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.