Woop woop, so back on it!

Cala and I agreed to run this evening as she couldn't make tomorrow night. After a stressful day with my little people I wasnt really in the mood but by going I knew that I would feel good afterwards.

Anyway we got our butts out the door and made our way down to the seafront with me coughing and spluttering flem, very attractive - not! We ran to Nan's hotel and I had to stop to use the ladies and then we ran back. It felt really good and I didnt find it too hard although my right knee was giving me some jib! We ran back on the top road as the wind was really strong and Cala was freezing as she didnt have a long sleeved top with her.

I took my Nike+ with me to track the run but as I had different running bottoms on I had to put it in my pocket and I must have turned it off as I did so, so we only have a record from the Metropole to home and we took a different route, so I looked on Map my run and I think we completed just over 5.5miles which is great. Well done Cala and I.

Stepping it up...

I have been feeling quite relaxed about my running recently, not going out when I should, eating everything in site and more and guess what I am losing my fitness and I have put on 2lb. I last went running properly on Monday 26th October and did three times round Hove Park, 3.85miles.

Unfortunately I couldnt make our usual Monday Hove Park run last night as I was in London but when I heard they had completed 4 times round without stopping it made me think S??T. I need to step it up, maybe I slow them down, how am I going to do this? So now with the marathon only 166 days and an hour away as I write I need to get into my training, no more excuses of we will start soon, etc.

THIS IS IT.

So this morning I was out at 6.50am in the drizzling rain and ran from home to the King Alfred, up through Tesco's to Blatchington Rd, up to Portland Rd along to the top of my road. I thought this was about 4.5 miles (it felt it) but it was only 3.43 miles which I did in 30mins 08secs. It's a start. My weekly plan is to complete every week (no matter how busy I am) up until Christmas:

• Run three times
• Swim once
• Two one hour sessions on the Wii Fit

Good news: my brother Carl and his brother in law have secured a place in the Brighton Marathon. Gees I have got to get on with my training as these guys used to be sportsman and even in their old age bless um' generally still quite fit and it would be nice to run at least some of it with them rather than them leaving me at the start!

Back after a week

Cala and I went out for a run this morning, I havent run for a week and Cala hasnt for two weeks so it was an easy one, we ran for just over 2 miles and then power walked 2.5 miles so still a good distance. We are back to our usual routine tomorrow, Monday at Hove Park!

Last night I went to bed and ...

layed there planning my route to run this morning. Unfortunately I havent been out much running this week but last night I had a real feeling on wanting to get back out there. I awoke to a lovely sunny but crisp cold morning. Whilst Tim took the little people to the park I headed out with just me and the Nike+. I have been getting bored of running along the seafront so decided to head out to Shoreham on the road, cross over the lock at LadyB Marina on to the seafront and back to the lagoon. It was a 4.43 mile run and I had no trouble doing it at all, in fact I really enjoyed it. My knee started to niggle at the end but otherwise it was good. I ran down to the park meet up with the little people then Daisy and I power walked back home and did some stretching on the way.

I am really making a point of warming up, cooling down and stretching to help with my right leg problem.

Now I have been running for three months I can feel and see the difference, I have toned, lost a few pounds (not much due to amount I am eating), no longer get so much back ache and generally feel like I have more energy. BUT there are some downsides to running and I will list these as the Un-glamorous side effects of running, they are:

• coughing up and spitting flem!
• grunting
• injuries
• sweat (although thankfully I dont suffer too badly)
• red face
• both big toe nails starting to fall off - excuse me but what is this about??

Moaning minnie...

that's what I feel I am turning into. Since Cala and I have been running I always complain of a niggle nothing too real, a stitch, out of breath, legs ache, etc. It turned into a bit of a joke along with the grunt!!

Anyway as I have mentioned before on here I have started to have some problems with my right knee, always after our races on Sundays. Thinking that there must be more to it than my knee not liking to run on Sunday's I went to see the sports doc today.

I do have an injury or it could be a long term niggle that has been woken up with me start ro run so later on in life. Anyway my knee is not the actual problem even though I have the pain there but it is the muscles in my right thigh (I think the RFL, it's three letters anyway). After an hour of rubbing, stretching, etc with the sports doc I left feeling great but by mid afternoon my thigh was tender.

