at the end. Followed by a Forum Social - to which the lovely PH is coming :))

And we WILL be running on Saturday morning too!

Better

I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning at 6.30 to run. But I am so pleased I did!

It was a lovely morning - sunny but not hot. I took longer over warming up slowly and it felt better.

3.4 miles done before breakfast :)

Back to it!

I managed to get up and out this morning. I really have to remember that the first two miles are always horrible.

I am exploring new routes in Cambridge - staying in a different hotel and lots of cycle routes to try.

Anyway, recently I have struggled with my running and blamed it all on the fact that it is all uphill coming home. Which means that if I go out for 4 miles, the first two are awful anyway and most of the return is awful because it is uphill.

Well today I was running on the flat so no excuses there. And the first two WERE difficult - tight calves, breathing difficult ....

But mile three was a revelation - I felt like a runner! OK a slow runner but I remembered why I do this.

So tomorrow I'll go a bit further and get more pleasure for the additional pain.

still haven't run ........

I should have run again today

and again I didn't

but I did have a gentle swim with the teenbeanzes

I have not really got my act together on work either - too much surfing

but a few interesting websites on the way

this one was mentioned in the Guardian - a fascinating insight into what you can do with a bit of processing and a lot of data - the Guardian is campaigning to make publicly owned data - such as that from Ordnance Survey - available for public use

this is one for all us runners, especially when coach is looking


and a couple to try and put things into perspective - the small and the large

humph

Tuesday
birthday tiring and uneventful - mrbeanz was off collecting some of studentbeanz's stuff from Uni before we get rid of the BIG car today

so it was just teenbeanzes and me at home

pressies? - DVD from SB, long handled loppers from one TB and a book from the other

MrB had been going to buy loppers - but TB thought of it first! So it was flowers from him.

What I really want is a man .............................

.........................to come and dig up the brambles and concrete path


Wednesday
Very long governor's meeting in the afternoon, where they tried to persuade me to stay on the Education Committee when I start my new job. I have resigned but they find it hard to accept, even though I have told them I shall not be able to come to meetings (they are during the day). They even offered to make the meetings in the evenings so I could come!!

I could not face running club after that - nothing to eat for 6 hours, brain numbed and a dash in and out the house was too much - so I wimped out.

TB offered back the words I give to him when he wimps out of a session -

'well you'll never improve if you don't put in the training'.

And he's right of course.

And today I'm waiting in for parcels of exam scripts to be marked, collecting a new (for us) car and trying to get some work done.

Will try to do some core stuff at some stage.

TOTM looms I suspect ......

another year goes by ........

another double done yesterday - I rather like the morning plod outside and the evening on the tready, it's a routine I could get used to - I don't think it is as good as one long plod, but I just can't find time for that in one chunk in the week

today is not a running day- which is just as well as I was up early to drive to Manchester, do some teacher training and then drive home, do the teenbeanz taxi service, make tea and watch the footy

and age another year :>)

not a very exciting birthday, but that may come later when studentbeanz comes home and we can all go out for a meal together

actually I really do not feel my age - I certainly don't feel 10-20 years older than you lot - this running lark has a lot to answer for!

sizzling struggling Saturday slog

up early again to run - out at 7.15 and it is already hot

the plod down the river is so much better than my old run along the main road - if only because it is mostly on cycle track and traffic free

as last week I ran as far as the gym and picked up a bottle of sports drink, drank some, diluted it and carried it with me for the next 4 miles before dumping it in the recycling bin

total distance plodded 11 miles - but I walked the last mile

too hot and tired and too uphill for anything else

how on Earth anyone manages a marathon on this heat I can't imagine

feeling weary

I have not posted for a day or so - not sure why

but did run on Wednesday at the club

and gymmed on Thursday

and had a deeep massage today

so am still a runner(ish)

study day

today is what is euphemistically knwnn as a study day for the teenbeanzes - which means to say they don't need to go to school as they have no exams today

however they will not be spending the day revising for the remainder of their exams so I bribed them to come to for a swim with the promise of lunch afterwards

we swam

and lunched

and now they are back glued to their computers, not revising

at least I got the blood rushing through their veins for a while

I need to digest and then do those core exercises before Coach catches up with me

hot and humid

a hot and humid plod in the park this morning in which I decided to enjoy the park and not worry about the pace but 3 miles done

nice undulations though:



then this evening a tready hills session to make up the miles for the day to 7

and lots of stretching too!

even hotter

yesterday I met up with the sports therapist, Anna, who usually inflcits her masssage on me

this time she decided it was time to look at how I run and work out why I get the pain in the side of my back

it was a useful session and she has given me even more exercises to do and suggested I concentrate on not leaning forward so much when I run - I tend ot look at the ground a lot

so today I tried to put that into practice

the forecast was for it to be hot, so I decided I wanted to go out about 7.00 am which meant if I was going to breakfast i woudl need ot get u at 5 for that

so breakfast at 5 and then back to bed for a couple of hours - I kept dreaming about triathlons - I wonder why??

It was pleasant at 5 and I was tempted to go out without breakfast, but I have never tried runnign longer than about an hour without breakfast

so out at 7.15 and down the river path, drink at David Lloryd, on another mile and then home

I took a slightly different route home, to get more shade and ended up doing 9.8 miles - pretty slowly but done.

Highlights of the run?

• a goldfinch that fluttered from bush to bush along side the path as I plodded
• a dark irridiescent green dragon fly/damsel fly (?) by the river - I need to look it up
  
• seeing the peregrine falcons that nest on the cathedral tower - through a twitcher's telescope!

retirement??

Not about running

Many moons ago Mrbeanz and I taught in the same school - my first teaching post, he'd been there a year

Now we have an invitaiton to a retirement do - 4 people retiring who we taught with - ok they had been there a few years when I started, but not many


and now they are retiring and I am planning to go BACK to teaching


am I MAD????

club run

"How far did I want to go?" I was asked.

About 5 miles I said.

So off we went - Ex Lady Sprinter leading the way - she is getting quicker every week I reckon. V69 started off with XLS and I tried not to go off too quickly to give my legs a chance to get used to the idea of a (slightly) quicker run.

Boy, was it warm.

After a while V69 dropped back to run with me and we plodded along, him telling me how much I have improved since I began running with him- and how proud he is of XLS - who has improved even more!

And so we trogged along, me struggling to keep going without walking (but managing it because V69 told me that I used to stop and now I don't!).

XLS took a slightly longer loop round the lake, which meant we ended up ahead of her and paused for a while. And then off again and plod back to the club.

4.8 miles done.

'rest' day

no running today

but I have done my core stuff

and am about to sit in the garden with a coffee before getting back to work


as other people are posting garden pics I thought I would too

not much fun

some days it just has to be done

the plan says 7 miles, but no time to do it all in one go - so time for a double

this morning I went on my tedious out and back undulating route and did not enjoy it - too trafficy, back ached,

and I only managed 3.6 instead of the planned 4 miles

no way I was goin back out there this evenign

and mynicer down to the river route is off road and less secure in the evenings I feel, so off the gym - and maybe setting a precendent that this is what Mum does on a Monday evening

and on to the tready where I managed 5 km before I had had enough - back ached but I think that is my boredom threshold!

so only 6.7 miles done

and it has shown me the result of not doing my core stuff

so there will be more of that tomorrow

hot, hot, hot!

