You can't stop now it's already begun, you feel it running through your bones......
I can certainly feel it in my bones right now. I'm a bit tired.
So, this week. Work is a bit manic. I'm involved in lots of projects and currently looking into cloning myself in order to give them all my best attention. It's ok I will get there, I'm thinking that once the marathon is over I should do some weekend work. I've done it plenty of times before and there's a saying isn't there about finding a job you love and never working a day in your life. That.
Monday I rested, Tuesday I did bootcamp, weds I did one of my planned runs and went to Barking Park to do it. It was lovely in the early morning running round the still, flat lake. I saw a big heron and a little heron too. I love them. They are like aliens, but they aren't. Cool! Thursday I ran at club.
Friday night was cool, my friend Lee turns 40 on weds and his girlfriend arranged a suprise party in a pub near work. It was my job to get him to the pub without him suspecting as we often go out for a couple of beers on a Friday night. I was proper stressed about it, but it all went very smoothly and his face was a picture when he realised that really was his brother (come down from up north) in the upstairs room at the Perseverence :-D I will admit that I celebrated quite well.
So......when I woke up at 7 on Saturday morning I was definitely not doing parkrun. Oh no. However some tea, toast and gentle encouragement oh and a bit of emotional blackmail got me up and ready. Anyone can run 5k can't they!
I didn't have any target. It was cold, and we know how I feel about that, also J from Southend was there, she is J15-19 and has previously posted 20m something 5ks so I know currently I'm not going to beat her. I was right, she posted 21.05 and I did 21.59. Not unhappy with that at all considering how I felt before. Had a lovely chat to her dad after and told him about the ELVIS series, I reckon she would enjoy those races, though I'm not sure if there are 'open' prizes. Anyway it's all experience.
Anyway, I still had 15 to do on my plan, and I'd thought I would do it Saturday but I ruined that! So I had to do it today. Which was ok, but I had swimathon 5k to do too.
How hard can it be?
Well I went to bed a little stressed about it, and as a consequence woke at 5. That's alright though it meant I had 3 hours to drink tea! Which I did. And set of at 8 for what was to be a tempo run, aiming for 8.40s. And it was great! The sun was shining, the streets were quiet and I had a great playlist :) I avgd 8.30 s and was very happy with it.
Got in showered and collapsed for a bit before heading to the pool. They had everything quite well organised so it wasn't too arduous at all and before I knew it I had set off. 5 in my lane all down for 5k. It became obvious early on that once girl was really struggling, she must have guessed her speed cos I kept having to lap her. She must have given up early because before I had done a k she was gone. My strategy was 40,40,40,20,20,10,10,10,10.
Which was ok but at 2k I had an urgent need for a wee which wouldn't go away so at 2500 I got out and went, which was nice cos I could stretch my back. I got in with renewed vigour and although I had already decided I was doing the whole thing I now knew that it wouldn't be a problem. The lane counter was brilliant, keeping me well informed of where I was (in the pool you idiot!) and one of the girls in my lane had her own cheering section at the opposite end of the pool who cheered me up no end with shouts of 'go on red hat, you're doing brilliantly!' I'm not being sarcastic there, they were really good :)
And so roughly 2 hours 10 I finished. Tired but very happy. Posed for a piccy with my medal and we came home.
I have to do dinner now!
Sunday 28 April 2013
Monday 22 April 2013
While we're living,
The dreams we had as children fade away....
They do don't they. I'm trying to remember mine -
The things I remember really really wanting to do as a child. (In no particular order)
1. Find the way out the back of my wardrobe. (Couldn't)
2. Sail in a pirate ship. (Nans rocking chair turned upside down made an ace pirate ship)
3. Own a grifter bike (never happened)
4. Play in a Wimbledon final where I had a real opponent. (You're right, that never happened either)
4. Be able to swim (taught myself as no one else seemed interested)
5. Run in an Olympic 1500m final against seb Coe and Steve Ovett. (There are a number of problems with this one)
6. Be really good at skateboarding so that Mrs Laramys grandson would think I was cool. (I think I was about 9 and he was 15 or something. Never gonna happen)
7. Become a doctor who didn't actually have to deal with real people. (Bingo not at all in the way I thought it would happen, I thought I might go to med school and become Quincy)
8. Get my first proper wages and be able to buy my nan something decent (yep, that's a good feeling isn't it )
9. Live beyond 20. (If you are going to have goals it's always an idea to make them achievable. This once seemed like a decent age to aspire to)
10. Run a marathon. (I'm saying nothing here)
There you go, a good round number of things.