Cala and I were late going out tonight but we still put the instructions we have both been given for our injuries in place (Cala has a poorly shoulder but copes so well with it). We did a power walk warm up for five minutes and then started running, unfortunately my knee started to hurt straight away which was unusal as normally I don't get the pain until after. Anyway I managed to run up to the King Alfred and back (just under three miles) and then we power walked the last five minutes, did five minutes of stretching and I came in and put an ice pack on it. Thankfully 45mins later I do not have any pain.

Please please dont let this be a long term injury where I feel pain with every run! I don't think I could cope with it and I don't think Cala could cope with my moaning.

Opps...

No running the past two days just lots of eating... no wonder I am not losing any weight!!

Off to see the doc tomorrow re my runners knee and also have a training session planned with the lovely Cala in the evening.

P.S. The race on Sunday was featured in today's Argus but unfortunately Cala and I were not! Also still waiting for race results to be published.

Another race under our belt!

This morning was the 8k undercliff run for women refuge in Brighton. Cala had stayed over the night before and as Tim and Daisy were going off to church we dropped Sam off with Aunty Jo and Uncle Murphy before heading off down to the start line in Brighton marina.

The marina was deserted other than for runners and I mean real runners. Cala and I didnt know what we had let ourselves in for but thankfully by the time we reached the registration tent we were informed that there was two races today, one for a club running which was 20 miles long and our one which was 8k long. I can tell you we both breathed a sigh of relief when we realised most of the real runners were in the 20mile race!

Our race was very well organised and we collected our number with no fuss, chatted to some other competitors and even had our photo taken for the Argus (so look out for us next week). After a warm up, the Mayor of Brighton started the race and we were off. It was a flat course going 4k out to Rottingdean and then turning around and coming back to the start.The weather conditions were good, no rain, no beating sun but the only complaint slightly muggie.

Jo, Murphy and Sam were at the turn around to cheer us on and clapping (I was so proud to see my little fella clapping everyone) and I can tell you it makes a massive and I mean massive difference when you have people cheering you on, it keeps you going.

Cala and I kept a really good pace throughout the race and even increased the pace towards the end and again finished with quite a fast sprint even if I say so myself. Another girl tried to over take us near the finishing line but we were having none of it and pulled our 'road runner sprint' out of the bag!

As I mentioned before the race was very organised; quick registration, good warm up, very informative, four water stations through out the course, steel band to see us off and welcome us back, a great medal (it was a heavy silver keyring with a trolley coin on a funky pink lanyard, banana's and water at the end and finally a blinking great goody bag. Not stuffed with just your usual flyers but a towel, bottles of shampoo, suntan lotion, etc. So well done RISE on organising a great race.

And of course well done to us on finishing 8k in 45minutes.

If we based our marathon time on the above we would finish it just in four hours! Och and that is without stopping I sooooo don't think so.

I wore my Nike+ on my arm for this race and unfortunately the arm band rubbed so I won't be doing that again. Also now having problems with my knee again so will be seeing someone about that this week

After the race we headed back to Jo and Murphy's where we were greated with more cheers and claps and the best cooked breakfast I have ever eaten. A big THANK YOU to the Irelands this morning for not only the most delicious breakfast but for looking after Sammy too.

When I returned home I looked up some other races and found out the Great South Run (10miles) is on in two weeks so we are hoping that will be our next one but there was no entry details on the website so I hope it is not full. Will keep you posted.

It was double the distance

I had a great night sleep last night so was ready for a run this morning. I ended up leaving later than planned as Tim went for a run first. I decided to do the exact same route as Cala and I last night as I wanted to know the distance plus time was not on my side as I had to get back to make packed lunches and the school run - oh the glamour!

Anyway the route was from home along the beach to the King Alfred and back via the road. The distance was 2.76miles (it recorded 1.34 miles yesterday so I must have turned it off half way through).

So far I have run 87.61 miles since using the Nike+ over 31 runs. The key thing now is to start increasing my distance each time I run. I may be able to do five miles ok but I have to also consider the other 21miles I will be running on the 18th April 2010 - urrrrrh!

I think I am...

on race come down. We talked about and trained towards the 10k for a few months and what with the family all down I didnt get five minutes on Sunday. All I have done this week is eat and I mean eat! Oh the other thing is sleep, recently our nights have been unusally broken with the little people so I have been quite shattered.

