So say goodbye....

It's Independence Day, all girls must run away.

Well it's boys really but you get my drift.

I can't go to a Springsteen concert without thinking of dad. I'm not going to go all mushy or anything just cos its Father's Day. But it's true. I first heard Dancing in the dark when I was 14. I remember dancing round the kitchen to it, and my dad walked in. I wanted to impress him with the music I liked as he was well into his music and I asked his opinion. He said ' yeah, it's ok, but really you need to listen to his earlier stuff'. Ok. Well he died a few days later. I became obsessed with getting everything I could by Bruce to listen to. And yeah I was probably really was obsessed, but you do what you have to to cope.

By a happy coincidence it led to me being  introduced to my husband 4 years later. He was sceptical when my colleague told him I was a Springsteen fan, but I put all doubts aside by naming all of his songs in chronological order. I did say I was obsessed. We went to see him at wembley in the summer of 2008, perhaps cementing out relationship (or maybe that was sex, dunno :-D)))

When I got that tickets for that one we were working together but no one was allowed to know, workplace policy and all that. Well he phone me to say thank you, but it wasn't me who answered my phone, so what poor Lesley thought when he told he he loved her and did a big kiss to her down the phone I don't know. She never said a word :-D

So yeah, went last night, was bloody ace, I always feel like I'm coming home when I go to one of his gigs. And I have another in two weeks. Happy days Amanda.

So, you ask running? Not bad.

Tuesday was Elvis at Harrow Lodge. Did the course in jan as a parkrun. Was bloody cross country it was so muddy and was 24.20 or something. Wasn't really looking forward to it. But, cycled there (I love when I can do that, I am aspiring to be Jenny who cycles much further than me to races) and lined up feeling ok having a few words with B who congratulated me on Southend half. Nice :) 

Started like a rocket which is my only setting really, over really sapping tufty grass, I hated that but head down grit teeth. There is some Tarmac but not much, it was a real case of just digging in and wishing it over. A couple of girls from Eton manor passed me but I was running as best I could. I literally was just hanging on and listening to the supporters shouting people on to know who was behind me, mainly men so ok. 

The last 500m I can hear people urging B on, so now I had to properly find out what I could do, and I did, I beat her and ended the race retching, but made it to the bin :-D 7th female and 21.57, much better effort than before.

Did this and that for the rest of the week, I was really exhausted after that, and then did parkrun Saturday. No amazing result, I was tired and it showed 22.01, but ok and I biked there and back. I am fairly sure these 4 and 5 mile rides will come in bloody handy when I cycle 100 in August......

Then today Kelvedon Hatch 5k a BRR GP race. I was umming and arring all week about whether I should drink at the concert.

Seriously, who am I kidding? Of course I drank, no point in not them tickets cost me 130 quid!

But we were in by 1 and we didn't have to leave the house til 8.45. I felt ok and had good banter on the way with club mates.

When we got there and lots of people were milling round, I thought, ok, I can be first female here. Though the main aim was to be first BRR female. I know! That makes me sound like a twat!

And I think it was after about 200 meters of the start I knew that unless I cocked up badly I would be first female. I didn't relax though because the marshals gave no hint of where I was, which sometimes happens and I know my club mate Vicky will kill herself to beat me :)

I was very happy then to finish in 21.26, and yep First Lady. Vicky got first vet and our first 3 boys got first team. Not a bad day for BRR. The male winner was 16.25!

So yeah, not a bad week really. I will leave you with another Springsteen lyric.

Now some folks are born into a good life, other folks, they just get it any way any how.....

Have you heard.....

About my screams, cos I like a drink and I haven't touched one in weeks....

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

That's a big fat lie. I keep meaning to lay off it before races and I keep forgetting. Still the curry beer and wine race preparation seems to be doing the trick.

I'll tell you shall I.

Monday went to Bootcamp in Regents Park. The public map must have been upside down cos it took me ages to find them :-D no drink though.

Tuesday was club handicap at barking. I dusted off my road bike to cycle down and remembered that I love it :) had a good run, was 21.26 I think? Whatever I haven't made it any easier for future races I can tell you. Finished higher up the field this time so times were more accurate. No drink though.

Wednesday I was supposed to be at early morning bootcamp but I woke feeling quite exhausted and had to text to say I wouldn't go. Was a good move I feel. Had a quite trying day at work, mainly because I think sometimes you have to be practical about things but explaining that to people who don't want to be is like hitting your head against a brick wall. Went for beer :-D

Thursday did intervals. Like a proper geek I had downloaded a session from garmin connect into my garmin *beams* how brilliant is that.

Set off on 2k warm up, that never seemed to end. After about 3 miles it struck me I hadn't hit the start button. Fucking geek muppet. Turned it on and did it the old fashioned way. Was 8 x 400m I think. I liked it cos I'm strange like that. Went to work all endorphined up, went for big beer :-D

Friday went to lunchtime bootcamp. Was good but really hard. Can't think why. Oh then after work went for beer. And wine. And curry.

But you see, I knew I'd be alright cos Tuesday night my legs said to me, we have more. Put us on the startline Saturday and we will show you.