I have to have a new tactic for long runs - I am going to try to do them on Saturdays, but not let them hog all the day,

also I don't do hot weather running (so why am i doing an autumn marathon I hear you cry) so need to do them early

so set the alarm for 6, got up and had some breakfast - the new pre-run breakfast is fruity meusli left to soak in skimmed milk overnihgt - very tasty this morning :>)

and back to bed until 8

then off out to run

(I didn't sleep very well last night - I think I was thinking about the getting up and the long run and .....)

4 miles down river, mostly traffic free, arriving at the gym (after a slight detour to get to 4 miles)
into the gym to use the facilities, buy a lucoazade sport and have a bit of a stretch

and then 4 miles back home again

8 miles done - first 'long' run ticked off and the furthest since FLM :>)

the numbers:

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:45	123	downhill - walked first 5 min
2	13:16	138
3	14:18	137
4	12:56	139
5	12:45	138
6	14:08	140
7	13:44	141
8	16:05	135	walked mostly up the steep bits
0.2	14:55	138
8.2	13:49	136	1:53:29

the undulations


by the time I got home the sun was really quite hot - so I was pleased to have got the run out of the way

Oh and I did enjoy it !

running early (well not very early)

sun shining through the curtains at 6.00 am did not tempt me out of bed!

but at 7.00 I did get up and go out for my 3 miler

it was a beautiful morning - getting warm by the time I got home

and then I went for the torture with the phyzz

and because I confessed to not doing my core exercises as much as I should have done, she decided to have a go at my muscles instead of moving on with new core stuff!

OW!

club run

a lovely evenig for a run - sunny, warm with a light breeze

a good turnout and everyoen set off in the same direction - across the fields for varying length runs

I was soon at the back of course

but had a good run - best ever mile outside a race - and another 3.7 miles to add to the tally


May has been my lowest mileage month since June last year - but recovery from FLM is now done and its onwards and upwards

oh what a beautiful morning!

I woke up early and the sun was shining in - given the last few days, I thought this would never last ...

... so on with the kit and off out the door

I decided to switch of the HRM meep and just see how it goes - into the park and taking a different route to the way we always go, usually it is steep downhill to the lake, this time I decided to do the running uphill at the start:



I just ran a couple of miles and walked some steep bits - should have stayed out for longer but needed to get back for a shower before the heating engineer came and shut off the water!

but 2 miles done


and then I got home and Coach had sent me a proper schedule to get me to Abingdon

scary

I should be quicker this time - if I survive the schedule of course!

Sunday

Woke up in time to run before church - and it wasn't raining!

So this is the beginning of Abingdon training - and a very slow beginning it was just a 4 mile plod, keeping HR to 140.

anyway it was done


and then this afternoon I went for a swim with the teenbeanzes - it was not very busy so we each had a lane to ourselves - which kept the boys apart an so everyone managed to swim without physical contact!

after 20 lengths it was time for some games - who can sit on the bottom the longest, who can walk on their hands, who can maintain a handstand the longest, and who can swim the furthest on one breath - I only competed in the last one (I won!!) - I was judge for the others and fortunately honours were shared, though I think scoutbeanz should take up synchronised swimming he is so good at the handstands and walking on his hands - and no nose clip either!

new beginnings

as regular readers know, I have spent the last few years travelling rather a lot - meetings, training teachers .....

it had all begun to get very wearing

so when a teaching job came up at a (fairly) local school, after some thought and discussion with colleagues, I decided to lob in an application

I haven't taught for a long time but have kept up to date with developments - and even worked on them

and this work had made me want to try out the new ideas I was talking to teachers about

so yesterday I had an interview - which included teaching a lesson to a class of 14 yo girls - and I think I can still do it

and they offered me the job!

nothing in writing yet - but that is not an issue


a whole new life is around the corner

leaving the house before 7.30, doing a day's work and coming home to prepare for tomorrow

NOT travelling away and eating in hotels

will have to find a new way to fit the tranining in!

returning slowly

club run this evening

two new ladies turned up - they did the Derby 10k in 1:05 and 1:10 - my running partner XLS did 1:15 - so they are all quicker than me

but good old V60 was there too

we set off together and the ladies edged away, leaving V60 and me to chat

we ran out to 1.6 miles where I stopped for a stretch and he ran a little loop, picking me after 10 minutes and we ran back together, so 3.4 miles done - the quickest and furthest I've run since London and it felt ok

running again

I haven't run for nearly two weeks - whch as you allknow is really frustrating

I have been doing my core stuff and stretching and that togetehr with the elbow digging on Wednesday seems ot have made a great difference

I realised today that I wasn't aching at all

so this afternoon it was off to the gym - I decided that was the place to try the running - could always stop if it was painful and no hills on the walk back

after warming up and stretching a ventured over to the tready, and just plodded for a couple of km - enough to get my HR up, but not wanitng to overdo it, I decided that would do for today and I will come back for a longer plod tomorrow

I am working at home for the next four weeks, so need to make the most of the time with the family, fitting in the exercise and eating well - a month could make a big difference!

Hope I am here now!

Apart from existential angst earlier today not much to report!

Had a session with the phyzz this morning - she had a good dig with her elbow - which relieved my back enormously

then we did some core strength stuff with the swiss ball - so I can do those at home


this evening was the Club 4 mile handicap

20 ran - I was a timekeeper

tigerrunner was quickest and teenbeanz was third quickest - so well pleased

TR does the handicaps so he came 14th, TB was 6th

it absolutely poured with rain and half the run was off road, so everyone came back spattered with mud - especially TB who decided to hit every puddle hard on the way back!

a good evenign was had by all - my exlady sprinter running partner won the handicap, so she was well chuffed

not much to say but testing ....

I seem to be writing blogs that appear in my list - and I get the email confirmation but they don't actually appear here!!

so does this one work?

later ....

well b-z can see it but I can't - weirder!

and later still .....

I've cleared my history ( which I shall probably regret) is that the same as the cache?
I've refeshed


but still this post is not visible when I go from my favourties to the blog


what next?

tried it in Firefox

and first it came with theold page and then I refreshed and it included this posting

and now its visible in IE too!

???????

and the edit just above was not visiblew in IE until ihad refreshed it in Firefox????


I updated my Norton software yesterday

is Norton tryingto drive me to Firefox?

More bluebells

Well here I am in Peterborough again - with lots of great offroad routes and I am not running :(

But yesterday a colleague told me of a bluebell wood close to the hotel.

So I've been for a wall lovely bluebells and also wild garlic - I didn't even know the path was there and it will add nicely to my other runs from this hotel.

And I came back and stretched (my back did ache) and I tried to recruit those elusive transverse abdominus (?) muscles too - they're difficult to find under the flab :(

later at home ......

pain in the butt is more noticeable

not helped by sitting in chairs and car all day - did kneel to type at laptop at one stage to straighten out!

need to lay off the walking and running for a bit I think

must concentrate on stretching and strengthening

Derby 10k tomorrow - I'm marshalling mrbeanz andteenbeanz are running

ouch!