I seemed to have got a random knee injury on Sunday, the reason I say random is it didnt start to hurt until late Sunday night and by Monday morning I was limping, it was right in my right knee joint like a really dull ache, it was worse after I had kept it still for a while. We were meant to go to our usual Hove Park training on Monday night but I was in too much pain with my knee and also I had read that if you are new to running and taking part in races you should not train for at least a couple of days afterwards, I didnt need telling twice! Thankfully when I woke up Tuesday the pain was gone.

Tonight was my first night of running since the race and it was hard to go out. We ran to the King Alfred and back. The Nike+ was playing up as it recorded it incorrectly saying we had only done 1.34miles when it is more just over two miles. I could feel a little tweak in my knee so didnt want to push it plus do you know I just wasnt in the mood to run tonight. One thing I do know is I need to also do another form of training other than running, I need to build the strength up on my upper body so I think I will also start swimming at least once a week.

We have an 8k run on Sunday morning. 9.15am start which I prefer rather than mid morning and it is on the Undercliff Walk between Brighton and Rottingdean so a nice flat route, although it wont be nice if the weather is bad. I have a feeling our time wont be as good as Sunday's 10k, no I am not being negative but I am just not as prepared for this. The good thing is it will give us another opportunity to learn to pace ourselves and slowly build our running distance - plus we get another medal.

Note to self: need to purchase large trophy cabinet!!

We blinking well did it!!!!

Today was the day of our first big race - 10k along the seafront in Hove!

As we had 30 people coming for lunch afterwards to celebrate Sam & Carl's birthday, Saturday and first thing Sunday was manic but that was a good thing as I was very nervous about this race. Cala and I have talked about this for a few weeks now and all our friends and family know about it and I wanted not only to finish it but finish it in one and a half hours! So how did we do?

Cala and I set off at 10am, we parked at Tesco's and walked down to the starting line (just under a mile). The sky was clear, the sun was out and the heat was on! The place was packed and I didnt realise but it was a mixed race i.e girls and boys, there was 1,800 of us in all. As we are becoming real runners we thought we had better do the warm up. Thankfully we then bumped into mum, she took the very important before race photos and we gave her our blue t-shirts to hold.

They devided everyone up, those to complete in 45mins, in an hour, etc and we were off! We started off on the grass heading towards the king alfred, then it was back up to the Angel (on the grass) where Jo and Murphy were to cheer us on and then thankfully onto tarmac which is what we are used to running on. It seemed to get easier from here (I always find the first 500metres hard work when running).

Then it happened, we were running behind... Jordan, her brother and the cage fighter and we over took her and ran straight into the lenses of the paps! Yes that's right we over took someone that had done a marathon - wey hay!

We made our way down to the lagoon and I saw Daisy across the bowling green as she was jumping up and down waving. We ran on, round the lagoon, pass the steel band which I must say was very uplifting to hear and put a spring in my step. It was then back up to the Angel and on the way we passed mum and also Jo and Murphy who supplied us with water - big Thank you.

We were doing ok, it was hard at times as the sun was beating down with no breeze and it was nearing midday so it was hot. We managed to keep a good pace although at times we sped up but we knew that to keep going without stopping we had to keep at a slow pace.

It was then back on grass at the Angel and back down to the King Alfred... and finally the home stretch to the finish. At this point I would like to add that we sprinted the last 100 metres.

We had done it! We crossed the finishing line without stopping during any part of the course, received our medal, a bottle of water, a disgusting green energy bar and was greeted by my lovely family.

Our time: 58 minutes 07 seconds

THANK YOU to my mum, my lovely husband Tim, my little people Daisy and Samuel, Jo and Murphy for supporting us in our training and for coming along to cheer us on and take photos.

Also thank you to Martin and Andy for coming along to cheer us on.

I got it...

the letter telling me I did NOT get a place in the ballot for the 2010 London Marathon. I also got a sorry you didn't get in magazine with alternate pages saying sorry you didnt get in or how I can run for a charity if I raise loads of money.

Deep down I knew that I wasnt going to do the 2010 London Marathon as Cala and I set out to do a marathon together and unfortunately due to demand she didnt even get to go in the ballot. But if I am honest deep down I was hoping I would get in and then she could run in a charity place and we could split the fundraising between us. Charities expect at least £1,500 per person plus £100+ joining fee and in this current climate I think it would be very hard for each of us to achieve this. I am going to find it hard enough running a marathon without the worry of raising such a huge amount of money.