I keep doing number 10. Now you either keep doing them because you honestly love the anticipation of slogging your guts out for hours in pain, or because you want to do it properly.
I used to enjoy the former, in that weird masochistic way that runners have. The racking up of another marathon was key, didn't matter if it was ugly, didn't matter how long it took as long as you finished. Job done.
Yesterday whilst running with two of my best running mates I realised so completely and utterly that I am no longer that type of runner it is almost funny. So I am not going to look on it as a DNF, but rather a DWWN and then gracefully conceded. I may have plagarised someone's thoughts a bit here, but you said what I felt so perfectly :)
So I can move on to my last 3 weeks training before Halstead. This week still fairly hard and then 2 weeks taper. I would say I'm looking forward to it but I'm not sure that's true. I am looking forward to giving it everything I have. I want to look at myself in the mirror after and be able to know I don't have to do it again because I left it all out there.
Yeah, I'm not sure if that made sense!
Anyway, loving seeing people so happy with results yesterday, and those not so will come to terms with it, running London is special and one year I am going to run it with no goal at all, just to take in the sights and sounds and I'm going to stop where the supporters are drinking outside the pubs and ask for some :-) and then I will stop at every water stop and cheering point where I know somebody. Just how cool a day would that be?
Onwards.
They do don't they. I'm trying to remember mine -
The things I remember really really wanting to do as a child. (In no particular order)
1. Find the way out the back of my wardrobe. (Couldn't)
2. Sail in a pirate ship. (Nans rocking chair turned upside down made an ace pirate ship)
3. Own a grifter bike (never happened)
4. Play in a Wimbledon final where I had a real opponent. (You're right, that never happened either)
4. Be able to swim (taught myself as no one else seemed interested)
5. Run in an Olympic 1500m final against seb Coe and Steve Ovett. (There are a number of problems with this one)
6. Be really good at skateboarding so that Mrs Laramys grandson would think I was cool. (I think I was about 9 and he was 15 or something. Never gonna happen)
7. Become a doctor who didn't actually have to deal with real people. (Bingo not at all in the way I thought it would happen, I thought I might go to med school and become Quincy)
8. Get my first proper wages and be able to buy my nan something decent (yep, that's a good feeling isn't it )
9. Live beyond 20. (If you are going to have goals it's always an idea to make them achievable. This once seemed like a decent age to aspire to)
10. Run a marathon. (I'm saying nothing here)
There you go, a good round number of things.
I keep doing number 10. Now you either keep doing them because you honestly love the anticipation of slogging your guts out for hours in pain, or because you want to do it properly.
I used to enjoy the former, in that weird masochistic way that runners have. The racking up of another marathon was key, didn't matter if it was ugly, didn't matter how long it took as long as you finished. Job done.
Yesterday whilst running with two of my best running mates I realised so completely and utterly that I am no longer that type of runner it is almost funny. So I am not going to look on it as a DNF, but rather a DWWN and then gracefully conceded. I may have plagarised someone's thoughts a bit here, but you said what I felt so perfectly :)
So I can move on to my last 3 weeks training before Halstead. This week still fairly hard and then 2 weeks taper. I would say I'm looking forward to it but I'm not sure that's true. I am looking forward to giving it everything I have. I want to look at myself in the mirror after and be able to know I don't have to do it again because I left it all out there.
Yeah, I'm not sure if that made sense!
Anyway, loving seeing people so happy with results yesterday, and those not so will come to terms with it, running London is special and one year I am going to run it with no goal at all, just to take in the sights and sounds and I'm going to stop where the supporters are drinking outside the pubs and ask for some :-) and then I will stop at every water stop and cheering point where I know somebody. Just how cool a day would that be?