So a short swim this monring - but I am not convinced that breast stroke is the best thing for this to much of hte opening the hip movement - so just 400m and then the jacuzzi

and then the pain

Anna is a dab hand at finding the spot!

and she showed me some good stretches

and she gave me a strong talk about core exercises and recruiting the transverse abdominus (?)

so lots to do before I see her again on Wednesday!

swimming

achey back has not gone away - and 6 hours on trains yesterday didn't help

so as suggested by coach, it was a swim today

not being in the class of some of the people here, I settled for 750m in about 30 minutes (I can't see the clock very well without my glasses!)


its a shame really because it is a glorious day

but driving back from the gym I could feel my back and also an ache in my bum - I think it is my piriformis (?)

so have a session with the masseuse tomorrow - that should sort me out!



COS


I want to RUN

bad run.......... good walk

well that was pretty awful

I had planned a little 3 mile plod in the sunshine

but my legs weren't having any of it

after a mile my leg had tightened up and my back ached :<( so I cut it short and walked back through the woods - which was lovely :>))

bluebells in full colour, trees with new bright green buds, birds singing, squirrels leaping around ....



can't be down for long on a day like this

and still 2 miles in the pot!

back home again

Thursday
I had planned to swim, but there wasn't time before I went off to give blood.
Then on the road again - working with a friend until late then on to the hotel.
So no exercise :-(

Friday
Should have done some core strength in the morning but the hotel room was too small - not enough floor space!!

On to another industrial estate beside a motorway and another hotel.
Managed to do a short plod in the evening - might have gone further but I was aware that I was off road and no one had any idea where I was.
2 miles done

Saturday
At least this hotel has a pool so a swim this morning

520 metres 20 minutes

No time for an evening plod - the meeting went on so there would be less to do on Sunday and an early escape on Sunday

Sunday
Did not sleep well (ate too late?) and when alarm went off I turned over and went back to sleep - back ached from the day in teh meeting too.
DID do core strength exercises though.

And it still went on into the afternoon.

But home now :>)

getting back to it

Wednesday is club night, so as I was at home it seemed a good idea to go along

great to see people again and have a chat

and a plod

went off in my usual group - and decided I would run steady, not rush to keep up with ladyexsprinter, and kept my HR below 140 - which is my LSR pace usually

I let them go ahead and they fitted in an extra little loop - while I stretched after about 1.6 miles and then picked me up again and we came back together - until LXS pushed on at the end

so 3.3 miles done 45:12 AHR 140 - pushed it a bit up the last 0.3 up the hill!

its good to be back

off on my travels again tomorrow - so running in the flat lands again for a few days :>)

plodding again :>))

legs really have not suffered after FLM - maybe I could have done more?

apart from some walking I have not done any exercise this week - a plan to swim failed to materialise

I woke to glorious sunshine and had to go out and run - no time for much as the teentaxi is required on a Saturday morning

however t shirt and shorts weather and off I went into the park in my new Saucony omni trail shoes (that's another column in the spreadsheet!)

just a little plod enjoying the air - 2½ miles in 32 minutes

and next?

new plan is forming to get me round Abingdon with a new PB

looking back at my training for FLM, in spite of promising myself I would, I didn't do anywhere near enough long runs - so more of those need to be factored in - Mondays have been blocked off in the diary from now until October!

FLM 2006

Where to begin?
[Sorry this is so long, but it will probably be my only record of the weekend so I have to get it all down while it is in my head.]

Friday
Travelled down to London on Friday - train diversion via Birmingham to Euston, which meant I wouldn’t meet RunnyBunny at Kings Cross and travel to the expo together – were all my nightmares of disastrous train journeys about to come true?

Five of us from the running club had booked into a hotel close the expo, so I went there to drop my bags before registering and meeting RB –we decided that the pasta party was required, so off we went, but while standing in the queue I realised I couldn’t find my purse – a small panic, RB paid for my meal and then I scooted back to the hotel – and there it was on the table in my room! Phew! While dashing out to the hotel I was spotted by RichK andTrinity – so I stopped for a chat on my way back. Poor Trinity had withdrawn that morning, her leg having given her clear messages that it was NOT going to run 26 miles :<( Difficult to see all these excited people at the expo when you know you will not be running.

It is soo good to see people you know at such a huge event! Also met jog*jog*jog while chatting to Rich.

I went back into the expo for a mooch, buying a RW goody rucksack and a reject’s fleece on my way round and then back to the hotel for Spaghetti Napolitano and an early night.

Saturday
I met Keith Anderson at breakfast and we chatted – he told me to let him know how the day goes and he’ll suggest what next for Abingdon – nice man :>)
Lots more people expected at the expo today, it was going to be crowded and but should be a chance to meet up with some more friends.

First things first – I take my Oxfam vest to have beanz printed across the top – an essential aspect of running this race is having your name on your shirt.
And where shall I go next? Now, various people have suggested that it is a good idea to have shoes from different brands, giving a slightly different ride and strengthening leg muscles better - and you can't have too many runnign shoes can you? So off to the Saucony stand – a combination of Hippo’s recommendation and the free draw on the RW site I suspect!!
I decide that I really can’t justify another pair of road shoes, but a pair of trail shoes is a different matter. After some misunderstandings about sizing – whether we are talking US or UK sizes, eventually we find a pair that is a good fit – and a test run on the tready shows that they are doing the job - apparently. So that’s £70 for the shoes plus a ‘free’ ‘goody bag’ containing a long sleeve saucony top, some gloves and a beanie hat.

I hear from Tigerrunner, the Sinfin boys are in town and registering! We meet up, have a wander round, two of the lads go for a massage, we mooch some more and then its time for pasta – again. Legs are getting weary, boys are getting thirsty so they adjourn to the pub. I manage to meet up with both SpeedyG and Hippo for chats before going to the pub too, where a couple more club mates are hanging out – they are off to Cuba in the morning, but call into have a jar or two and wish us good luck.

I meet Bud Baldaro in the hotel and thank him for inspiring teenbeanz at last year’s Trailplus – he asks how he is going now and says he shouldn’t worry about not liking track racing! He’ll be at TP again this summer, as will teenbeanz.

And now a chance to rest our legs before the evening pasta hunt. Initially we had not planned to go far from the hotel, but there did not seem to be much around, so on the advice of the concierge in the hotel we took the DLR to Canary Wharf – after the next stage in the train nightmare came true when we got on a train in the wrong direction!! Close to the station we found Carluccio’s which sold pasta, didn’t have too long a queue and looked good.
We had pasta all round – they didn’t have a simple tomato sauce on the menu but they came up trumps with a great sauce as well as some fantastic bread.
An uneventful journey back and to bed – but not before I had pinned my number on my vest, packed my bag, debated the long sleeves/short sleeves issue to myself with the help of the weather forecast (and got it wrong).

Sunday
Up early for breakfast – yes there is ‘porridge’ but not as I know it – more like milk with a few oatflakes floating in it. I settle for cereal and toast.