Today was also the day we got an informative email from the Brighton Marathon organisers. It had information about training, equipment, the route, etc and we have booked to go on one of their training half days, all about running a marathon.

They have driven the route and then sped it up so you can see where the 26miles go! So I sat down with a cuppa and watched the route speed past my eyes and I was just shattered looking at it.... 26.2miles is a long way.

I also got a registration pack for the charity I am running for... Rockinghorse Appeal.

I know that Cala and I can do this, my only worry is we are not motivated by the route as we know the town so well. As we live on top of the route I think we should incorporate elements of it into our training, I thinking the hilly parts so we know we can cope with it.

It's Friday evening and I havent run today, only 1 day until our 10K. I am looking forward to it but feeling a little nervous.

Back to the ironing now!

Can you believe it...

Not only did Cala and I see the most beautiful sunset tonight and I mean beautiful but probably the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in Hove (could I say beautiful anymore). The sun was setting over Worthing pier and the sky was all orange and yellow - beautiful!!

Ohhhh back to the other can you believe it! Cala and I did our longest run tonight 5.15miles. We ran from home to the Angel and back again all in one go without stopping. The weather conditions were perfect, warm but not too warm with a slight breeze. Normally we start out saying where we will run too but tonight we didnt we just went and ran and ran. It felt really good and although when I reached home and actually stopped I was out of breath I felt like I could have run some more (of course I say that after I stopped)!

I treated myself to a chinese - two reasons 1. I havent had one for ages and Tim eat my dinner! 2. I didnt have any bread for lunch tomorrow and as Daisy and Sam love chinese, guess what they are getting for their lunch.

Before the run tonight I was dreading Sunday thinking how am I going to do it but after our run I feel really good and that we do have a chance of finishing 10k under one and a half hours. My only worry is if it is a hot day as the race doesnt start until 11am.

2 days till our 10k!

Oh the excitement...

Tiger Woods told me himself that I ran my fastest mile this morning!! OK OK it was via my Nike+ but I was not expecting it - not the Tiger Woods bit but my fastest mile!

I went out for a run this morning but was late starting off and had to be back for Tim to go to work and the school run so I wasnt quite sure what I was going to do. I decided to mix my training up and I ran at a decent pace to the lagoon and then sprinted and then slow jogging, sprint, slow jog and so on. It was hard but I really enjoyed it, after the first sprint I thought I was going to have to stop (actually the truth is I thought I was going to collapse on a heap on the floor) but I really slowed my pace and recovered quite quickly. I marked it out using the lamp posts on the beach and managed five sprints within the jogging. I know it's not a lot for you real runners but I am feeling chuffed with myself. I am looking forward to my Thursday run with Cala.

It seems like ages since my last post, well it is in running terms - 5 days. I ended up feeling quite poorly the second part of last week so gave running a break. Breaking News : I missed running, can you believe it.

I was looking forward to catching up with Cala but not doing the actual run, I suddenly felt unwell again!! How weird is that but I wasnt really it was my mind trying to trick me not to go running!!

Anyway when I got to the park Steve was already there along with another girlfriends of Cala, who is a real runner. We started off and I was fine but the top of my legs ached, the first lap was hard, the second easier and the third hard again, I only just about made it round. It was good running with a real runner as she made me keep going, I could have given up after the second lap. We kept up quite a speedy pace.

If you havent guessed by now the girls did three laps (Steve did two). Steve, Cala and I then drove home and the real runner ran home... like real runners do.

As the evenings are now getting darker I think I am going to have to make a purchase of an item of 'glow in the dark clothing' as it gets pretty dark by the time we are on our second lap. Oh the glamour!

Only six days until the 10k - Wowza

Why is the weather forecast always wrong!

I was watching the weather forecast on tv whilst getting ready for my run this morning and the lady was very pleased with herself telling us that Autume was on it's way so I thought it was going to be a chilly one so got the old hoody out! But when I got outside it was hot and humid at 7am????

I did have to drag myself out of bed this morning, I have had a cold since Sunday and it is on and off!!! Sunday I felt crap in the morning fine by the afternoon, Monday I was fine, yesterday not great and went to bed at 9pm and this morning as rough as you like! I still wanted to go for a run though.