Onwards.
Sunday 14 April 2013
How do you sleep?
How do you last the night and keep the dogs at bay?
How do you feel, when you close your eyes and try an drift away?
That's not even about her. It used to be about someone I knew as a kid. Now someone else has the honour. Not worth the dirt from my shoes. A lesson that sometimes your first instincts are the right ones.
Anyhow, moving on.
Had a good week. Very busy, but with some great high points :))) I managed to run in to work from home. You would think that reversing a route would be easy. Not in my head it isn't. But still. I did it.
Gym stuff is going well. Well apart from that mad woman I keep seeing, who really just wants a chat, but I wish she would do it when I have my clothes on :-D
Accidental Friday night drinks again. I used to do that every Friday but have been really good lately, I mustn't do it too often! It makes parkrun hurt. Though this week it wasn't too bad. 21.51 which is decent but second lady because B from Ilford turned up. I have only ever beat her once and that was at 5k but I'm working on it. Oh yes.
Then today was East London half. Got a lift from Andy and Vicky from BRR, so that was painless. And Vicky stood in the bag q for me while I went to the loo. Already fairly long queues I noted, but no matter I got in and got my bag stored. Then it seemed to be a bit of confusion because the 10k should have started but it didn't. Loads of people milling about not sure what to do. The baggage queue was massive by now full of both 10k and half runners. I decided to go loo again, but with 2 minutes to my start I had to leave and get to my pen. The 10k had obviously started now without anyone realising because lots of people in the toilet queue started running that way.
They let the pen in front of mine walk to the start but told us to wait. We waited, and waited and waited a bit more. I now HAD to go to the loo so I darted out to the portaloos and realised whilst I was there that they had set my lot off. Oh well, it's chip timed.
I ran to the start and started my watch as I crossed the line.....alone! I'm not really sure what was going on. Then for a lap round the park. Where both shoelaces came untied at different points. I'm sorry if you were near me. I did swear a lot.
Then out onto the first lap. It was ok. My head was a bit gone right from the start because I had no idea where I was in terms of runners around my speed.....does that make sense? I saw in the distance a dag 88 girl who I knew was slower than me so I made it my target to catch her. I duly did and must have seen here about 6 more times due to the tooing and froing of the course. After 11k you ended up back in the park. I was very very thirsty because I hadn't been able to suss out the water stations, and really wanted to give up but a conversation on twitter the night before meant I couldn't :-D I realised I couldn't suss the stations because mainly there were hardly any marshals on them. Those that were couldn't cope with all the runners so you would go for a bottle and they would give it to someone else! I'm not blaming volunteers but they needed more and they needed to know what to do. 2 of them dropped the bottle before I could grab it. I ended up getting a bottle off a wall where someone had discarded it at one point.
So I did finish, 1.43.44. I should be pleased with that. It's my second fastest half ever, but I just didn't enjoy it. It should have been a fast course, for me it wasn't.
I was well supported though by old and new club mates and after went to meet up with a load of BRR runners in Barking for some tea. I was very hungry but couldn't eat as my stomach was starting to feel bad. I have spent most of the rest of the day either in bed or curled up on the sofa with horrible stomach cramps. I'm assuming it was hydration issues because I had normal breakfast and dinner the night before. Hopefully I have learned some lessons.
1. Double knot your fucking laces you idiot!
2. Look harder for water, stupid.
I've been very pleased to read about friends completing Brighton. Some good PBs, all good efforts :)
I think that's it. I need to go to bed and wake up tomorrow feeling good :)
How do you feel, when you close your eyes and try an drift away?
That's not even about her. It used to be about someone I knew as a kid. Now someone else has the honour. Not worth the dirt from my shoes. A lesson that sometimes your first instincts are the right ones.
Anyhow, moving on.
Had a good week. Very busy, but with some great high points :))) I managed to run in to work from home. You would think that reversing a route would be easy. Not in my head it isn't. But still. I did it.