7.30 and we begin to make our way to the start – the first DLR train is pretty full before we get on, but we are on, then there is a convoluted story about what we have to do when we change trains – nightmare reawakens – and TR has been having similar dreams! We are advised to get the train to Greenwich rather than Cutty Sark as CS is already filling up with spectators and is very congested.
A bonus of walking from Greenwich is that we walk up to the start with the RFG crowd – seeing most of the runners, plus Sally Gunnel and the doc – we guess Crammy is copped up in a box somewhere with Brendan Foster. I chat to Michelle who is very nervous and we talk a little about Anna and what star she is. Chris takes a pic of Michelle and me!

Arrive at the start in time for the loo queue, then sort out clothes and drop the bag off, keeping an old cagoule that is probably not very waterproof, but will do for the hanging around at the start as there is a light drizzle.

And so to the run- it’s not really a race is it?

Had hoped to meet up with SpeedyG at the start to try to run-walk together – but it was not to be.
We set off and cross the start about 8 minutes after the gun, but about 500 metres further on we grind to a halt – and it seems to be the loo queue at 600m that is causing the delay!!
My target time is 6 hours – which is 13:44 minute/mile, so the plan is to run a mile and then walk until the 13:44 is up at this start of the next mile. I’ve been doing this with 14 minute miling in training and seemed to manage it – up to 14 miles anyway.
I use the mile markers to give me the lap times on the Garmin, rather than rely on the GPS as I know it will be unreliable in the City amongst the tall buildings and the two tunnels. So I’ve set the custom screen to give me HR, lap time and overall time. I decide that I WILL walk if my HR goes too high – but what is too high? I decided that 148 was too high, but looking at how I faded I think maybe I should have gone for 145 – I used 140 in most long runs – and I was probably going too fast in the first half of the run.

I can’t do a mile by mile report of scenery etc – so the highlights are really looking forward to seeing people at particular places – and that will not be possible at Abingdon, so I’ll need a different strategy by then.
So:
Mile 11 – Nicko on his bollard – a big hug.
Mile 11 and a bit – Meldy – another hug and ‘you’ll see the others soon’
Mile 13.5 – my brother and nieces and the first of three great bear hugs of the day – what stars to chase round London in the rain!! It kept me going along the Highway just looking out for them!
As can be seen from the data, the AHR has dropped, I am slowing now and walking more– I made a decision to walk if it went over 140 at this stage – too late I suspect
Mile 17 - Mudchute and the forum supporters – more stars! – Stickless, VRap, Evil Pixie, CdK and MrCdK, Berry, and more I am sure – all a bit of a blur – some hugs and kisses and a couple of mini mars bars for my bum bag and on I go.
I make a decision now that I am probably more effective walking briskly than trying to run walk and feeling horrible about it. So my brisk walk comes into its own again and I manage sub 16 mm walking, if you discount stops for hugs!!
Mile 22ish and my brother pops up again :>) and I tell him it is going to be more than 6 hours to finish as I am walking more now.

Mile 23ish(??) I spot Trinity standing alone watching the crowds I run over to her and we have a big hug – not sure who needed it most.
Somewhere around this stage it is raining heavily and I am wishing I had worn my long sleeved helly and my gilet – I am getting quite cold now and when I spot a St John’s person with space blankets I go for one.

And again I see my brother - not sure where – Embankment or Birdcage Walk??

Soon I am near to the finish, I throw away the blanket and manage to jog the last 100 m or so on the encouragement of the commentator!

Time: 6:13:42 – an improvement of over 18 minutes on last year’s time – so maybe next year I can get under 6 hours!

and afterwards
I made my way to the Oxfam reception, which was up the top of the Duke of York steps – how on Earth was I going to climb those steps with my very heavy goody bag (loads to drink in there) as well as my kit? A lovely lady from Oxfam came dashing down the steps to meet me and carried my bags, as I entered the reception area there was a great cheer - more tears welling up – they were all so kind, I showered, was massaged, and met my family listening to some good music. I couldn’t eat the wonderful food though as my digestion system was still shut down.

And at last I retrieved my phone, which had soo many messages asking how I had done, where I was, was I ok – by now it was an hour after I had finished and I had not checked in with anyone (tsk) – but lovely that so many people wanted to know :>)

I wended my way over to the Thistle, where there was a lovely welcome from so many friends (sadly I had missed some because they had been and gone).

It was lovely to see Meldy and Nicko again and especially to see RichK, and Leon and Karen, and Hippo of course. And there were my great Sinfin clubmates who had finished AGES before me but had hung around drinking beer until I turned up.

Eventually hunger got the better of the lads, the football had finished on the telly, so we Sinfin runners wandered off to find food. And another Italian restaurant – this time for Pizzas or Lasagne. But I couldn’t do the lasagne justice – my digestion still had not recovered from the hammering of gels and lucozade. So just a small glass of wine, and loads of water.

Back to the hotel and crash out to sleep – after hanging all my kit up to dry out before packing in the morning.

the morning after ….
after waking starving at 1 am and a feast of muesli bars and pretzels (and water), I was not up too early, breakfast and then off to the train into Tower Hill. We went for a good look at Tower Bridge, as no one remembered much from yesterday. Then we walked along the embankment to Blackfriars, taking a tube to Kings Cross for some lunch in a café – all day breakfasts for the boys and a delicious bacon bap for me – the first food I had actually enjoyed since the run.

On to the train, a good read with music in the ears and a return to reality at home.

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:19	142	includes 2 minutes stopped!
2	12:44	148
3	12:05	146
4	12:24	147
5	12:21	145
6	12:52	146
10km			1:18:38 a pb by 5 minutes - oops!
7	12:54	146
8	12:48	143
9	12:53	142
10	13:30	143
11	13:32	140
12	13:55	141
13	13:52	143
13.1			2:50:45
14	14:21	140	hugs from brother
15			missed the marker
16	28:50	137
17	15:43	135	Mudchute
18	14:30	136
19	15:38	132
20	15:12	129
21	15:30	126
22	16:22	122	more hugs
23	15:53	122
24	15:58	119
25	17:14	118	hugs and slowing
26.2	17:14	120
26.2	14:39	135	6:13:42

EDIT
How could I forget - Tigerrunner didn't quite make his PB - but he WAS 15th in his age group :>))))

short plod

getting back into a routine after the holiday, so went out at 7.00 for a short plod

2.2 miles, 30 minutes at 2 seconds over marathon pace

I have a plan to meet up with SpeedyG at the Blue start and we will plod together with an aim of getting in under 6 hours - we have slightly different plans - she wants to run a mile walk a minute, I want to use the trinity method to keep from going too fast and walk more than a minute if necessary

anyway we will start off together and see how it goes

last massage this evening and a good natter with masseuse about her Reading half, RFG and other stuff- she may be on RFG tomorrow night, massaging Michelle!

been having the weird dreams - my anxieties are all about logistics before and after, rather than the run itself

so my dreams are all about catching trains and finding stations, too big a kit bag .........

ah well all too soon it will be all over and we'll be wondering what to do next!


I need a plan!

Looking towards London

Less than a week to go and I feel I need to take FLm into account in what I do now

Saturday
A gentle day - not up too early and some study sorting - taking things out of boxes and either throwing away or filing.

