keeping to the schedule

Been out for a plod with A - and now we are four!

Our sons are all in the same training group so we are all hanging around together several times a week, and the two newbies have been persuaded to join us (both their husbands run quickly).

We are up to R8:W2 x 3 - was a bit anxious as I am really bad at keeping going but I did all three reps without walking and even up inclines - not quick but definitely not walking :>))

I think I am beginning to gain confidence in my ability to keep going when it hurts.

New Year, New Target

Now this is not a weight loss blog, but having weighed and measured myself this morning I know that I am officially obese - well I knew anyway but just had to confirm the figures for the start of the year!

So while trying not to obsess about food and weight and all that stuff, I DO have to lose weight for the sake of my health and longevity - heck there is too much I want to do to keel over now.

So the targets for the year are not an amount of weight to lose, but running targets which will not be acheived without weight loss, and working on the running targets should also help the weight loss. (Does that make sense?)

So targets:

• run a 10k race without walking
• run a cross country race next winter season
  

finishing off the year nicely

up early with the intention of running 4 miles to top up the total for the year

I set off on the R5W2 schedule as it seems to be working, Iwent on my old out and back route, which is mainly downhill going, making it easier to warm up. By the time I turned after the fourth R5 I was getting into the groove and past my toxic 25 stage.
Running back up the hill, I didn't want to give into the hills as I normally do. I decided that I would stick to the R5W2 schedule but also watch my HR - if it went above 150 when I checked at each lampost, I would allow myself a walk to the next lampost, but I didn't need to walk; it didn't go above 145 on the first incline and then after the next W2 and getting steeper again it didn't go above 147 - a triumph!!

By the time I got home it was 4.4 miles done :>) total for the year 653.7.

I shall have to concentrate if I am to get near that next year, as I don't have any half or full marathons planned. It means I need to target 14 miles / week. At the moment my runs with A are just around 2 miles, but they will ease up to 3 and even 4 over the next few months I guess. We can make the Saturday run a bit longer, though we don't always get to do that together as the boys have races some weeks. It would be good to make my Sunday runs a bit longer, but normally they are determined partly by RB's training needs.

another run done

Out into the park again with A

RB was doing hills so we went along the river bank - and very muddy in places too - that slowed us down!

A has been having calf and achilles problems, so we stopped during each W2 to stretch, but did NOT stop at all during the R5 bits

last of the scheduled R5 W2 runs - though I plan to do another tomorrow - need to do 4 miles to bring my total for the year to 100 miles more than last year!


will we be able to do R8 W2 x 3 next week?

more plodding

I think I am getting the hang of this running business

A, my new TP is quicker than me but happy to be slowed down by me cos every time she has tried running in recent years she has gone too fast and then been injured

We are now up to R5:W2 x 4 - and did it fairly comfortably this evening - even up the little grinding inclines
Having A to run with makes me keep plodding even when things begin to hurt, and I know that it is not for long, hopefully as we increase the R bits I will still be able to keep going

:>))

its all over then ...

well studentbeanz and BF have gone, so its back to normal life now - just a bit of turkey to eat tonight and the cake and the mince pies ........

it was our Boxing Day race yesterday - not an official race but lots of local club runners do it - about 200 turned up this year
runningbeanz and I decided to warm up by walking / jogging the 2 miles to the start; mrbeanz drove part of the way and then walked, he still has problems with his achilles so wasn't running but was willing to be bag carrier
met up with lots of clubmates from both clubs and we separated to take our starting positions near the front (RB) at the back (me)
I started off with V69 but he zoomed off too quickly and I knew it was no good me going to fast, I'd just be miserable, so I plodded along, the race starts off flat but soon reaches the bank where RB does his hills training, we were to go diagonally up the bank, and I managed most of the way before needing a short walk, passing various teenagers who were not runners, but had been inveigled into coming, including our minister's son, whose dad was way ahead somewhere

and then it's down into the village
after about a mile I am running with another lady of about my age (or maybe older) who tells me how she has been running for 20+ years but never gets any faster because she always takes the beginnners at her club (but maybe she wouldn't get faster anyway)
we chat and plod together intermittently for the rest of the race - this really helps me get round, with only a few paces of walking when an incline gets the better of me
as we come back into the park mrbeanz and RB are there to cheer me on and again after a final loop to make up to 5k we are nearly there and we decide to plod in together rather than go for the 'sprint' finish - so we are joint 190 with at least 5 behind us (I was last, last year) although my time was slightly slower than last year I enjoyed it more and felt better throughout - I suspect the warm up did help

