Unlucky for some

So they say.  Today I weigh 12st 4lbs which means that somehow, miraculously I have lost 3 pounds which seems unlikely considering the excesses of the Christmas market and the hot chocolate with Baileys which I allegedly consumed.  And for that read 'consumed'.

Anyway this week has been very good.  On Tuesday in Zumba we were doing the Plank.  That's not a dance by the way.  Now since I have no upper body strength whatsoever, and since my core muscles seem to be non-existent, this was very difficult.  Come Thursday I realised I couldn't even cough without my stomach muscles hurting.  What a state.  Better do more of those.

On Wednesday I ran 11 miles which went a lot better than I had anticipated.  It was very foggy and very cold but I plodded along regardless.  I had been reading that on the long runs you should run a minute/minute and a half slower than your anticipated marathon pace.  I did my utmost to keep at that and hey presto! it worked. In addition my new compression socks meant that my legs felt OK through the whole run.  So that's the secret then.  I had meant to do this run on Monday but I was a wimp and allowed myself to talk myself out of it.  Shame on you! So come Wednesday I did a Ray Winstone on myself  -  ' Oi Leggy! Wotcha doin'? Get yourself out there or else! You're going dahn...'

On Thursday I walked across to the nearest village, scoffed a toasted teacake and a skinny latte and walked back.  Then I went for my appointment with Mick the Marmaliser and had my legs well and truly pummelled into oblivion.  Ooh the agony.  Especially my right Achilles. Got to pay more attention to that.

Today I ran a 30 min interval session with my TMP (Trusty Marathon Pal).  It was very mild and still so that was ideal.  Mind you a minute can seem a long time when you're running fast.  Hopefully that's going to feel a lot better the more we do it.

Now gearing up for the Great Yorkshire Pieathlon on Sunday.  My last race of the year.  It sounds a right hoot, can't wait!

Finally the sunrises and sunsets here have been beautiful recently.  Who can't help but marvel at them?  

More running

So that's two more runs done this week.  On Thursday I ran with my fellow Paris Marathon chum and we decided to attempt a 30 minute tempo run with the add of the app on her phone.  All good in theory but cue unprecedented windy weather.  Now tempo running is hard enough without feeling that you are running into a concrete wall.  Nevertheless we achieved.  Bring it on as they say.  Good job we did it when we did because it all went bonkers after that with flood alerts and the works. 

Today I ran 8 miles with the club which was very good as they are excellent fun.  Not sure whether schlepping round the Xmas market yesterday and stuffing myself with goodies, mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate with Baileys (what a combo!) was such a good idea pre-run.  Especially when I woke up with a headache and feeling distinctly under the weather.  Never mind, the route was beautiful, mostly off road and through some lovely villages. Afterwards we were treated to sausage rolls, hot chocolate and cake.  What could be better? It was most amusing when another group of runners approached as we were scoffing and we were tempted to frantically stuff it all back in the boot of the car!

Next weekend I am doing the Great Yorkshire Pieathlon .  That's 6km of trail, 220m ascent and a pie station every 2k.  Hah! Can't wait.

It starts today...

Okay Okay... deep breath... here we go... today is the start of 16 weeks of training culminating in my first marathon on 6 April 2014.  The Paris Marathon.  Or should I say Marathon de Paris.  Ooh la la. At the moment this is a terrifying prospect.  Let's hope that over the next few weeks it will become a little more believeable.

Today I weigh 12 st 7.  How did that happen?  I'm heavier now than after I had the kids.  So much for taking up running and losing weight.  I'm getting bigger by the minute.  By the time the marathon is here I shall be the size of Pavarotti.  If there was any justice in the world I would be stick-thin and running along like a gazelle with all the running/swimming/walking/zumba I do.  And now Christmas is on the horizon so that's not going to help is it? Anyway each week I will post my weight in the hope that it will spur me to lose some.  Let's face it, all that weight slamming down on my knees with each footfall is not good.