I start to teach my Mum to surf the tinternet - she did have a go a year or so ago, but never got very far - this time I think she might make it - once she has got used to using the mouse

after lunch its off to the gym for a swim - just a leisurely swim for me, mainly there to encourage the teenbeanzes to go and use their membership

the nice thing abotu my Mum being here is that we go for awalk round the block in the evening

Sunday
Up early to cook bacon baps for thirty at the church breakfast! So as that WAS early, I do not get in my last 'long' run - will do tomorrow

after lunch I get out in the garden for 2½ hours, trying to make sure I do not strain my back - a common problem for me in the spring - turning and moving compost heaps across the bins and spreading the mature stuff will have to wait until next week

and another walk round the block after a rather filling tea of roast duck, roast potatoes, cabbage and carrots


Monday
A beautiful morning first thing and so I go out for my last long run - 60 minutes is the target, but I don't go far enough

a lot of strange spikes in my HR - up to 217 on one occasion - I must try putting my polar on at the same time as my garmin- not sure whether they will interfere?

as usual first 1½ miles are very ploddy, and then coming back into the park I suddenly get the urge to RUN!! and I do for a while, however all too soon I am at the foot of our steep hill home, so its back to walking with the occasional jog on the slightly less steep bits

but it was a glorious morning to be out

which cannot be said later in the morning

Easter Monday is the date of the 2½ mile handicap at the 'elite' athletics club we are members of and teenbeanz won the youth cup last year - will be more difficult this time as he is quicker his handicap will not be so generous
This is a road race around the streets near the club and I am marshalling on corner where it is possible to cut a few yeards off the course - so no cheating this year!!

I walk out ½mile to the marshalling point and wait and wait and wait .... and it begins to rain, and get heavier and heavier - good job I have a marshall's bib over my fleece! eventually the first runners appear, by which time the rain is torrential and they are running straight into it

as the last runner passes me he thanks me for waiting and tells me he is last - and I tell him that I know the feeling!

teenbeanz does not retain his trophy - in fact the fastest runner in the race is another U17, so not too surprising

I then drive my Mum back to Lincoln and arrive home very weary - definitely an early night tonight!

run numbers briefly:

3.73 miles; time 53:70 average pace 14:17 best mile 13:09; AHR 128

Catching up

missed posting for the last few days - various reasons, hectic life, moving study, loss of internet connection ...


Wednesday

weigh in - another pound off

drive down to Cambridge

arrive in Cambridge in time for lunch - meeting - drive home

drive home - loads of traffic, pushing it to be back in time for running club, but just get home in time to change and collect teenbeanz

club run - we plan 3-4 miles but I don't even get to walk around the car park and warm up, we go off too fast - first mile 12:27 (forgot HRM) and my calves are screaming - I let the other two go on and I jog back to do some stretching - only 2 miles done and this is a steep taper!


Thursday

off into town with nonrunnignteenbeanz to buy jeans, walking gear for DofE and a new phone for him

first a haircut for me while he does market research, then a coffee in cafe nero - pretty rubbish coffee

then shopping, the orange shop queue is so long we decide to shop online having chosen the phone he wants

but we do find gaiters, walking trousers and jeans so he is fairly happy


afternoon - lots of physical activity moving stuff back into my study - carrying, bending, stretching, putting stuff on shelves

but no running

am not sleeping very well - legs seem to be twitchy, is this a tapering effect? certainly can't be too much running this week!

Friday

up at 7.45 - a lie in!

need to do something but not much time after lie in, so jog round to the rec where there is a cricket pitch, a football pitch and bowling greens on a terraced hill. For some reason I never think of running here but actually it is ideal for some stuff - a flat football pitch makesa good place for intervals and the hills might be good for hill work - it is not too sleep but is even and different bits give different gradients!

the football pitch seems to be about 0.05mile x 0.03miles - which is about 80 metres x 50 metres I think

so after a very heavy legged warm up, all of a sudden I felt like a bit of a push - so I 'sprinted' along the long sides and walked along the short sides x 4

and the garmin shows that the 80 metre bits were done at 10 mm - and under - amazing for me!! and HR went up to 153 - which means I could have worked a bit harder - or maybe for longer - to get it to 160

will have to try and incorporate that into my training more regularly after next week

running along the canal

an opportunity to run with the marathon queen - not to be turned down

and as she ran a good half yesterday at Reading, there's a chance we might run together!

so after scraping ice from the car I drove down to b-z's place and we made for the canal, garmins set for a 90 minute plod - part of the TrailPlus taper

it was a wonderful morning, blue sky, sunshine, but not too hot and an off road run along the towpath

the plan was a 5 minute warm up walk followed bu runnign to 45 minutes and then back

its a good job we planned to walk the first part - it was seriously uphill to the canal!

and then a downhill plod, past a few locks, where the only noticeable gradients occur, we chatted, about running and runners we know, I guess most of the people who might read this got a mention!

after 45 minutes we turned, a shame really, we could both have gone on, and it was such a beautiful morning but at this stage I would like to have faith in the schedule!

so back we went to a drink of water, a cup of tea, a shower and pub lunch

what more could you ask for!

a great day - thanks, marathon queen!

oh, numbers:

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	14:21	118	5 min walk then run
2	13:15	137
3	13:42	135
4	13:47	134	turn around in this mile
5	13:17	136
6	14:05	133
0.56	16:23	118	walking cool down
6.56	13:13	131	1:31:39

life, the Universe and new carpets

a leaky pipe before Christmas has resulted in disruption ever since

at last the light is at the end of the tunnel - I had to clear one end of the room so the decorator coudl make good

this weekend I have had to clear the whole room so that the new carpet can be laid this week

this has been a serious undertaking - I have been in the room for 10 years, accumulating stuff which might be useful, but has not left the box since it was put there some time ago!

so the move has involved a lot of throwing away - and a resolution that nothing will go back - it will be filed - in the filing cabinets or in the recycling box

not much left in the room now - except the printer which has to be kept alive whilst the teenbeanzes print out the last of the GCSE coursework - final, final, final deadlines this week!

I did manage a plod this morning - 45 minutes 3.3ish miles and all before the rain and hail arrived.

two weeks from now it will all be over .................................

and the next one to be planned .............................

Friday - not long to go now!

Nothing much done yesterday apart from shopping with studentbeanz

this afternoon I saw her off at the station and then went to the gym

it's too late to do much about enduarnce but maybe a bit of speedwork wil not go amiss

so after warming up on the cross trainer I did my speed pyramids - up and down the speed until 5 km done

used HR for the top of the pyramid, and will try to push a bit harder next time - enjoyed it once I was passsed the toxic 20!

getting fitter!

it's been a good couple of days

Tuesday
Not a running day, but it was such a glorious day I couldn't stay inside. So studentbeanz and I went for a walk in the park - the one with the steep hills and the golf course. It was great, we chatted about this and that and by the time we got back we had walked 2.3 miles and felt soo much better for it!

Wednesday
A couple of weeks ago I went along to WW and yet again I had not lost anything and I did not have time to stay to the talk. This was a real waste of money. I asked a good friend if she would help me - both to lose weight and to develop my running post FLM. She agreed but suggested there was no point in witing until after FLM - lets start now.
So over the last 10 days I have been logging what I eat and the exercise I do. And this simple discipline has resulted in a 2 pound weight loss in the last week :>)) I've just got to keep it going now!

