A week of training.....

Well, now in to week 2 of a 16 week plan to train for the Steyning Stinger half marathon on the 6th March 2011.

I find it quite hard working out what training I should be doing.... There is so much conflicting advice online and so many different training plans you can follow... I have developed my own mix based on what I have read online and what I know of the terrain of the race. The race isn't a normal half marathon.. Last year it was -4C and includes climbs of 240m primarily cross country over the South Downs.. So I am expecting my time to be quite slow compared to lots of half marathons. I believe the current women's record for the half marathon is 1:46. Based on the fact that in last weeks 10k I was about twice as slow as the fastest runner this gives me an approximate time of 3 1/2 hrs ! I do think I can do better than that and My run yesterday was similar terrain, 10.25 miles in 2:07 so I hope to complete the half marathon in 2:30 to 3:00.


This week I have run a total of 20.96 miles, split over 4 runs... I did two shorter 2.5 mile runs, one 5.5 mile run (all on roads) and yesterday's 10.25 mile run...

Yesterdays run was a bit tough at times.. I found the hills hard going, it was below freezing all the way and when I reached the highest point of the run the winds increased at it started to snow. I also think I didn't eat the right things before running (just toast) and ate too soon to running. I did try a new drink thing... Some fizzy tablets added to water to replace salts etc I think this did make a difference to plain water but I still haven't really mastered the art of drinking whilst running !

I also took my Canon G10 with me on a separate pouch on my waist pack. This is something I won't do again.. It just seemed too much in the way and in the wrong place wherever I put it, next time I'll take my really tiny camera that will fit in my normal bumbag.

I think I am also getting on top of the blisters I have been getting on the arches of my feet. I stopped a couple of times yesterday to adjust my trainers and think I have just not had them down up tight enough. It seemed to make a real difference, I did also tape my feet up before I started with zinc oxide tape over the bits that have blistered. It would be great to have blister free running, not something I have managed to date !

Anyway, these are a few of the photos from my run yesterday.










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A few photos....

Just thought I would post a few photos taken of me this year... I have run three races so far and each photo was taken at the end of a race..

This photo was taken just after the Stanmer Park 5k race for life in July.... At the time it was the furthest I had ever run... I completed the race in 32:29 and raised nearly £500 for Cancer Research.




As a challenge and to make sure I kept running I then entered a 10k race and started training towards it...

The next photo was taken just after the Alf Shrubbs memorial 5 mile race, this is mainly cross country and was held on the 24th October 2010... I completed it in 50:30




The last photo was taken on 21st November 2010 just after I completed the Brooks Brighton 10k in 1:00:15 and at the moment this is the furthest I have ever run non stop !





Since I have started running I have lost about 2 1/2 stone in weight......

My next target is a half marathon on 6th March 2011... I'll post some more details about that soon :)


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Hello :)

Just thought I would write a bit about why I have started this blog....

I started running in April this year, I'm not a runner, I was always useless at sports at school and didn't enjoy them... My main aim was to lose some weight and get a bit healthier, then I started enjoying running. Running for me is quite personal, it is freedom and gives me time outside to clear my head, I find it relaxing, exhilarating and exhausting at times.

I havent joined a running club, I've thought about it, but have never been sure if that would in some way spoil my enjoyment of what I do... So, I have started this blog really as a place to record what I do and what I learn along the way.

I'm lucky in that I live at the foot of the South Downs so cross country running is an obvious choice, the downside at this time of year is that the only real change that I get to do this is weekends or other days off... Bring on the summer and the lighter evenings !