Gym stuff is going well. Well apart from that mad woman I keep seeing, who really just wants a chat, but I wish she would do it when I have my clothes on :-D
Accidental Friday night drinks again. I used to do that every Friday but have been really good lately, I mustn't do it too often! It makes parkrun hurt. Though this week it wasn't too bad. 21.51 which is decent but second lady because B from Ilford turned up. I have only ever beat her once and that was at 5k but I'm working on it. Oh yes.
Then today was East London half. Got a lift from Andy and Vicky from BRR, so that was painless. And Vicky stood in the bag q for me while I went to the loo. Already fairly long queues I noted, but no matter I got in and got my bag stored. Then it seemed to be a bit of confusion because the 10k should have started but it didn't. Loads of people milling about not sure what to do. The baggage queue was massive by now full of both 10k and half runners. I decided to go loo again, but with 2 minutes to my start I had to leave and get to my pen. The 10k had obviously started now without anyone realising because lots of people in the toilet queue started running that way.
They let the pen in front of mine walk to the start but told us to wait. We waited, and waited and waited a bit more. I now HAD to go to the loo so I darted out to the portaloos and realised whilst I was there that they had set my lot off. Oh well, it's chip timed.
I ran to the start and started my watch as I crossed the line.....alone! I'm not really sure what was going on. Then for a lap round the park. Where both shoelaces came untied at different points. I'm sorry if you were near me. I did swear a lot.
Then out onto the first lap. It was ok. My head was a bit gone right from the start because I had no idea where I was in terms of runners around my speed.....does that make sense? I saw in the distance a dag 88 girl who I knew was slower than me so I made it my target to catch her. I duly did and must have seen here about 6 more times due to the tooing and froing of the course. After 11k you ended up back in the park. I was very very thirsty because I hadn't been able to suss out the water stations, and really wanted to give up but a conversation on twitter the night before meant I couldn't :-D I realised I couldn't suss the stations because mainly there were hardly any marshals on them. Those that were couldn't cope with all the runners so you would go for a bottle and they would give it to someone else! I'm not blaming volunteers but they needed more and they needed to know what to do. 2 of them dropped the bottle before I could grab it. I ended up getting a bottle off a wall where someone had discarded it at one point.
So I did finish, 1.43.44. I should be pleased with that. It's my second fastest half ever, but I just didn't enjoy it. It should have been a fast course, for me it wasn't.
I was well supported though by old and new club mates and after went to meet up with a load of BRR runners in Barking for some tea. I was very hungry but couldn't eat as my stomach was starting to feel bad. I have spent most of the rest of the day either in bed or curled up on the sofa with horrible stomach cramps. I'm assuming it was hydration issues because I had normal breakfast and dinner the night before. Hopefully I have learned some lessons.
1. Double knot your fucking laces you idiot!
2. Look harder for water, stupid.
I've been very pleased to read about friends completing Brighton. Some good PBs, all good efforts :)
I think that's it. I need to go to bed and wake up tomorrow feeling good :)
Sunday 7 April 2013
Insert title here...
Because I cannot think of one! I've been so busy this week I haven't really been listening to anything.
Anyway yeah, work is proper busy. But I'm getting there, oh yes. I found some transitions *punches air* I just need some CSF now to test it out on. And I'm trying to set up a web based thingy to keep all the projects we have going in order. Web based thingy is the ACTUAL name. *fact* I need to get everyone on board......oh god! That sounded twattish. Sorry.
And I met some of my 9th floor colleagues in the pub on Friday night who I don't know so far because of where I sit and it was fab! I even managed to get myself a speaking slot for a seminar to welcome a new group from Cambridge.
They may of course decide not to accept the jobs after I've spoken :-D I hear Oxford are quite good.
The evening didn't end so well though as my friend had her laptop nicked :((( bastards! Then when I left someone had moved everything so I got lost going to the station :-D
I set my alarm for 7.45 when I got in so that I could say to Mr H, ' you go and volunteer at Barking I'm not feeling well'
I woke up at 6.30 and hated myself for having a hangover and wanting to wimp out of parkrun. So I went and ran 21.58. I don't really know how that works but hey ho. If I had been feeling tip top I guess that could have been a PB day. But it's ok I'm not focused on that right now.