Oh and teenbeanz is 20th in 19:30 ish, having been paced for part of the run by a quick chap from his club. An excellent result for him, especially when I think about the quality of some of the other runners there

after the fog .....

ran 2.4 miles with A in thick fog last night so I couldn't believe it when we woke to bright blue skies today, with the fog frozen out onto the plants:

good day overall

so starting with the good news - all clear at the hospital - benign calcification I believe the technical term was

routine recall in 3 years for another mammogram

after some shopping in a very crowded Sainsbury's I nearly made it home when I managed to bump the car in front - silly really, approaching the roundabout he set off to go, stopped because a motorbike was being indecisive about lane, I didn't stop :<(
nobody hurt, and not much done to his car but my front crumple zone took a suitable crumple and is going to take some fixing, so the logisitics of getting it into repair, hire car meanwhile .... to sort

ho hum


but a good evening followed up - met A at the club and went for a R3W1 x 6 session from the RW beginner's schedule - I was just warming up as we finished - perhaps should have jogged on but that seemed mean, 1.83 miles done

by the time we had finished it was very cold and quite foggy and the skinny lads in RB's squad all had very cold hands which were quite painful as they warmed up - even thought they had been wearing gloves (I think Santa needs to go shopping)

long run

a run with the ultra queen today - which was lovely - long for me but all in a days plodding for her

seriously, it was really good to run with someone who is willing to plod nice and slowly with me

the last mile or so was hard going but 9.34 miles completed - she's a hard taskmistress!

and it was off road along a canal so no serious inclines - just suited me well

I'm a bit stiff now but I am sure will be fine tomorrow

back to the hospital tomorrow - fingers crossed

running weekend ....

Friday
Well no run, but it was the RW East Midlands Christmas social.





mrbeanz, Steady, LFV, Mr Jars, MrsJars, mark*w, Denmeg and LMH were there.




Much fun was had with the contents of the party boxes which included squeakers and 'rocket balloons' which when inflated would whizz round the room with much noise.
MrJars was the most accomplished inflater - something to do with keeping control of a workshop full of 14 year olds I suspect.



















Saturday
Runnerbeanz had Hill Reps, so after a lie-in (the first of the hols) and breakfast it is off to the park. I met up with one of the other Mums (A) who used to be a sprinter but has not run for a long time. She would like to get going again so we went for a run-walk, 2.3 miles done. We could have gone further but A's husband and younger son turned up and we stopped to talk to them and marvel at these lads who just ran up, along and down the hill in continuous reps. A is also overweight (but not as much as me I suspect) so we are going to try and support each other to a healthier 2007.

Sunday
A beautiful morning for a run so off we went for our Sunday morning shared run - RB has 50 minutes on the schedule so its out for 25 and then turn. Up to 20 minutes I was hating it and thinking that there is no point in going down to b-z tomorrow - I will not make 2 miles let alone 10. However the third R4:W2 rep begain feel better (ok it was mostly downhill) and on the return I actually managed R6 cos I didn't want to walk after R4! I am afraid I did walk up the last hill with RB who had caught me up by then and had a sore lower calf - just hope its not a dreaded achilles problem. 3.6 miles done.
Still not sure about 10 miles tomorrow, though that slave driver might make me do it.

the best laid plans ...............

Monday
early Doc's appointment to follow up blood tests - a low blood count - not anaemic but low iron reserves (not sure what that means?)
then Dentist for the usual scarpe and polish
then town to try and break the back of the pressie shopping, after a slow start I managed quite well - but was knackered when I got home

Tuesday
a recall appointment at the breast clinic to follow up the mammogram from last week, I was not too worried as they called me back 3 years ago too
but the little bits of 'very probably' calcium have got a bit bigger since last time and a few more of them, so they wanted to be sure
which meant a core biopsy - which I had not been expecting, so it was a bit of a shock

although the nurses were very good and the whole process was fascinating and can be added to my store of 'physics in action' stories it has left me a bit drained of energy - rather achey and not wanting to run

tomorrow I am on a course but hopefully by Friday I shall feel like going out for a shuffle

after all I am doing a long run with ultra runner extraordinaire b-z on Monday!

