One week done...

Right, that is the first week ticked off, a total of 23 miles run this week. A mix of running with Holly, the running club, friends and Millie.

Today Millie came out on her longest run ever; 6 miles cross country over the South Downs. For people that know the Steyning area I ran the Round Hill Romp route but took a slightly different way at the end to avoid the roads.

Millie had to learn a few new tricks..... how to get over/through a few different stiles and gates and how to push through branches that were blocking her path. We both ended up very wet and muddy but it was great fun. We stopped to chat to a few other dog walkers and people out walking, some people out walking just look at you as though you are mad. I don't think they realise quite how hot you can get when running; they are all wrapped up and I'm in a short sleeved t-shirt !

One good thing is that I managed to run up most of the very steep section, I still can't run up the whole thing but I'm now at a point where I can run far more of it than walk.... I can still remember the time when I struggled walking up it and had to stop quite often to get my breath...

So, just over a week until Christmas and not much of this year left.... it is that time of year when you look back at the highs and lows of the previous 12 months but I will save that for another post :)

8 miles done...

Well, that is the first 8 miles of the marathon training done... Only 457 to go until the finish line ! The temptation to do too much too soon is quite high, but I do remember what happened last year and would like to try and avoid injury if possible. At this stage it is getting in to the routine of the regular runs without getting carried away (if it says 3 miles then stick to 3 miles !)

Just doubled checked the training plan to make sure I hadn't accidentally scheduled a long run on Christmas Day... I haven't, just a 3 mile run !

Running makes me feel good and it makes me feel as though I'm achieving something and this helps me be more positive with the rest of life.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to more runs with Millie this week. I'm going to need to find some slightly longer routes that we can do together. While I'm marathon training I'm planning on taking Millie with me on the short 3-5 mile runs and doing these all off road. No doubt she will come back full of energy and I will be the knackered one....

So, this is a photo taken on one of our daily dog walks......

Yay ! I have a plan :)

Well, after much debate and writing / re-writing I have a marathon training plan.... the scary thing is that it starts next week... and I need to follow it religiously until next April.

It involves running a total of 465 miles.... now that is a long way..... it is about the distance from here to Edinburgh. If someone suggested that I run to Edinburgh then I would think they are mad. But I'm not just doing this for fun, I'm doing it to raise money for a cause that I really believe in, for an organisation that stand up for people whose voices may not be heard otherwise, for people that may stay imprisioned and forgotten. So, for each mile that I run I will be glad that I am free to run; and glad that we still live in a country that has free speech.

If you would like to see how I'm doing then click on the Brighton Marathon 2013 link at the top of this site; if you would like to sponsor me then click here :)

Planning...

Well, it is that time of year when I begin thinking about marathon training.

Thinking back last year I found the last 6 miles really hard work. The one thing that kept me going was knowing I had already covered the bulk of the course.

If I want to find it a bit easier this year then I need to do more long distances. Due to injury last year I only ran one 18 mile run, that was the furthest that I managed in training. This year I want to run more 16 and 18 mile runs and possibly even a couple of 20 mile runs.

I also need to get used to running on tired legs.....

So, I'm looking online and planning.... and when I have worked out what I'm doing I'll let you know !

Sent from my iPhone

My love/hate relationship with the Brooks 10k

Well, yesterday was the Brooks Brighton 10k.

I have a love/hate relationship with this race....

I think it will always be a bit special because it was the first ever 10k that I ran, this year was the third year that I ran it.

The things it has going in its favour are:

1. It is local
2. It is flat

But, I always find it hard running races where you have to run back past the finish line part way through the race, I also don't enjoy out and back races...... Especially when you are running more or less a straight line in each direction, it just seems to take forever to get there !

With nearly 3,000 people it is quite a busy race, but that is fun. I guess the biggest thing wrong with it is me, I just don't enjoy running 10k as much as I do a half marathon, especially if it is off road. For a 10k you know you need to pick the pace up a bit and I hate that lung burning feeling you get.... and I always end up feeling sick for the last couple of miles, trying not to throw up can be quite hard work at times !

I also lack the killer racing instinct, I'm quite happy to move over and let other people through... and if I'm finding it really hard work I'm more inclined to slow down a bit rather than keep pushing as hard as I can, you see I want to enjoy every run that I do :)

Yesterday, knowing I hadn't done the training needed, I went out with the aim of keeping a more comfortable pace.... The weather was perfect, dry, sunny, not too hot and not windy.... I met up with a group of running friends (they deserve their own post) and enjoyed it.

The result, 52:58, just a bit slower than my PB of 52:25 so I was quite happy with that. What it does tell me is that I have managed to maintain my fitness level on a fraction of the running I had been planning.

So, that was the last race that I have planned before the Brighton Marathon next year. I'm sure there will be others but I have nothing in the diary at the moment.

I'll keep running, and smiling and enjoying life. It is precious.

Some people take their children to the park...

Some people take their children to the park. I take mine to run up and down hills and through icy cold water.... And it is FUN !

On Sunday we took part in Hell Runner. I must admit I was quite apprehensive before the start, especially after seeing some of the water features but I loved every minute of it.

It was ideal running weather, dry, sunny and quite cool. I knew it would be an "interesting" run but I didn't realise quite how many hills could be fitted in to the distance. Some you could run up and down others you were scrambling up on your hands and knees and sliding down on your bum.

For some of it I was out of my depth in muddy water, it wasn't just a quick splash in and out either.. It went on long enough to tire you out.... Followed by yet more hills and scrambling down sandy banks into a chest deep lake....

Did I say this was fun ??

Holly and I ran this together, I wasn't out racing anyone, I just wanted to enjoy it.....

Today I have a few bruises (the biggest from a submerged log colliding with my shin) and ache in places that I didn't think I would, mainly from pulling myself up and out of things..

Would I do it again ? Yes !

Anyway, here are a few photos from yesterday..

Ughhh

Do you ever feel that sometimes life is conspiring against you ??

After having a gentle 7.5 mile run on Monday, the longest since Barns Green Half Marathon I then go down with a buggy thing. If I was male it would have been called man flu ;) so no more running for me for the week.

So, all in all it doesn't look good for Hell Runner. I have this week to get some training in and, hopefully, a 10/11 mile run next weekend. I am then working away for a week and I know I won't get the chance to go running, I get home on the Friday and Hell Runner is on the Sunday.......

I know I can do the distance and that isn't the bit that concerns me... What is more worrying is the hills and water... I had hoped to be running hills on pretty much every training session for the last two weeks and that just hasn't happened. So, I guess it will be a case of watch this space....

Anyway, this is a photo of me with Millie :) she has been enjoying the runs we have done together, I need to increase the distance that she walks with me before increasing the distance we run together......