another run done

blogger seems to be degenerating - yesterday it didn't seem to accept posts,

today no tool bar, no edit HTML - which makes tables difficult

another R4W2 run done yesterday - in the third rep I was all for giving up running completely as I really don't feel I have made any progress in the past 3 years


but you know how it is you pass that point and although it never feels good, it just doesn't seem that bad after all

what running again?

Planned to be up really early and plod out along the A6

but didn't wake until 8.00 by which time the A6 would be full of traffic and smelly

so took the sensible decision and went back to sleep ........................


no not really - I decided to go in the park - which is not possible early because its dark!

so up to R4 W2 now - first 3 reps were ok, fourth was tough, fifth impossible - up seriously killer hill through the woods

on a positive note I realised that the field I did two reps round (0.4 miles each) would be good for runnerbeanz's XC training, so we could use it together without having to stick together - in fact there is a second field which would make the rep longer for RB

so a good start tt he day

now off to visit studentbeanz at University - haven't seen her for nearly 2 months and haven't seen her flat at all

well at least I ran!

Monday I went to the gym and built a hill and then speed pyramids on the tready.

Tuesday I went to school and then later took runnerbeanz to his training session - and wished I had had my kit to run round the field.

Yesterday it rained all afternoon and well into the evening - did that stop we beanz runners going to the club?

certainly not!

we arrived to a dark wet car park with no runners in sight - but as the clock reached 7.00, people began to emerge reluctantly from their cars until we had a hard core of about a dozen people - most wearing their Aldi running jackets and gilets!

V69 was not there and I opted not to join the ladies group - as they were an amalgam of the slow and quick groups and I suspect that they were going to be a bit quick for me.

So it was on my own - not on the field which was somewhat wet as well as dark. Twice round the car park through the puddles and then I decided to go out onto the path. The club is at the brow of a 'hill' - inclines down in both directions. This meant my Run 3 Walk 2 was for the most part run down walk up!

So 30 minutes later I was thoroughly soaked, but feeling better and almost like a runner. [The ladies did say when they got back that I should have gone with them - and they are right - so next week if V69 isn't there I will be brave.]

Runnerbeanz did about 5 miles.

Then after a welcome hot shower it was into the bar for a drink and a sandwich.

I'd taken my laptop to show the club our new website that t'other teenbeanz has been working on - a great improvement on the last one.

A grand day out ...

I went for a little plod yesterday morning - just had to be done, though it was not very inspiring

but it occurred to me that I might have been running Abingdon today - and lots of my friends were going to be there so why didn't I go along and support?

it would be a day for me - no work, no family reponsibilities and lots of mental space between clappings

so I got up at 5.30 this morning and drove down there - it was great to see people who were not expecting me :>)

and here are some of my friends at Abingdon:




















































I had a fantastic day - starting near Mile 6 with LMH we had a great time spotting forumites - sometimes only realising after they had passed who they were! Then on to Mile 16 where we had a chance to sit out of the rain in a pub courtyard and have a coffee before they came back into town.
I hung around there until all the important people had passed and then to mile 19/24 where I had a chance to cheer people in two directions at once.
And then to the finish where much whooping and hollering greeted some of the later runners to a grandstand finish.
And then to the bar for more chat and catching up with yet more peeps - some of whom I had only known virtually, so good to put bodies to faces!!

Oh and I also managed to put a few miles of brisk walking in the bank too!

a little run-walk

the day began with a lie in - and a read in bed with a cup of tea (thanks MrBeanz) - for me the perfect start to a day

then I spent most of the day sorting out the club website - which ITbeanz has been revamping - it is all clever stuff, but needed me to re-enter lots of info from race results, and as that is the bit people like, I thought I'd better do it.

V69 wasn't there to run with tonight, so I plodded round the field, and did a very controlled run-walk, like someone just starting out

but at least I was doing something

and I'm going to try and do it again later in the week

some progress ....

went into work yesterday to find my lab full of workmen - they'd come to replace my ancient lighting with new bright fluroescent tubes

which I must not complain about as everyone tells me it is really dim in the winter, but it meant I couldn't get at my filing cabinet :<(

however I did do lots of other stuff, sorting past exam papers and copying them for the classes to use - just means I have a mountain of past questions to do now - shouldn't set questions I haven't tried, it's a good way to get caught out!

I went in again today and did a morning's work, but was then frustrated by lack of access to my lab, so I came home and went for a swim :>)

will have to go back next week and sort out my work space which is now piled high with stuff to be filed!

lazy weekend

so it's the beginning of the two week 'break' but I have loads to do - both in school at home

so I haven't done any of them this weekend - just slept late(ish) and pottered

yesterday I went with Teenbeanz to the first cross country race of the season - a lovely day, autmnal sunshine, soft underfoot, but not muddy, and a chance to meet people and chat

it was a toughie - a new course this year and several folk came off from the men's race saying it was the toughest they'd done in the league

(TB's recce had suggested something similar)

there were long grinding inclines and short sharp inclines too - a proper XC course!