Today I went and ran Braintree 5. An Essex champs race. It was very busy as the champ races always are, but I felt like I had a really good run. Overtook a number of rivals early on, one came back at me but I just kept the pace up cos I had a feeling she would fade a bit and I was right :)
I was heartened to find that I kept Caroline and Sam (quick girls in my old club) in sight all the way and I know, I just know with focused training I could be up with them. That makes me really happy. Anyway my watch said 35.37, but we were chipped and I will have some seconds til I crossed the line. That is a 1 second PB if I take Victoria Park 5 as my previous best but since I'm told that was only 4.9 it's better than that isn't it!
Um, other news......oh yeah did a spin class at VA last week. I liked it. Not as much as they guy in front of me. I can only describe the sounds he was making as 'sex sounds' I am only grateful I couldn't see his face :-O I will go back, and of course make sure I am faaaar away from him.
I also read an ace blog by someone on Fetch, although the blog isn't on fetch about a room 101 for things you hate about running. One of them was those bloody motivational posters people put on FB of some fit Lycra clad lovelies running into the sunset or along a beach with some inspiring words. I'm with you there mate!!! Or of course the ones that suggest because you run you are better than everyone else. No you are fucking not. I have an awesome husband who never runs. So there!
Oops sorry, I am in a good mood really :)))))
Anyway yeah, work is proper busy. But I'm getting there, oh yes. I found some transitions *punches air* I just need some CSF now to test it out on. And I'm trying to set up a web based thingy to keep all the projects we have going in order. Web based thingy is the ACTUAL name. *fact* I need to get everyone on board......oh god! That sounded twattish. Sorry.
And I met some of my 9th floor colleagues in the pub on Friday night who I don't know so far because of where I sit and it was fab! I even managed to get myself a speaking slot for a seminar to welcome a new group from Cambridge.
They may of course decide not to accept the jobs after I've spoken :-D I hear Oxford are quite good.
The evening didn't end so well though as my friend had her laptop nicked :((( bastards! Then when I left someone had moved everything so I got lost going to the station :-D
I set my alarm for 7.45 when I got in so that I could say to Mr H, ' you go and volunteer at Barking I'm not feeling well'
I woke up at 6.30 and hated myself for having a hangover and wanting to wimp out of parkrun. So I went and ran 21.58. I don't really know how that works but hey ho. If I had been feeling tip top I guess that could have been a PB day. But it's ok I'm not focused on that right now.
Today I went and ran Braintree 5. An Essex champs race. It was very busy as the champ races always are, but I felt like I had a really good run. Overtook a number of rivals early on, one came back at me but I just kept the pace up cos I had a feeling she would fade a bit and I was right :)
I was heartened to find that I kept Caroline and Sam (quick girls in my old club) in sight all the way and I know, I just know with focused training I could be up with them. That makes me really happy. Anyway my watch said 35.37, but we were chipped and I will have some seconds til I crossed the line. That is a 1 second PB if I take Victoria Park 5 as my previous best but since I'm told that was only 4.9 it's better than that isn't it!
Um, other news......oh yeah did a spin class at VA last week. I liked it. Not as much as they guy in front of me. I can only describe the sounds he was making as 'sex sounds' I am only grateful I couldn't see his face :-O I will go back, and of course make sure I am faaaar away from him.
I also read an ace blog by someone on Fetch, although the blog isn't on fetch about a room 101 for things you hate about running. One of them was those bloody motivational posters people put on FB of some fit Lycra clad lovelies running into the sunset or along a beach with some inspiring words. I'm with you there mate!!! Or of course the ones that suggest because you run you are better than everyone else. No you are fucking not. I have an awesome husband who never runs. So there!
Oops sorry, I am in a good mood really :)))))
Monday 1 April 2013
You need to push yourself....
This is not the world...
Work I mean, works good yeah, but there's more to it isn't there. There is what you choose to do outside it that can make everything seem better :)
So last week was basically gym for exercises and swim cos my knee needed TO. That's fine, as long as I'm doing something that's fine. I continued to enjoy my new gym and got some good quality exercises in. Win!