Another beautiful day, but a shorter walk this time - lots of other stuff to do and a club run this evening. But 1½ miles done. I really must do this every day when I am working at home - it is such a good way to break up the day.

Club run
V69 was not there tomight so just XLS and me. We decided that 4 miles would be a good distance to do, and set off together, comfortable for her and a bit harder for me, but I did manage to chat most of the time - so not that hard!
First mile done in 12:38 - crumbs and I was chatting too! AHR 137 - what is that all about - would have expected it top be at least 5 higher!
And so it went on, chat, run, enjoy:

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	12:38	137	didn't feel that quick!
2	12:54	139	includes two major roads to cross
3	12:20	142	quickest mile ever!
4	12:57	143	crossing those roads again
0.08	12:14	151	uphill sprint!
4.08	12:42	140	a good run

More than a minute quicker than marathon pace - and anotehr quickest mile PB!

And then a shower, a few of teenbeanz's chips and home for shepherds pie!

Definitely a good day

stuff gets in the way ...

Today was planned to be a 2:30 run - last of the longs, or first of the tapers

I had to get out by 8:30 to fit it all in as student beanz was due to be picked up from the station

but the gas man cometh -the road outside is being excavated and new gas pipes laid to all the houses - but we have two gas meters - owing to it originally being two houses - and this is 'illegal' - so much toing and froing with higher and higher levels of foremen and I have to agree that a new gas pipe will not be connected to our 'second' meter - so no heating or hot water in that half of the house - which inlcudes studentbeanz's bedroom and my study :o(

then phone calls to mrbeanz who explodes (well not literally) and wonders why they thought we have had two separate bills for the last 10 years! and to our patient heating engineer who promises to call by this evening

all this means I do not get out of the house until 9.15

I decided I could not face the A6 yet again so will go down river, past the gym - so I can call in there for a drink, and it saves using my bottle belt, and just use my bumbag for phone keys etc - as I will at FLM.

Off I go plodding gently, but my HR seems to rise rapidly every time I go above walking pace in the first couple of miles - maybe I just need to warm up more slowly - I was already doing 5 minutes walk at the start as that seems to ease my calves into it.

The walk from the station to Blackheath for FLM should help there.

Anyway, I plod to the gym -which is just 4 miles, and good timing for a drink and buy a lucozade sport, drink a third and add water to dilute it - too sweet at full concentration.

Meet my massueuse who is doing Reading on Sunday with Michelle from Run for Glory - her first half and she has not run for 4 weeks, she has a sore calf.

Also went up and sorted out an appointment for tigerrunner to have amassage before FLM

and then student beanz phoned to say what time her train is due

and I realise I don't have time to go as far as planned - so a loop around the gym site and then a plod home

so not quite 2 hours done, rather than 2:30 - ah well that's life

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:53	130	downhill but HR erratic
2	13:24	146	downhill and level!
3	13:47	137	level
4	13:51	133	level
5	12:49	132	level
6	13:20	137	level
7	14:35	136	up
8	14:46	130	up
0.43	16:17	129	up!
8.43	13:56	135	1:57:30 1108 Cal

So 10 seconds slower than marathon pace and a HR that suggests something to spare

But a shame really - I had decided on a route with not to much undulation except for the climb coming home, a good day for running - bright blue sky, if a little breezy and I didn't have as good a run as I did last week in the pouring rain!

home at last

back home after three days away:

Thursday
No run - not enough sleep on Wednesday night so too tired to do much by the time I got to the hotel in the evening after a long drive, a day's work and another drive.

Friday
An early start to the day when the hotel fire alarm went off at 4.00 am! Apparantly someone in a non smoking room set fire to their bedclothes!
At least the system seemed to work, and we were back inside in 15 minutes.

Up early for a run before our meeting - and I needed it - the meeting has the potential to be stressful, as some clashing personalities arriving. A great country park close to the hotel, so some good paths to run on and I did just over 4 miles. Was great to get past the toxic 20 and not think about running, but watch the wild life and relax.

Meetings went smoothly everybody behaved professionally and we acheived lots I think.

Finished work in time to put my feet up for 20 minutes and then go out for another plod. I thought I'd try a different route ands slightly misjudged the distance - only 2 miles, and although a running mate suggested I went out for another mile, I resisted.

Lovely relaxing dinner with three of the best colleagues - not too much shop but plenty of good chat - and also some reminders about why I don't want to go back in the classsroom.

Saturday
Up early for another plod and another route - just 3 miles this morning, but now I am getting a feel for how the paths join up, so next time we are here I will be able to add a little distance easily.

Meetings went well this morning with lots of productive work done, so we were able to finish at lunchtime :>)

And home.

And I do not go away again until FLM weekend - so that has to be good :>))

And studentbeanz is coming home for a few days this week, which is even better :>))


March mileage was the most ever :>))

Apart from not having run longer than 14 miles in training I am feeling fairly good about FLM at the moment.

Even feeling so good I can bear to have the countdown clock up there (thanks to Leon and computerbeanz!)

club run

up early to clear room for decorator - and then make him cups of tea through the day!

a massage this afternoon - and a chance for a natter about the Run for Glory programme - masseuse gives me the inside story!

club run this evening - three of us this week, V69, ex lady sprinter and me. We deicde on a shorter run than last week as XLS tried to do a 5 miler at the weekend and blew up at 2 miles - went off too fast - and dropped back tothe fun run - she needs to rebuild her confidence.

so 3.4 miles, 43:33, 12:54 mm AHR 148

definitely a threshold run and just under a minute quicker than planned marathon pace :>)

after FLM, XLS and I will try and do a plod together in the week, when possible and V69 and I might also do some LSDs together - would be good to keep the long runs going

Running long

It's a good job I didn't see the weather forecast this morning!
MrBeanz took me out to about 14 miles from home for me to run back.
It was drizzling when we set off so I decided on cap not woolly hat and Aldi gilet not Ron Hill fleecy gilet - good decisions both.
So out in Derbyshire and of course the route starts off UP. I decide a warm-up walk is in order! I plan to run at MHR 140 instead of 145 to see if that helps me survive better at the end.
All seems to be going ok though I seem to have hydrated too well and need to find a convenient hedge - which I do in mile 3.
Soon after that the valley opens out and I discover there's a strong wind from the south and I'm running into it and it is full of water!
Running to HR and walking at the end of each mile are soon abandoned - it's much better to run than walk in this weather.
So I plod along ticking off the miles, wringing out my gloves periodically and trying to keep energy levels up. With a mixture of lucozade, High 5 qels and glucose tablets.
13 miles happens as I reach killer hill so I decide to walk the last bit.

13.8 miles 3:11:46 AHR 137

I am on the road again so more numbers when I get home.

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:56	127	5 min walk then run
2	13:09	136	uphill
3	12:58	138	phew more comfortable now!
4	13:53	140
5	13:33	144	aagh into the wind and rain - got to keep running
6	13:16	143
7	14:06	138	pause to wring out gloves - again
8	13:13	139
9	14:03	139
10	14:12	136
11	13:52	140
12	13:57	138
13	14:21	137
0.8	16:32	130	walking up the hill
13.8	13:53	137	3:11:46 1763 Calories!

away again

After the euphoria of Wednesday night’s run I have been away from home – first a couple of days in London – including meeting up with a blogging buddy for a couple of hours – that was GOOD.