Now I have heard people say listen to your body when exercising which I thought normally meant out of breath, aches/pains etc but for the first time I knew what they meant this morning. I wasnt out of breath, I didnt ache but my cold was getting the better of me and I could feel it, so decided to stop and walk home, now normally I would be fine by the time I got home but I am still feeling rough. I think I am going to give running a rest for a couple of days.

I did run 2 miles in 17 minutes so its not like I didnt do anything!

I do have one concern with my running, I have developed a grunt when running?!? Why and where did that come from? Or is just because I have been running with a cold, fingers crossed it is.

We did it....

we ran three times round Hove Park! Wey Hay!

We are in our third week of Monday evening training at Hove Park, the first two weeks we only managed going round two and a half times but tonight we did three times... well done us (Steve, Cala and I). It has been a hot September day but when I arrived at the park it was chilly so I ran without my hoody and thank goodness I did as boy did I sweat, it was a hot run!

I found the first time round hard work but then settled into it the second time round and by the end of the third I was ready to finish, although once I have stopped I wish that I could have gone just that little bit further.

Mon 7th Sep - 3.11 miles in 28mins 08 secs
Mon 14th Sep - 3.17 miles in 27mins 32 secs
Mon 21st Sep - 3.69 miles in 32min 39 sec (time is a little out as in slow as I couldnt get the Nike+ to stop so the time was still going even though we had stopped running so I think it was more 31 mins)

Oh dear Oh dear...

Will it ever get any better I ask myself as this morning was a disaster!!! I woke up with a stinking cold and felt totally shattered but I wasnt going to miss my run, I couldnt give in. Cala arrived at 8.15am and we draggged ourselves out of the door.

By the time we had hit the sea front my chest was so tight I thought I was going to have an ashma attack and I dont even have ashma!! I was probably the most attractive runner this morning, baggy eyes, hair bearly brushed, snorty nose (trying to rub it whilst running) and loads of grunting, coughing and spluttering of flem... I dont think it gets any better really.

Cala was very good and patient with me, so thank you Cala. Unfortunately I only managed just under three miles. Yes I was disappointed but also pleased with myself as I would never have believed two months ago that I would drag myself out of the house unwell (well unwell as far as a cold goes and I dont usually suffer with them) and go for a run let alone run for nearly three miles.

I just hope I am on form for tomorrows Hove Park session! We are trying for three times round the park.

Two weeks today until our 10k!

We smashed the wall...

and rolled a little further.

I have been a little late in updating since our run on Thursday. Our goal was to smash our distance of 3.5 mile and we did! We managed 4.11 miles although to me it felt like 14 miles! We ran from my house down by the lagoon along the seafront to the Angel in Hove. Had a quick break to do up trainers and then ran back to near the King Alfred, quick break and then back to the lagoon. It was hard towards the end and normally when I get back from a run I am on a high but after that run I was just shattered (might also have something to do with doing all the gardening front and back at home during the day as well).

I didnt do any running yesterday and today I started the day at 5.30am with the little people waking up and me feeling quite rough with a cold! I WILL be better for my Sunday run tomorrow, I WILL.

Mid week morning run

Again I had to drag myself out of the house this morning but once I got going I was fine. I just had a quick run along the seafront. I have got used to running with Cala now and actually feel a bit bored when it is just the Nano and I. Unfortunately the Nike+ lady has very limited conversation other than telling me how far and in what time, plus I have gone off her as she is now set to tell me in miles rather than KM so doesnt feel like I ever run that far these days. I did manage 2.6 miles is 22mins.

What I would like to know is how come I ran the same route there and the same route back and I was running against the wind both ways. Surely if you run one way against the wind when you turn around and run back the wind should be behind, oh no not on Hove seafront this morning!

Breaking news: on Thursday, Cala and I plan to break our 3.5 mile wall, will we run any further? Watch this space!

Countdown to 10k - 2 weeks, 4 days ... yiks.

PB so far 5k - 26 mins 57 secs

Hove park Monday run

Something terrible has happened before it even really started, I am started to not want to go running. Yiks not a good thing when I am only managing three miles and I want to do a marathon. I think I must be going through a cannot be bothered stage!