Then 4 (count them!) 4 days off. Yes!!!! On Thursday night I had very pleasant drinks with a couple of friends before leaving london, then on Friday morning we set of to Milton Keynes to see Kaz Hurrell do her 100th marathon.
The was a time when I would have nothing to do with anything like that, but just lately I think I am able to see that just cos because I don't want to do something doesn't mean I can be pleased for someone who does (fuck me I am growing up!) and yes, I was pleased to see a friend achieve her goal. Weirdly it was a pleasant suprise to see lots of people that I associate with the time 'before' the time before me and running fell out badly.
I really was pleased to see them, and spent a bit of time explaining that no I wasn't multiple marathoning at the moment but yes, I was enjoying running shorter and with more focus.
Whilst there I ran 3 laps, around 10.5 miles and was pleased with my knee :))))))
Then we retired to the bar and I have a lovely catch up with folk and lots and lots of beer. Maybe a bit too much as the shower I took before I went to bed had me hanging on the wall :-D
The morning meant a trip to MK parkrun at Willen lake. (I will just admit here, I felt like crap, no idea why ;))
BLIMEY. A look at the results shows there were 300 finishers, not quite the same as my home run and I just had time to recognise an old RW friend in the crowd before we were off. I wasn't even anywhere near the start line cos you couldn't get there and I found the first km awful, running round people onto the squishy grass. I had to accept that I was running this for experience and not for time.
About 2.5k in there is a hill that you run up via switchbacks, which I actually found quite fun if hard work, but other than that it was a pretty simple 1 lapper round the lake. I was concerned that the 24 minute pacer was always in front of me but since I did 23.26 I know he was a bit fast. Sadly I don't think the scanner that scanned me was working because I am down as unknown on the results. I have emailed we will see.
We then went back and showered before heading into MK centre for breakfast. Well we tried, everytime we went up or down in a lift or through a door or into what looked like a mall we ended up in a car park. I stropped, we left :D emergency Burger King at the services saw disaster and divorce averted.
Anyway, the rest of Saturday was normal life stuff.
Sunday I laid in til I woke up. 5.30 am old money, ha! Then dossed about until I went to the gym for the usual swim and stuff. Had a really nice roast dinner made my Mr H, even the gravy didn't need straining :-D super stuff. I drank a good amount of PB juice in prep for today.
So today was a 10k in Chelmsford run by the essex athletic network. At the parkrun site but a slightly modified 2 laps. Found the start really easily met up with Debbie, who is v quick and her boyfriend. Sadly she wasn't running because of injury and saving herself for Braintree 5, but we all had a good chat whilst the fun run went off. It was cold but the wind was biting. I didn't want to get my layers off!
Soon enough though we line up and start. Not a big field so I put myself near the front and GO!
I'm First Lady as we zig zag through the park and wondering if now I'm too hot or cold or what. Never mind just keep going, you need a PB here. First mile 6.40. Oh yeah. Feel ok but in about another 3rd of a mile we run out of the park and straight into a wall. Or wind as it is also called. Fuck I'm working hard here for a second mile of 7.20 or something :/ ah well Buck up me!
Carry on back into the park for third mile to end up back at start for second lap. This is better 7.05. It was def the wind! And so we go round again. Miles are consistent apart from the wind one which is 7.29 :-O the next time. At 8k I hear something I'm dreading, second lady behind me and I know she is going past because when I go out I have that one pace, I really struggle to go up a gear. Anyway she goes, I stay as close as I can and at 0.5 mile to go get a bit stressed cos I can't work out where the finish is, seriously this can proper put a spanner in the works and is why you should always study the course beforehand. Anyway, I make it without meltdown because I know I'm second lady and I've done enough to PB in conditions that aren't my best.
So my watch 45.02 which is a 32 second PB. A small field but as they say you can only race who turns up. Delighted with that actually.
Then I went to Romford gym and steamed sauna d and jacuzzi d. Bliss :)))))
Good weekend yeah? Back to work is fine when you have fun in your time off.
Work I mean, works good yeah, but there's more to it isn't there. There is what you choose to do outside it that can make everything seem better :)
So last week was basically gym for exercises and swim cos my knee needed TO. That's fine, as long as I'm doing something that's fine. I continued to enjoy my new gym and got some good quality exercises in. Win!