(results of biopsy appointment on Tuesday so fingers crossed)

running ( and walking) again

Wednesday
A tiring day on Wednesday - teaching all morning, Christmas Lunch with the girls - very noisy - then crowd control during the staff panto.
When I got in the car to drive home the last thing I felt like was going to run at the club. But runnerbeanz was all changed ready to run when I arrived home (good for him) so I had to go.

When I got there V69, who I have not seen for a long time was there and suggested we went for a walk, since I was not dressed or shod for running. Of course after a couple of miles I wished I was in my kit and could run. Still, 3.8 brisk miles walked.

Thursday
A tottering day at school, definitely no energy to run - and a really wild night too, but RB did his club session well.

Friday
End of term! At school until 7.00 though, for end of term staff do - rather hampered by no drinking as I had to drive home.

Saturday
RB has a track session, so I took him down and went in my kit - walked at first with another Mum and her younger lad. After he had had enough I went for a little plod - another lap of the grounds. I had forgotten my garmin but 2-2.5 miles done.
Meanwhile RB was doing 1000m reps - hard.

Sunday
Now that RB has a written down schedule from the coach he is more focussed onsticking to it. So for today it said 45-50 minutes easy. His original plan was to get up early for breakfast so we could go out at 8.00. (Sound familiar?)
However when I went in to his room at 7.30 he had not eaten. Now in the past he would have turned over and gone back to sleep. But he didn't - he got up and came out, sleepily and slowly to begin with.

And we used our new strategy of run out for 25 minutes and turn, and he caught up with me on the way back and then loped on home while I staggered up killer hill. So I did 3.5 miles at R4W2- he did rather more. (And agreed he could run without eating first.)

I now need to work out a plan for the next three weeks in this window of opportunity to run - as well as get ahead with the planning for next term, so that I am not so knackered and can face running in the week.

not running blog

So a hectic week at school (only 4 more working days to go now) which included:

Course on Wenesday after school - great to meet some other physcis teachers and be inspired again
Late night Thursday with Fair Trade group
runnerbeanz racing XC on Saturday 25 miles away
Christmas Concert on Sunday evening at school

and no running again - but I am not beating myself up about it, just telling you that as this is supposed to be a running blog - so I'll put in some running pics:

RB warming up,




















tigerrunner, finishing well,


















RB in the woods

a good plod

It's been a hectic week again - finishing with parent's evening on Friday, school bazaar on Saturday morning with my Fair Trade stall, followed by my stint with the boarders on Saturday afternoon - making Christmas cards

runnerbeanz is trying to stick to his coach's schedule so was due to do 45 minutes 'long run' today

so we got up and went out the door together and then he plodded off into the distance while I did my R4:W2 bit

we both 'turned' at 22 minutes and then he caught me up (and passed me) on the way back - and was back before me of course

the advantage of the out and back route is that we could go out together and each do our own thing (if he does loops it is a little disatisfying as he will not know how far he has gone)

so 3 miles done for me and 4 for him - on a lovely fresh but sunny morning :>)


oh, RB points out that I didn't put his time on the race report - 41:29

worth it!

all the ferrrying runnerbeanz around for training is paying off - yesterday he ran a storming PB in a 10km - and not on a straightforward course - twists and turns, hills, mud ....

I was really proud of him!

dress to impress..

no running this week

usual lame excuses - work work work


Children in Need day yesterday and the girls were asked to 'dress to impress' or dress to distress' i.e. it was dress up or dress down Friday

I dressed to impress and wore my usual blacks but an FLM fleece - just to remind myself I can do it (sometimes)

and now its the wrong day in the month for venturing far - typical ....

will go for a walk in the park when my M&S delivery of new black clothes for the winter has arrived


Later the same day ....................

Thanks for the suggestions on my last post below. I've also had a very supportive email from a WAISter pal - who is in the same position as me - juggling family and profession and trying it fit in the running.

I have decided that as it is only three weeks to the end of term (some compensation for the long working week), I am going to not worry about the running at all - do it if the opportunity arises and not worry about not doing it. And then when we break up I will have space to plod in daylight for a few weeks.

However in the mean time I will really concentrate on eating sensibly - however don't worry this is not going to turn into a dieting blog - mainly because I will not be dieting! Not running means no excuses for eating stuff in the hope of running it off later!

when do I run?

I am writing this because I just can’t see what to do.