Anyway I had to drag myself out of the house and met Cala and Steve at Hove Park for my second Monday evening training session with them. We managed it 2.5 round the park this week at what I thought was a slightly slower pace than last week but see below. We have promised ourselves that we will complete three times round next Monday.

Mon 7th Sep - 3.11 miles in 28mins 08 secs
Mon 14th Sep - 3.17 miles in 27mins 32 secs

New reading material

I wasnt planning on going for a run this morning but my lovely husband bought me some running magazines and a book on how to run a marathon for our anniversary and gave them to me yesterday (3 days early) and after last nights failure of the Nike+ and it being such a sunny morning plus I was awake early I thought why waste the opportunity.

I didn't have much time what with Tim leaving for work and the school run so I ran to the King Alfred and back home without stopping once which I was quite pleased with. It was 2.84 miles in 25mins 3 secs - not my best time but I was running home against the wind.

After reading some of the book I feel excited about the marathon but we really need to step up the training and increase our distance. Only three weeks and two days till our 10k (6.2 miles) my goal is to do it under 1hr and 30 mins!

One of the books Tim gave me was 'Run your first marathon' by Grete Waitz and Gloria Averbuch - this is such a good book and I cannot put it down. Mind you I havent got to the training schedule yet.

What no NIke+!

Cala and I went for a run tonight only to discover the Nike+ had no power... what is going on. I always feel really demotivated when I do not have it to record my run. We both had a lot to do tonight and as it wasnt working we thought we would have a quick run rather than a long jog. Anyway we ran from here to Boundary road, down to the seafront, round the lagoon and home.

Tim did come out to take some pictures, as this blog is pretty much picture-less but then he locked himself, us and the little people out of the house and I had to climb over the fence so with all that drama we didn't get any!!

Going for a jog with the little lady

I wanted to go for a run this morning and the little lady piped up that she would like to come. So we got ready - me thinking I know once I get out I will be fine but all I want to do is crawl back into bed with a five year shouting from here room asking if certain shorts go with certain tops/socks, etc. I did explain that it was not a fashion show and as long as she was comfortable she would be fine.

So off we went! It was weird for me as I was neither walking or jogging what with going at Daisy's pace. Anyway we managed from our house, round the lagoon and back. We did stop and walk little bits but she managed a whole mile of running so well done Daisy on your first jogging session.

Just before we left for our job. I am wearing dodgy bottoms as my normal running ones were in the wash - I did say above it wasnt a fashion show!

Off we go....




















The little lady on our return

Hove Park here we come

Tonight Cala and I went for a run at Hove Park. Cala had started running there last week with her friend Steve. Hove Park is good for our training as it has inclines and declines not just flat like the seafront.

Evening runs are getting better, I used to prefer morning runs as it meant I got it out of the way as the last thing I want to do after running around after two little people all day is go for a run but as I am improving it is actually something I look forward to now.

Anyway about tonight we made it round the park two and a half times which was 5k according to my little friend Nike+ in our best time yet 28 minutes 8 seconds, a staggering 30 seconds better than Tuesday when I did 5k on th seafront. I was very happy with that as it involved hills and I have not run with hills!

To warm down we power walked one and a half laps of the park which was 1.7 miles and took us 25 minutes.

All in all very happy with that!

My goal is run to round it five times by Christmas, wowza!

Training that involved some crazy golf!

Cala arrived at 9am as planned and we left straight away. At home we were both quite enthusiastic about our run, then we left home. As soon as we started running I knew this wasnt going to be a great training session but I tried to be positive. We started the Nike+ and we were hoping to get to the Marina, our furthest distance yet. We only managed it till the King Alfred before we needed our first stop. The skys were very blue, the sun was out and it was hot. We walked for a few minutes then ran again until the Angel, then stopped again before we ran to the Palace Pier and carried on to Peter Pan playground where we stopped and found out that the Nike+ had run out of power so we didnt have a record of what we were doing or even how we were doing. Unfortunately this demotivated us so we decided to power walk back. Thankfully by this time there was a bit of a breeze to call us down.

Cala had bought £2 with her for drinks or an emergency. After our 50p experience on our last training session she bet me if we could buy one get one free on a game of crazy golf which was on the way home and we did. We played a round, Cala was in the lead, then me and then Cala stormed ahead and won. We continued home with a quick browes at the market at the West Pier, then some stretching at Hove Lagoon before finally reaching home and celebrating with a bacon sandwich.