 

Then on Friday evening it was off to Cardiff – arrived to pouring rain – no surprise there it is Wales after all.

I asked on the forums where might be safe to run in Cardiff and was advised that the Taff Trail was OK.

 

So this morning I was up bright and early to explore Cardiff – and it was a lovely morning too – rather unexpected.

 

I ran up the River Taff, through a park along a cycle path, crossing the river a mile or so up and weaving my way back down the other side of the river.

 

Lots of wildlife – including zillions of squirrels, great tits, chaffinches, a cormorant on the river – and a jay, first one I’ve seen close to for years; and I heard a woodpecker – but couldn’t see it (I never can).

 

And I ran nearly 3 miles too – on the return half my HRM was registering crazy numbers – up to 222 – and these numbers did fall if I slowed down – and if I stopped to measure my pulse it did seem to be very high and fell rapidly – so I am not sure what was going on there?

 

A long working day with lots of walking and stairs leaves me feeling weary – but I would like to run down the river in the other direction tomorrow morning – to see the new developments around Cardiff Bay.

 

It probably depends on how long we take to eat dinner tonight and whether it is raining in the morning!

a double AND a PB!!

what a difference a day makes!

woke up to the most glorious morning - clear sky, light frost, just the weather for running - but it is club night on a Wednesday and it will be dark by then

but I had to run in this so I decided to run to WW - a mile each way over a seriously killer hill

I did it in 27:26 and it was not actually as steep as I anticipated - though I did walk a little as I didn't want to knacker myself for tonight

which was just as well, because there was there was just me and the Vet from our slow group - so we set off and he decided that since I was going so well we'd extend the route a bit

most of the route is off road on a cycle path, so well lit and a nice smooth surface - ok tarmac but it is bettter than cronky flagstones, of which there are lot on the footpaths around the club.

after about 3 miles I get into the groove and enjoy myelf - working hard but because it was flat, I am able to keep plodding without walking at all - and only pause to walk at a couple of road crossings :o))

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	12:59	136	includes stepped footbridge
2	12:22	142	best mile ever I think!
3	12:27	142
4	12:50	140
5	12:47	140
5.32	12:42	140	1:07

I think that would be classed as a threshold run probably.

So a PB? Well yes, my best ever mile, I think ,and also the furthest and quickest I've run without pausing - a very happy beanz tonight!

swimming to recover

legs were a bit achey yesterday afternoon, but OK this morning

mrbeanz has the day off today and was off to the gym early - what to do? gym? treadmill? recovery run along the river path? swim?

swimming won - haven't done that for ages and I plan to run Wednesday and Thursday at least this week, so a swim it was

on the way there I discovered my goggles had escaped from the bag, so it was back to the old days of swimming without goggles, and I now have sore eyes to prove it!

I had the same toxic 20 moment when I thought I'd stop, but decided 500 m was not enough so kept going for the full km.

So 1 km swum - in the time I would run 5 km!

A cup of coffee while I wait for mrbeanz and watch Dean Macey win gold - yay!

Can I change to the half please?

Dear Mr Bedford,
Please would you transfer my place in the FLM to the FLHM as I feel it would suit me better
Thanks
Beanz
later.....

Oh there ISN'T a half marathon on the same day? - well, I'll just have to try and run the whole way then ..


Seem to be recovering from the cold - and not feeling so miserable and tearful

However not sure about the running .....

Time for a long slow plod - 3 hours is due

mrbeanz was not going my way so it was an out and back, rather than the drop off and run back

So I ran out for 1½ hours and back.

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:37	132	warming up downhill
2	13:20	136
3	13:15	135
4	13:17	137
5	13:35	137	try a gel - yuck
6	13:47	135
7	14:11	134
8	13:30	133	buy a lucozade
9	13:33	138
10	13:41	135
11	14:16	135
12	15:30	130	heart OK legs struggling
13	15:23	127	this hill doesn't get easier!
13.21	17:16	119	13:58 AHR 134

I have to say the prosepct of doing as much again daunts me at the moment - maybe I have to think about going a little slower - but then I'd be on my feet even longer!

The first 10 miles were done in 2:15:49 which is 13:35 rate - I need to do 13:45 rate for a 6 hour marathon - so ... without th ehills maybe I can keep goin on my run a mile make up the difference mode which I used today based on 14 mm - and ended up (including the slow stuff ) with 13:58 mm.

Hey Ho

plodding in the park

I should have been doing a long slow run with Pixie today but we decided earlier in the week that the lurgy meant this was not a good idea

I plan to do the run on Monday, so I wanted a little plod today to see whether that is likely

So after a lie in and a cup of tea in bed (thanks mrbeanz) it was up and out to the park -with its undulations
But this was not about speed just about getting out there.

And off I went, realising after a mile or so that I was very hungry - this running before breakfast is all very well when I run at 6.30 but after a lie in it means 13 hours since I last ate!

Anyway 2.5 miles done, some of it walking up the steep bits but it was good to be out there and I wondered why I don't just get out there every day for a few miles instead of up the main road - oh, I remember it's those hills:

What impresses me about this is the accuracy of the plot - this is from memory-map and the symmetry of the elevations on teh out and back bits are pretty good.

oh, and it also shows there isn't much flat stuff around here!

so it's true then

I am doing the London marathon - at least the mag has arrived this morning so I must be


but I feel blobby and stuffed up with cold


and difficulty in concentrating on anything

and I should be working

bleurgh


and I am finding it hard to believe that 3 hours is long enough for long runs for a 6 hour marathoner

and anyway I haven't done many long runs at all - in the past 6 weeks just a 2 hours, a 2½ hours and a 3¼ hours otherwise piffling things

and it's no good saying you've done a marathon so you know you can do it - I don't have any doubt that I will get round, but if I don't make a better fist of it than last time I will have wasted the last three months in not loosing weight and not training properly


bleurgh ....................

I've got a cold - or is it manflu?

I am all stuffed up with a cold - but I don't do colds so its a bit of a shock to the system

I think it must be a result of getting over tired with all teh rushing around - and not taking the cod liver oil, vitamin C etc

Not gone to my chest yet so I will be off to the club tonight to plod.

A week at home with time to run I cannot afford to miss the chance for proper plods.

Later
Teenebanz wanted to go to the club again, so we went, and I did run - there was a very cold wind - in our faces as we went up the hill, so a tough start, a bit slower than last week, but I survived

what: club run 3.5 miles
time: 46:56
pace: 13:23
AHR: 143

better

managed to get to the gym this morning before catching the train

focused on the tready and keeping going - usually the toxic twenty gets to me, and I dip out but I was determined to stay with it and do some work

so took the speed up in 0.1 km/hr notches until my HR was up above 75% and then came down again ...and up again ... until 5 km done

then a mile or so walk in each direction in London - where the sun was shining

and home at last

Peterborough tomorrow and then home for the rest of the week

phew ..

worn out

absolutely shattered - did nto run this morning

its all a bit of a struggle


and a meeting in London tomorrow - will try to go and plod on the tready at the gym first

running away

away rather a lot at the moment, so having to fit running in when I can

Wednesday
Club night and teenbeanz came too :>))

I had expected that the girls I took out last week woudl be there but they weren't so a chance to go out with the other 'slow group' who drag me a long at a faster pace than I would do on my own - and prove to me that I can run a bit faster than feels comfortable!