Today I ran nearly six miles on a loop from home to the nearest village and back.  Since the local farmer (!) has not marked and flattened the footpath I had to run around the field and got stung to high heaven and soaked for my trouble.  Nevertheless it was a lovely morning for a run, slightly misty and with a very interesting pinky/beige sky.  The nice man in the signal box poked his head out and let me go through the side gate over the railway line. So that's the first run of Week 1 over. Stick with it gal!

I like to move it move it

Yes I'm out there and doing it.  The Sting, that is.  No it's not a crazy dance from the 60s.  It's our running club's 10k race which this year is on 14 July.  And the Sting?  Well that's the last mile and believe me, if you're not prepared for it you might as well pack up and go home.  Two glute-wrenchingly horrific hills and an uphill finish.  Pure torture.  So three weeks ago I made a pledge to myself to run the route every week.  Can I get anyone to run with me?  Hah! So every time I do it I find myself bursting into the market place like a Wild Woman of Wongo, all breathless and gasping like a maniac.  Meanwhile all the normal people are going about their daily business, standing chatting, posting a letter etc. What must they think?  Plus I have to struggle up a hill right next to the school and cross my fingers that my kids aren't going to spot me. Oh the shame for them!

Excellent news on  Wed 1 May when I did the first  Croxby Crawl of the season and managed to knock two and a half minutes off last year.  Woo hoo! What a course that is.  I think I may have left a lung on that last hill.

Anyway onwards to my next race which is the 10k Trailblazer at Clumber Park on 18 May.  Bring it on!

What a day!

Still on a high after the Lincoln 10k.  Wow.  What a brilliant day.  The sun shone and I actually got to wear my shorts for the first time this year. Yes I didn't think anyone else would be wearing bright orange shorts.  And I was right.  You've been Tango-ed.  It was perfect.  I was very smiley as I joined the sub-60 section this year as opposed to the 60 plus section like last year.  It is an incredible feeling to line up with 4500 runners, pretty sobering in fact.

The race went well.  For me it was all about running the whole distance in order to put away the demons of last year.  It was very uplifting to see familiar faces round the route and that always gives you a boost just when you need it.  I finished in 59:16 which puts me under the hour yet again.  Whe-hay! And a very impressive medal too.

Happy Birthday!

Yay! Tomorrow is the Lincoln 10k race which makes it one year since last year's which was my first ever 10k race.  Where did that year go? And if you'd told me that within that same year I would have run a half marathon I'd have laughed you out of town. Wowee.

So what's different this time?  Well for a start off I'm not going to head out like a rocket.  Experience has taught me to start off slow and get well into my pace before picking it up.  Also I will be spending more time looking around at the surroundings instead of my feet.  Mind you I was in a bit of a desperate state last time. Especially when I got my km mixed up with my miles and thought I had done 4 miles but alas I wasn't even half way! I'll never forget that feeling of despair.

Anyway the sun is actually shining for once.  Hooray.  So I think it will be a nice day for a run and there will be thousands doing it.  Plenty of bods in fancy dress too.  Last time I was overtaken by a man dressed as Pamela Anderson from Baywatch, complete with red cossie, long blonde wig and First Aid pod.

Wish me luck!

From bad to worse

So the half marathon is cancelled til March 2014.  Yerk!  I suppose it's all very well, the weather is just not conducive to running especially on roads that are still covered in ice and haven't been closed to traffic. I don't fancy my chances against a Seddon Atkinson.

Apart from that I seem to have lost the plot completely.  Firstly I appear to be trying to scoff my entire bodyweight in chocolate cake and secondly I have a horrendous cold. Both of which are detrimental to running.  In fact I can't see me ever getting out again.  Could this be the end of my short-lived running career? Surely not.  I think I may have to do something completely radical i.e. join the nutters (mostly male, obviously) at the running club on Saturday morn for the horror-that-is the 6 Peaks Challenge.  Yes it's every bit as horrendous as it sounds.  It could be kill or cure but frankly I need to do something radical.  The Lincoln 10k is looming on 7th April.