Then 4 (count them!) 4 days off. Yes!!!! On Thursday night I had very pleasant drinks with a couple of friends before leaving london, then on Friday morning we set of to Milton Keynes to see Kaz Hurrell do her 100th marathon.
The was a time when I would have nothing to do with anything like that, but just lately I think I am able to see that just cos because I don't want to do something doesn't mean I can be pleased for someone who does (fuck me I am growing up!) and yes, I was pleased to see a friend achieve her goal. Weirdly it was a pleasant suprise to see lots of people that I associate with the time 'before' the time before me and running fell out badly.
I really was pleased to see them, and spent a bit of time explaining that no I wasn't multiple marathoning at the moment but yes, I was enjoying running shorter and with more focus.
Whilst there I ran 3 laps, around 10.5 miles and was pleased with my knee :))))))
Then we retired to the bar and I have a lovely catch up with folk and lots and lots of beer. Maybe a bit too much as the shower I took before I went to bed had me hanging on the wall :-D
The morning meant a trip to MK parkrun at Willen lake. (I will just admit here, I felt like crap, no idea why ;))
BLIMEY. A look at the results shows there were 300 finishers, not quite the same as my home run and I just had time to recognise an old RW friend in the crowd before we were off. I wasn't even anywhere near the start line cos you couldn't get there and I found the first km awful, running round people onto the squishy grass. I had to accept that I was running this for experience and not for time.
About 2.5k in there is a hill that you run up via switchbacks, which I actually found quite fun if hard work, but other than that it was a pretty simple 1 lapper round the lake. I was concerned that the 24 minute pacer was always in front of me but since I did 23.26 I know he was a bit fast. Sadly I don't think the scanner that scanned me was working because I am down as unknown on the results. I have emailed we will see.
We then went back and showered before heading into MK centre for breakfast. Well we tried, everytime we went up or down in a lift or through a door or into what looked like a mall we ended up in a car park. I stropped, we left :D emergency Burger King at the services saw disaster and divorce averted.
Anyway, the rest of Saturday was normal life stuff.
Sunday I laid in til I woke up. 5.30 am old money, ha! Then dossed about until I went to the gym for the usual swim and stuff. Had a really nice roast dinner made my Mr H, even the gravy didn't need straining :-D super stuff. I drank a good amount of PB juice in prep for today.
So today was a 10k in Chelmsford run by the essex athletic network. At the parkrun site but a slightly modified 2 laps. Found the start really easily met up with Debbie, who is v quick and her boyfriend. Sadly she wasn't running because of injury and saving herself for Braintree 5, but we all had a good chat whilst the fun run went off. It was cold but the wind was biting. I didn't want to get my layers off!
Soon enough though we line up and start. Not a big field so I put myself near the front and GO!
I'm First Lady as we zig zag through the park and wondering if now I'm too hot or cold or what. Never mind just keep going, you need a PB here. First mile 6.40. Oh yeah. Feel ok but in about another 3rd of a mile we run out of the park and straight into a wall. Or wind as it is also called. Fuck I'm working hard here for a second mile of 7.20 or something :/ ah well Buck up me!
Carry on back into the park for third mile to end up back at start for second lap. This is better 7.05. It was def the wind! And so we go round again. Miles are consistent apart from the wind one which is 7.29 :-O the next time. At 8k I hear something I'm dreading, second lady behind me and I know she is going past because when I go out I have that one pace, I really struggle to go up a gear. Anyway she goes, I stay as close as I can and at 0.5 mile to go get a bit stressed cos I can't work out where the finish is, seriously this can proper put a spanner in the works and is why you should always study the course beforehand. Anyway, I make it without meltdown because I know I'm second lady and I've done enough to PB in conditions that aren't my best.
So my watch 45.02 which is a 32 second PB. A small field but as they say you can only race who turns up. Delighted with that actually.
Then I went to Romford gym and steamed sauna d and jacuzzi d. Bliss :)))))
Good weekend yeah? Back to work is fine when you have fun in your time off.
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