The long runs are starting to get, well, long !

After working all weekend it was good to get out yesterday for my long run :) this week it was 16 rather hilly, muddy miles. At times I did wonder if running a marathon was such a good idea knowing that from here on in the mileage is only going to go up !

It was quite cold, with ice on the puddles and quite a bit of frost on the grass. This did mean that some of the mud wasn't quite as squidgey as it has been.... but I was glad I had decided to wear hat and gloves.

Just as I got to the top of the Downs the mist started to clear and the views were amazing, it reminds me why I like running on the Downs :) when I was out of the wind it was quite warm.... But the last section did mean I was running in to a northerly wind and you could feel the chill that came with it.

I also tried to make sure that I had some energy gels at regular intervals as well as making sure that I kept drinking...but not too much too soon to make sure that I didn't run out of water, the downside of where I run is that there isn't always anywhere to top up a water bottle !

Anyway, this is one of the photos from yesterday's run.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Another week closer....

Each week I am aware it is getting closer and closer to the marathon yet I feel that I still have a long way to go !

This week for the first time ever I went to the circuits session at the athletic club on a Wednesday night... It is now Sunday evening and I'm still aching ! I'm going to shuffle my runs a bit and carry on with the circuits, I think adding something other than just running has got to be a good idea :)

And, I actually managed over 33 miles this week ! This was running on 5 days with today's long run of 13.4 miles. It is the first time since before Christmas that I have run this distance and I could feel it a bit towards the end of the run. From now on the runs get longer... and in a few weeks I will be "stepping down" on the distance to 13 miles on alternate weeks from the long, long runs.

I am now also working all weekends until my next half marathon so I will have to try and juggle my diary to fit the long runs in during the week. I'm not quite sure how that will work at the moment...

My last weigh in really wasn't good news, a mix of Christmas and hotel breakfasts really has shown up on the scales.... I am planning on just going back to my "normal" diet to see if that helps shift the extra pounds before I make any other changes to my eating habits... I have also cut right back again on the alcohol which I am sure will help :)

Anyway, this is a photo Holly took on our run today, stitched together from 3 photos on her iPhone :)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Home Sweet Home

Although I have had a great time away for the last few days it is good to be back home. I don't think I'm a city person really and I love the area that I live in.

I got out for a short run along the river this evening just as the sun was setting and saw the Barn Owl flying around and perching on his favourite fence post, this is the first time I have seen him on an evening run, I normally see him in the early mornings....

Tomorrow I am going to get on the scales, I know this is not going to be good news after five days of staying in a hotel, eating those rather nice cooked breakfasts and not getting out running as much as I should have done.... throw in to the mix the hot chocolates and eating out every evening and I know it's not going to be pretty...

One good thing about staying away is that I have just about kicked my caffeine habit :) rather than almost chain drinking coffee I have been drinking bottles of water. Partly to combat the dry air conditioned hotel environment... and partly because I really didn't want to pay London hotel prices for quite so many cups of coffee !

So, the challenge now I am home is to keep the coffee down to one cup a day and carry on drinking the water. I have just under a month before I am away again... my next trip is "Up North" I'll pack my running gear but because we will be moving between towns each day I'm not sure how much spare time I will have; it would be good to get out and see a bit of each place I visit but I have put zero miles down for most days that week....

The mileage starts to get serious over the next few weeks with my first ever 40 mile week coming up, it also isn't long until my next half marathon... I have a feeling the weeks are going to start to accelerate...

Running away from home.....

Well, I'm working up in London at the moment and staying quite close to the Thames, I packed my trainers and running kit just in case I got the chance to get out....

Yesterday afternoon I found I could squeeze an extra hour in to my day, put on my trainers and headed out !

One thing I have learnt is that I get disorientated quite quickly when I can't see any landmarks, you see I'm just not used to running in a town surrounded by tall buildings ! Knowing this may happen I was armed with my trusty iPhone and the maps app that was able to show me where I was.

A few wrong turns later I was on the path alongside the Thames... It really was a lovely afternoon.... I carried on to Chiswick pier before turning round and heading back.....

This is one of the photos I took near Chiswick Pier...

Mud and Colds

Well, last week I ended up with one of the many colds that are going round at the moment. I knew I was going down with something when I ran the race on the Monday.... That is part of the reason I didn't push too hard... I was pleased to find my official time was 51:53 and I scored 5 points for my club. This gives me a new target... To be scoring at least 6 points for the club in this race series before the end of the year !


Anyway, I missed a few days running and took it fairly easy for the rest of the week. I still made it out for my long run on Sunday with the marathon training group. 10 very hilly miles, I'm really not sure that they could have found more hills in one route anywhere round here ! Luckily it was dry, not too windy and not too cold... I've been testing a new bottle belt to run with, it is a bit lighter than my camelbak waist pack and doesn't bounce around as much. It still has a pocket at the front for my phone and elasticated bits I can put gels etc in.


I also received an email last night letting me know that my race number for my next half marathon is in the post and that it is only 5 weeks away !! I know the next 5 weeks will go quickly.... And then before I know it there will only be a few weeks left before the marathon. 


This week is going to be a bit of a low running week because I'm away for work for a fair chunk of it, not sure if I will get any opportunity to run so I'm going to try and fit some longer runs in before I go... - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Out with the old and in with the new...

Well, the end of 2011 and the start of 2012....

My last run of 2011 was a nice gentle 5.3 miles along the river on New Years Eve, stopped for a chat with another member of the running club that I bumped in to along the way... a really lovely way to end my running in 2011..

So, a few stats...

Total miles run : 1,230.97
4 Half Marathons run
3 10K races
1 5k Race for Life
and half a dozen other club/WSFRL races.....

I have new PB's:

Half Marathon : 2:03:57
10K : 52:25
5K : 25:40

So, all in all quite a good year...

2012 has started with me having my annual cold, if I was male it would be classed as Man Flu, but I'm female so it obviously wasn't THAT bad :) I did mean that I took it a bit easy for todays race... that and having had a few glasses of something last night to celebrate my birthday...

It was a lovely race, quite hilly and muddy with some deep puddles (all the better for running through !) and I was quite pleased with my time of 52:01 on my Garmin for the 5:08 miles. Even though it was a bit chilly it was wonderful sunshine and clear blue skies, I had stopped feeling cold by the time I got to the top of the first hill and the views were amazing.

So, quite a good start to 2012. I have two half marathons coming up before the Brighton Marathon and I'm hoping to do a few other shorter races as well, I just need to see how it will all fit in with my work and marathon schedule, especially when the long runs become longer.....

Anyway, this is a photo from my last run of 2011.