TB's training paid off and he ran much better than last season - very pleasing - and as the season goes on he should get stronger

there were four folk from our Wednesday night friendly club too, including tigerrunner, who ran well - so a grand day out!

so the next two weeks:

I need to:

• visit my Mum and get in her loft
• visit studentbeanz and see her flat
• go into school and sort out the filing cabinet I have inherited - being ruthless in the process!
• really get on top of the planning ahead - now that I have got to know the classes it easier to look further ahead at what I will be teaching
• try out some new experiments
  
• get out in the garden
• get some exercise
• do my tax return
• bake the Christmas cake - I always used to do that at half term

not much to say really

job continues to dominate waking hours - at least at the moment I am not dreaming about it!

no more running since last week's 2 miles - but all being well I will do another plodette with V69 tomorrow

3 days to go to the half term holiday, I will manage a little more exercise then

would have been doing Abingdon in 10 days if I hadn't taken this job - good job I decided to drop out! I did think of going anyway and marshalling, but currently I think it would not be a very restful thing to do, though it would have been lovely to see some good friends there

ah well,

back to the preparation ......

I ran this evening!

Just that

a couple of miles with V69

thats all

a not-running blog

No runnign this week - too tired to do anything at the moment - didn't even make it to club to walk this week

I will try and run this weekend - but the usual routine is knocked by TB running in the Road Relays in Manchester on Sunday, so our usual 'get each other out the door' stragegy will not be there.

Work is still ok mostly - the odd difficulty but nothing compared to some establishments I might be working in - and the rest of the time I do enjoy it

I was reflecting that for over 20 years I have not been in a job that did not have a finite end point - they have all been fixed length projects. But this one does not have a foreseeable end - I shall have to choose to leave (assuming they don't ask me to go of course!) or continue until retirement - adds a different dimension to the job.

phew

another week goes by without a blog - life is just so busy and tiring

I've managed a brisk walk with V69 at the club, a short swim, and two run-walks in the park - the second aborted owing to feeling light headed.

so only 10 miles done this week, but it's so much better than nothing, I'll live with it for now.

first week in the job

First full week in the job - so how was it from an exercise point of view?

I used to work from home so spent a lot of time sitting at a desk on the ground floor. I had the flexibility to plod when I pleased, and a lovely park to walk in - that I didn't take advantage of enough.

Now I am teaching, I am on my feet most of the day, and have 40 stairs between the staff room and my lab. So physically it is much more tiring than the old job. I need to be able to get up the stairs without my HR going sky high!

It is like being back at the beginning again - every lesson to prepare and homework to mark. So evenings are mostly taken with that and squeezing in exercise is tight. The best thing is to do it early evenign while the TB are doing there after school stuff - but I have felt so tired at that stage so far. But this is how the last week has gone:

Monday - nothing

Tuesday - went to the gym straight from school, but at the end of a long day I did not do much - probably dehydratedand hungry, but basically knackered - will try swimming next week, see if being off my feet is better than tready and X-trainer.

Wednesday - Club night - walked nearly 4 miles with V69 - but we managed 1mm quicker than last week. I may be walking this for some time - after all he ran slowly with me, so this is the least I can do.

Thursday - very late night at school - nothing

Friday - had thought we might swim, but too weary - next week we will try for an early tea and then go and swim

Saturday - Teenbeanz had a traning session in the park - hills up and down the river bank, so I plodded along the river

Sunday - TB was told to do a really easy run - so we went together and did 4 miles at R2 W1 - with the runs being his slow pace, but I was working.

And after I had put all this in the spreadsheet I discover this year's total mileage has no passed the mileage for 2005 :>)

I guess that shows some kind of progress.

Robin Hood Half

it was HOT, it was HILLY (I am sure it was a hillier route than last year)
I ran with Coach - who acted as timekeeper, keeping me to run 2 walk 1 - part from serious hilly bits where we allowed ourselves to walk briskly because my HR was still at running rate. After about 9 miles I began to get cramp and I ended up running 45 seconds, walking a minute to try and keep some running going

finished in 3:00:43 - not a pb but pretty pleased

Edit
Just looked at the thread and found this:
Walking back to car, overheard guy who came in top five of half say that even the Kenyans he'd been speaking to (who won the race) had found it tough, adding a couple of minutes onto their expected times!!!

So I was right it was tough!

running club

It's a good job teenbeanz goes to running club - I would not have gone at all in the last few weeks.

V69 broke his shoulder a month or so ago so hasn't been running - but last week he said we should walk this week - he is walking Mablethorpe 10k on Sunday - he walks loads at the moment, becuase he can't cycle either.

Anyway we both turned up this week and went for a walk - 3.8 miles around Rolls Royce - where he used to work - he always has stories to tell about what Derby used to be like and what buildings used to be where we are running past. So the distance flew by - and I noticed things I had pased many times without seeing them.

We may be walking for a few weeks yet - which is not a problem.