We plugged in the Nike+ and it did manage to tell us that we ran 3.5 miles so although not the best training session we have had we did do at least 7 miles (jog 3.5, power walked back).

Next Sunday is going to be better! It's got to be we have a 10k on the 4th October.

The Training Plan and 50p challenge

My training plan is to run three times in the week, one of those with Cala and then on a Sunday both of us try to do a long distance run.

My running in the week is going well although I seem to have hit the wall at 3 miles at the moment which is a little worrying when in a marathon the wall doesnt come until around 18 miles! I obviously have some work to do. Although when I mentioned this to someone they said this is a mental block not the wall or physically tired - how the blinking hell would they know they dont have my heart and legs. To me it feels like physical tiredness not a mental wall. To try and resolve this I am going to go on my Wii feet when the children are at school (as when they are home they step on it every time I get off it) and also go swimming once a week during term time.

When I had the idea of running a marathon I wanted to do it for the achievement, to get fit and also to lose some weight so I was back to my pre baby fighting weight. I can dream! Anyway for the first few months of running I have remained the same but was more toned. Now I can confirm I have lost 3lbs, wey hay, break open the chocolate. I know, I know that is not the attitude to have and I don't, infact I just feel more motivated to carry on as I want to fit into the rest of my wardrobe.

I am happy to say that this weight loss was also after the 50p challenge on Thursday 3rd September. Cala and I went for our weekly run and took 50p incase we need to call Tim to pick us up as the weather was very unpredictable and we didnt want to get soaked. When we reached the pier we both really fancied some chips with lots of salt and vingar. Cala went into the local chip shop and asked for as many chips that 50p could buy and the very generous chip shop man gave us a huge bag. Cala smoothered them in salt and vingar and we gobbled them up on the walk home. I must say they were the best chips I had ever tasted.

Discovering new technology...

I am not a techy at all but whilst in the park with my two little people a friend told me about the Nike+. It is a chip that you put in your left trainer and then plug a little pin into your ipod nano and it records each run, timing it, recording the distance along with your average pace and calories burnt. Also as you are running you can press a button and keep track as you go so it motivates you to go further. Then when you return home you plug it into your computer and it updates it to your Nike+ account on the Nike website and shows how you have done against other runs. You can also set goals and challenges against other runners on Nike+. This gadet was just what I needed as I need to know how I am doing, the only problem was I didn't have a nano.


Thankfully Nanny Maureen brought me a nano as an early christmas present so I spent the next few days downloading some tunes onto it for when I run. I had also heard that a new Apple store had opened in town - what great timing so off I went to buy my Nike+.















I can honestly say Nike+ has changed my running life. I love knowing what I have done each run and if I feeling tired when running I click to see what I have done and try to push myself to make sure I beat my previous time or distance.

New footwear required

I have known for a long time that if I was going to take this running seriously then I would have to purchase a decent pair of running shoes. The Nike Airs I have had since before Daisy was born (actually bought at LA airport in March 2002) were no longer going to cut it and also they might be the reason I always have sore toe nails after each run.

So on Saturday July I decided to visit 'Run' on Blatchington Road. They had been recommended to me by a number of people. The weather conditions on this particular Saturday was heavy rain and I mean heavy rain - point of stating this will follow.

Unfortunately I don't know the name of the very helpful chap that served me but it was an interesting half hour. First I was told to roll my jeans up, then I was handed a very light pair of trainers (more like slippers with laces) and asked if I minded running in the rain!!! I said I had to do it now as the other option was coming back with a two and five year old.

I was told to run to the end of the road where very helpful chap would follow my feet with a video camera. On our return to the shop we sat down and analised my running style on the video focusing on the point of impact. I have a 10 out of 10 land but when I take off my arch colleapes which is not good but is not a problem as long as I wear the right pair of trainers.

My very helpful chap appeared with a nice grey and purple pair of Nike trainers which at first felt slightly too large. Off I went round the block in the pouring rain to try them out. Upon returning to the shop I wasnt too sure they were the trainers for me. So another pair were tried and off I went round the block, these were not right at all so another pair came out, so where did I go again? That's right round the block in the pouring rain for the third time. I didn't seem to be getting any where in finding the right trainers and then I happened to try on the first pair again and they felt sooooo right compared to the last two.