This week the group is MV69 (most recent half marathon 2:30 but used to be much quicker) and a lady who sprinted as a school girl and only just getting back into running and loving it - call her ex lady sprinter XLS - she goes off quicker than me but each time we go a bit further with us she is running into the unknown, so at the moment I have the edge in endurance if not pace! Off we set, XLS at the front MV69 chatting away and me chugging at the back - wishing I had done some warm up before we started. MV69 congratulates me on the fact that I am getting quicker thanks to going out with them, which is true, but I do wonder whether he thinks I don't run from one week to the next!

After the usual toxic twenty I am beginning to enjoy it and keeping up with XLS much better - I think she is beginning to struggle once we get past about 2.5 miles, but we all keep going with no stopping - even the traffic lights don't allow a breather!

As we come into the home straight we pick up one of the quicker men who is warming down - so he drags us back rather quickly. I had planned to run a bit past the club to take me up to 4 miles but was rather out of breath and teenbeanz was just coming in so I called it a day.

what: club run 3.6 miles
time: 46:52
pace: 12:56
AHR: 145

No hanging around tonight, I took teenbeanz home and then had to drive to Peterborough for a three day meeting with an early start in the morning.

Oh and teenbeanz had a good run too - not too fast for him as a mid week run,but a good way of getting a long easy in to his week.

Thursday
Up early in Peterborough for a recovery run. I do wish they woudl send us to the same hotels more than once - yet again a different hotel and I have to suss out a run. I had printed off a bit of the OS from multimap and reckoned I could use a cycle track.

And out I went - heavy legs after last night, but it was good to be out in the fresh air and not cold at all. I soon foudn the cycle route and it was rather good - through a wood, but open enough to feel safe and a soft bit alongside the tarmacced path - presumably for horses, but good to run on to as it was mostly sandy rather than muddy. I saw a few dog walkers, cyclists and just one other runner - a rather fast lady.

Plodding at recovery HR meant a very slow plod, but good to be out.

what: recovery 2.6 miles
time: 36:49
pace: 14:26
AHR: 129

Friday
Did not run - had not slept well, anxious about the days ahead. As it turns out I probably should have run as my anxiety turned into stress and a not good day.
Resolved to have an early night and run on Saturday - so eat in my room - did not need the company.

Saturday
Up early to run, a light drizzle, but hey we don't mind running in the rain and snow is forecast!!

Started on the same route as Thursday, but took and option of a change in direction, and onto a muddy path by the river. A colleague had told me he had crossed the river in the village near the hotel, so I thought 'I must be abel to get back across the river later'. As I plodded further and there is no sign of anything but fields and woods, I thought 'at what point should I decide to turn back and retrace my steps?'

And then I cam to sluice gates and the feed to the canal - now I had river AND canal between me and my target! But soon there were bridges and all was well.

I must look at the OS to see where I went!

I felt SO much better for the plod - must do this more often. And get some off-road shoes for the mud.

what: steady 3.4 miles
time: 47:42
pace: 13:51
AHR: 138


At last I am home again.

Teenbeanz is off to race tomorrow, Fradley 10k - weather permitting, I plan a 1:30 plod.

a longer run at last

Sunday
Club hosting the last of the Sunday league XC runs today, so teenbeanz and I went down to marshall. I took the camera as it was a beautiful snowy morning. Failed to take any pics inthe park or of the race, but sad physicist that I am I had to take this one of the 'frost shadow'.



Monday
I haven't done anything longer than 6 miles for a month, and most of the runs in the last month have been around 3 miles as I have had to squeez them in before work.

So it was time to just get out there and do it.

So a 2:30 run was on the schedule so @ 14 mm that was about 11 miles, so I got up very earl;y for porridge and then was ready to go out with MrBeanz when he went to work - dropping me off just under 11 miles from home meant I HAD to run home. After the usual warm up 20 minutes and plenty of stretching it felt good and the planned 14 mm were not materialising - trying to keep my HR at 135-145, which is reasonably comfortable, I was running rather quicker than I expected. Ah well, I seem to be getting fitter at last!

So the numbers:

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	13:11	137
2	13:23	138
3	12:33	140
4	12:44	140
5	13:05	139
6	12:43	141
7	12:37	138
8	12:41	137
9	12:57	135
10	13:29	139	start of killer hill
11	16:12	128	walked most of this mile
11	13:14	137	2:25:45

I have not done that pace on a long run before, so wonder whether I was going too fast? The elevation looked like this :

Perhaps not as undulating as my other recent long runs over this route:

see what I mean about undulating and killer hill?

and the average paces for those were :

14 miles at 13:53 AHR 134

9 miles at 13:36 and AHR 135

Perhaps I am getting fitter if I can run for longer and faster at a slightly higher HR?

Doh!

Friday
Currently working in Coventry.
Up early this morning to run. Kit on ready to go - but no shoes :-(
How stupid can I be?

Had my new copy of RW in my bag and lo and behold - there's a running shop 10 minutes away (actually the ad. says 2 minutes but that must be at 3 a.m.)

A phone call confirmed that they have Asics 2110s in my size, so I sneak off at lunch time and buy them. Well you can never have too many running shoes can you?

Unfortunately I couldn't take advantage of the lovely day to run, as the meeting ran on until very late.

But I will be up in the morning to run before work.

later on Saturday ......

I managed to get up and run at 6.30 - very frosty and not much time as we wanted to start the meeting early so we could all get home at a reasonable time.

2.3 miles done and arrived back with a frosty hat and gilet!

But I felt soo much better for it - and a colleague told me he could tell I had run because I was much more relaxed and less inclined to crabbiness!!!

Its the club home XC race tomorrow so teenbeanz and I will go and marshall - he isn't a member and I am not running XC - yet.

It would be nice to jog down there and back, but that would mean standing around for an hour or two in just running kit and getting cold, so will go out and run first.

great club running!

how could I have thought of not keeping going to my club?

great run this evening

arrived to find one of the fast ladies had brought her teenage daughter and friend to run - TD has asthma and consultant has suggested that running would help, so please could she plod round with me?

Of course a real pleasure - wasn't in my plan but that doesn't matter

It turned out really well

a couple of the other slower ladies were there and one wanted to do one lap of the 2 mile course, the other to do two

so we set off together and TD and friend and I did a run walk - ie we ran for a minute, then we walked briskly til TD had a enough breath to gossip, then we ran for a minute then ... for 2 miles, the girls went to sit in the warm until Mum had finished and I went and did a speedier 2 miles

So I had done a proper warm up instead of zooming off too fast and having tight calves and the second lap was the fastest I've ever done it - a real result!

Mile	Pace	AHR
1	14:11	130	downhill
2	14:38	131	back up
3	12:22	147	down again
4	12:25	153	up again - keeping each other from walking!
4.20	13:24	140	53:50