And then there was a challenge from Tigerrunner - I said he should go for 2:45 at FLM next year and get an elite place - he did 2:49 this year. he said he'd do that if I got quicker!

So my challenge for after RH is to aim to run a 10k without having to walk.

OK Coach?

started at last

It has been a long run up to starting the real job of teaching - but at last this afternoon I did it!

It has been a tale of admin and chaos - fortunately a small organisation so they can get away with it! Very nice people - but sometimes ..... Mrbeanz says I should keep a diary and write a 'Thank God it's Friday' column for the TES - teenbeanz says i shoudl blog it

but I shall do neither - just tell it all over tea at home!

anyway so far so good I think .....

It's difficult to tell with teenage girls whether they are engaged or not sometimes!

Not much time to run - I manage 25 minutes on the tready last night before my bunion decided a day on my feet was enough - I need some wider work shoes - difficult to find shoes that will accommodate said bunion - but maybe these will do.












Sam Murphy says they are designed for people with diabetes ( not yet but I will if I don't lose the weight) and come in a wide fitting - will have to see if the running shop can get some for me.

Prep for Robin Hood is not looking good at the moment - the trouble is when I don't do it I lose belief that I ever could - and R2 W1 is really pathertic anyway.

other things

It's Friday and I haven't run since my long run on Monday - life has put other things in the way

Wednesday was club night, but I was not sure that anyoen woudl be there to plod with and I just did not feel up to doing anything, so I took teenbeanz along and became keeper of the car keys

As it turned out I could have done the boundary again - or gone for a walk with our V69 witht eh broken shoulder

Then THursday and Friday have been a breaking in to the new job - induction for new staff on Thursday and a staff 'training day' today.

It probably has raised more questions than it has answered but has ben very tiring - a plan swim this evening has been postponed - the idea of driving back across town in the traffic with the teenbeanzes was to wearying. Instead I came home, had a cup of tea and crashed for half an hour while MrBeanz cooked a not very slimming fish and chips!

the TBs and I plan to swim tomorrow - I may even plod as well if I wake up early.

New job stops properly next week when pupils arrive - that will concentrate my mind!

run-walk

Taking on board the support and suggestions here, I took a look at Galloway and decided that I would aim to do Run 2 walk 1 at Robin Hood.

And if I am going to try to do that I'd better try it out first!

So Saturday morning I was up before the visitors were stirring and went out for four miles - starting with a warm up walk and then setting the garmin to beep at 2 minutes, 1 minute, ran walked it.

As Pixie has said elsewhere it is a bit strange walking when you don't need to but I stuck with it and it was much happier when i came home after 4 miles. [I did have to do run 1 walk2 on a particularly steep bit coming home.]

This morning, Monday, was to be my long run, as the visitors had gone. Initially I had planned to do 12 miles, but it is now too close to RH - less than 2 weeks - for that to actually have any effect on my fitness for the race, so I decided to go out for just 2 hours and do the RW again.

Warm up 10 minutes and then into the R2W1 again. I kept it going well, calling at the gym for a drink after an hour and then coming back.

It was more of a struggle to keep it going on the uphill bit coming home and became a bit unstructured for a couple of reps and while I switched to R1 walk 2, and then I was home. I felt a much happier bunny than a week ago and 8 miles done (under 2 hours as it turned out).

I did this without my usual get up 2 hours earlier and eat. Juts some juice before I set off. Rather hungry after 1.5 hours -maybe that affected my struggle up the hill too.

more structure

under the guidance of SuperCoach I have done a structured session on the treadmill - hills and walking very rapidly!

4.6 km done

now to wait for the teenbeanzes to come back from school with their results

eeek

Edit later

GCSE results ok :>)

BUT
my blood was rejected for donation - low iron count again - the've raised the bar apparently under an EEU directive!

12.4 whatevers per whatsit needed to be 12.5

around the field again

very depleted numbers at the club, so I did 'speed work' round the field - structured stuff folks!

run a minute walk a minute - it felt ok

and I have looked at Jeff Galloway he recommends run 2 minutes (or 1): walk 1 minute for my pace - I reckon that is very doable.

Not sure I want my Garmin bleeping throughout a race - and would want it to log miles as laps anyway. But at least 2:1 would be easy to track as it is only the three times table!!

I am now committed to giving two people lifts to RH so I guess I may as well run it.

away from running

I am having a couple of days with grandma beanz (my Mum) - we've ben to London - on the Eye and round the Houses of Parliament.
And lots of time on feet - London pavements are SO hard.

Now back at Mum's and sneaking a go on her computer (which she acquired at teh grand age of 82!).

Thanks for all the suportive comments - I Do appreciate them.

The trouble is I haven't RUN 9 miles or 13 miles or 26 miles ever.

I stumble round with an unstructured run-walk session where the walks have happenend because I can't push myself to run anymore. It is usually not very long before that happens - as those who have kindly plodded with me know.

Ho hum - home tomorrow. We'll see what happens next.