At the weekend I had a great run with b-z and I talked about how to fit in another run during the week.

But now I am back at the chalk face I just can’t see how to do it.

So this was my day yesterday – and it was typical of a weekday.

6.00 alarm rings and I get out of bed, shower and wash hair, dress. Come downstairs, complete packing of bag, print off something I forgot last night, breakfast, empty dishwasher, have brief conversation with emerging runnerbeanz about this evening clean teeth.

7.00 pack car, taking bottle of water, letters to post, scrape outside of car condensation

7.05 set off for school

7.45 arrive at school – up the stairs; mark books, talk with HoD about week ahead, sort out stuff for first lesson

8.25 registration of form

8.35 assembly but I chase around to try to find student who did not turn up to registration – discuss how we improve her timekeeping with Boarding mistress

8.50 up the stairs: teach Y9, discuss the class with PGCE student who will be teaching them next week; they have done a test – so now I have that to mark

10.00 down the stairs - ‘free period’ put in order for Traidcraft stuff for school Bazaar stall; sort out paper for mock exams for Y11;

11.10 morning break – have to go to this includes staff briefing

11.30 up the stairs; return to prep room to find chaos as men have come to take down cupboard and build shelves above my workspace – but no warning so I have not cleared space for them to work. Teach U6

12.45 lunch – down the stairs need to get in straightway as I have a lunch time meeting – but join the queue

1.00 up different stairs; meeting for new form tutors (only 9 weeks into term) to learn what the job is about – it is useful

1.40 sit down in staff room for 5 minutes with deputy head to discuss my late girl

1.45 afternoon registration – have words with girl I did not see this morning

1.55 up the stairs teach Y11 – they are a difficult class – mainly because they have not learned to stop talking!

3.05 send them on their way and breath sigh of relief; return to prep room to sort out chaos of stuff; at least shelves provide me with more storage space but it takes me all of my time to sort stuff out – including standing on chair to reach the top shelf!

5.20 down the stairs to sign out; up the stairs to collect bag and then up the hill to car park;

drive home through dark lanes

6.10 arrive home meet mrbeanz and discuss eating arrangements – no family meal on Mondays

6.30 drive back round Derby with runnerbeanz who has circuit training with his squad (I can’t join in) normally I sit on the floor outside the gym in the corridor and do some low level marking, but now some of the other Mums have realised I do this and have come in too so I can’t mark, have to chat inanely

8.45 arrive back home and get something to eat for RB and me

9.30 sit down to do lesson preparation after a brief visit to other blogs and forums

12.15 go to bed

Having written that, I realise that I don’t want anyone to suggest running at lunch time, I need the breathing space in my lab to sort out after morning session and set up afternoon session; or after school (very dark lanes) before I come home.

I think I just need to settle for a run or two at the weekends and with the club on a Wednesday and not keep apologising and making excuses for not running more.

I ran today!

b-z came to the East Mids Social last night - a good evening at the curry house

she stayed the night and we were up early for a run

it was a good morning for running - cool and bright and we did my standard long run along the river to the gym and back - making it up the grinding hill by a kind of fartlek between lamp posts and passers-by

by the time we got home we hadn't quite done the required 8 miles so we went down into the park and ran until the Garmin beeped for 8 miles, and then we were allowed to make our way back - by which time we had done about 8.8 miles - the furthest I have done since Robin Hood.

There were some good bits in it and it was great to run with b-z - someone to natter to and I definitely walked less than I would have done if I had been on my own

I feel like maybe I will carry on with this running malarkey - and maybe even get up (very) early once a week to run before work

not much to report

Not much running to report unfortunately

Lots of good excuses though - but they are excuses, I should have got out there more

so just a little plod in the park on Sunday with runnerbeanz

but just to show you what a tough environment I work in these pics are taken from my lab window

one step forward ....

last night I made it onto the treadmill - I'd been debating as I drove home whether to go to the gym or just drop into the athletics club and sit and mark while runnerbeanz ran
but decided there was time to have a worthwhile plod, though with the traffic I only managed 35 minutes

So tried to work har on the tready - doing a speed pyramid but did not manage much of the down side of the pyramid, cos I was enjoying pushing myself to go (relatively) fast

so I didn't cool down nor stretch properly and unfortunately the outcome is that I now have an aching back, and there is no way I could have gone to the club and run this evening :<(