Very helpful chap handed me a pair of cushioned socks as I still felt they were a little big and the next size up was too big. Oh man I love cushioned socks, how have I never found out about these before. The trainers felt perfect with these and of course I had to make sure by running round the block in the pouring rain for the fourth time.

I was shattered and soaked after running round the block four times (it was a big block) and finally made the big purchase of my new trainers.














Leaving the shop I couldn't wait to try them out!

Race for Life 10k - Sunday 5th July

It is the morning of Sunday 5th July - the night after Kelly's hen night (Jay's Kelly).

The previous night was taking it's toll. Cala hadnt gone to bed until 4.30am and had been drinking since 7pm the night before. I had also gone to Kelly's hen night but not been up in the night because of drink but because I had to collect Daisy from Anne & Franks at 2.30am as she was not well with chicken pox!

I picked Cala up at 9am and when she got it the car the smell of booze nearly knocked me out, this was not a good start to our run. Training had already fallen to the way side for the past few weeks what with us going on holiday. It was decided that due to current conditions i.e. Cala intoxicated with booze, me shattered, not much training completed and the intense heat it would be better to stick to our usual 5k.














We arrived at Stamner Park in plenty of time and decided not too use our energy up with the warm up. The race was delayed and didn't end up starting until 11.30 by the time it was very hot! Daddy, Daisy, Samuel and Nanny Maureen surprised us with a visit to come and cheer us on.














We managed the first 1.5km quite well but the heat was beating down and we then had to go uphill. Unfortunately the water stations were not well stocked so both of us were desperate for a drink. Cala did a great job although I did think at times that she would not make it but we stuck together and finished the race in a reasonable 35 minutes.




























I then dropped Cala back off home and Jo made me the best tasting cup of tea and slices of toast before heading home to my little people. Why does food always tate so good after a run?

Breaking news...

The Brighton Marathon is launched. The first one will take place on Sunday 18th April 2010 and registration opens on Tuesday 23rd June 10am.

Wey hay, Cala and I registered on the morning of the 23rd June and got a place within the first 1,000 at a cost of £35 each.

We are doing the Brighton Marathon now! Wowza

Training begins

I started my training in May, the aim was to run three mornings a week; Monday, Tuesday and Friday. The first time I could bearly make it to the end of Derek Avenue before wanting to return home but I was too proud and decided that I would set mini goals so the first was to get to the bottom of Derek Avenue, then walk a few bloaks, then run - these markers were roads that my friends lived in and also roads that I like looking at the houses in!!

After the first week I would make it to my second marker in one go which for me was a great achievement. I was actually getting out of bed at 7am looking forward to going for my run. THis went on for a few weeks and then I was hit with slapped cheek! Daisy had caught it from school and only suffered the red cheeks hence the name slapped cheek but in adults it can knock you for six and that is what it did to me. After a few weeks off running I was back to the beginning, just about making it to the end of Derek Avenue!

I started running again and after a few weeks even managed to get to the King Alfred from home which for me was a massive, huge, fantastic achievement.

The ballot opened for the London Marathon in May. In previous years it has closed in August and then you find out if you have a place in October. If you don't get a place (which is really hard too) you can get a charity place on the condition you raise £2k which in this economic client I think would be very hard. I am going to find the training hard enough never mind the worry of also raising £2k. I logged on to the London Marathon website but was unable to register due to high demand. After five days I finally managed to register. Unfortunately Cala couldn't and before we knew it they had closed the ballot early due to high demand!

What are we going to do now?

How it all started...

way back in April 2009.

I have always wanted to run the London Marathon and after being in London on the weekend of the Marathon I decided there and then that I was going to do it! Quite a big task for someone that is very active in everyday life but not sporty. Infact no sport participation since the winter of 2002/03 where I did three months snowboarding in Whistler, actually hold on a minute I did surf every morning for six weeks in Bali in July 2003 so that was the last time that I took part daily in a sporting acitivty.

I decided I didn't want to do this on my own and roped in my general partner in crime, my niece Michaela. It was decided that we would start to train for the Race for Life 10k which was at the end of June. We have completed the 5k many times finishing around the 28min to 35min mark so thought we would try the 10k.