Who am I to argue. I cycled there because me and my bike are in love. Chatted to j and her dad. She wasn't so good last week as she had a knee niggle, she was still First Lady though, and I expected a race.

We set off and there was one bloke in front of me for about 50m. Then I overtook him, and well I just felt great. I knew I was running well and it felt amazing. 1 mile in 6.36. I've been faster but not often. Halfway in 10.23. Blimey, I've never been that at halfway. Now I know I can PB. Being in the lead is making me keep at it. Yeah, I don't want to be passed. I want this!

And until 4.5k I had it. Then a bloke who has come first there previously overtook me. I had been aware of him for a while and when he went I couldn't stay with him. I had better get a bloody PB now!!!

And I did. 2nd overall. 21.04. Job done. J pulled out on second lap. She'll be back and I will give her a better race :)

That made me consider today. Southend half which I had decided not to do. Russ told me just to do 20k instead. 

So I decided to do it :-D cos I'm not a contrary cow. Oh no!

And I loved it! Out and backs mean you are saying hello to people you know all the way. I had sooo much fun and I felt ace. Much better than last half I ran. That showed in the result 1.38.24 a nice PB.

My club mate V beat me by about 45 seconds in a 10miler the other week. She beat me by 3 today.....though I didn't know til after cos we started in different places, her much further forward than me. Maybe I would've just pushed that bit harder? Dunno.

Anyway V me and C won the third ladies team prize. Dead chuffed to have been part of a prize winning team for my new club for the first time.

Mr Made me roast chicken when I got home.

Happy days.

Oh it's such a perfect day.......

I'm glad I spent it with you.....

By that I mean Lesley, Gerry and Saffers, and all the other people at the Outlaw Half today :)

I have to document how very impressed I am with Lesley. When she entered this race she sorted herself out a training plan, and she bloody stuck with it, through all the shite weather and all the things she was scared of, and today she completed a half ironman. That gets my respect and I had a lump in my throat when she went down the finishing shute. I thought it might be hayfever but I know it wasn't :-D

So a great weekend which started yesterday morning when I raced the second Elvis race at Orion. A tough ish course of 5 miles which I did in 41.20 last year. I know I'm a better runner this year and was pleased to finish in 36.37. B a rival from Ilford passed me about 3 miles in and urged me up a hill which was a really nice thing to do I thought, and shows she knows who I am now, she didn't last year *beams* she did beat me but I am still stronger over 5k. I'm a work in progress.

Anyway my target for the Elvis series is to be in top 10 women in the races I compete in and so I now have a 6th and a 10th. The challenge is on.

Then home for a shower and to pack then up to Nottingham on the train. Once there my iPhone guided me a couple of miles to the hotel. I dumped my stuff and headed to the pub where I had some food and people watched. I am fairly sure the guy who won today was in there with his family eating pasta!

Early to bed and up at 4. I didn't need to be but there were triathletes at the hotel and once they were up and about I was fully awake. Dossed about for a bit then set off to walk to Holme Pierrepoint. Was another couple of miles but very pleasant and I got there about 6.15. Text Lesley and soon enough she and G found me and then got very stressed as Lesley couldn't get into the swim bit. I think there was a bit of jobs worth going on somewhere! Anyway she did just in time and at 6.50 the women's wave set off. 

Me and G went round the lake and were able to stand looking over transition just where Les and Saffers bikes were racked (this was an all your gear on the floor affair, and I think Lesley had actually bought the contents of her flat).

So Saff out first and we we met for the first time as she was trying to get her wetsuit off :-D Les followed shortly after and did amuse me by tearing open a gel and throwing it all over her stuff.....I'm not laughing I always do that, I'm glad I'm not alone :-D anyway, soon enough she was off out.

Me and G went off, got changed into our running gear and then did a pleasant 14k by doing a lap of the run course, with a bridge added in. Chatting about ironman and running in general it was a really nice run. Getting cheered by the kids at the aid station was a bonus. We got back and changed and then went back to transition to wait.

Saff back first with an excellent bike split (good good she's our biker in the full relay). Then we waited for Lesley, who managed to give us a little bit of drama but not too much :) everytime we saw a lady cycle in with a black tri suit we jumped up, then sat down again when it wasn't her. Anyway, she didn't let us down and assured us she felt ok going out on the run.

We then went to the opposite side of the lake where we could sit and see her 4 times potentially. We were able to see Saff come past us once here as well. So we cheered on lots of Outlaws until Lesley passed us for the last time for the loooong run round the lake to the finish. (Oh do I ever remember that!) once she had gone we went back round the lake to the finishing stand to wait. Luckily we had been able to recognise Saff when she went and finished from the other side of the lake.

Met Lesley's mum and dad in the stands and then waited, and cheered all the finishers in. We were delighted to see Lesley finish and it was a good one too!!!

I didn't really have much time after that so we had a quick drink, well, me and G did! I know there will be more celebrating tonight, but I had to get a train back to london. Very tired but a really really nice day.

Was fun watching other people be awesome and I can't wait to go back :)