Me again!

Still here.

I did the Spartan race last week, and it was ace! I think that was because it was a little different in that it was in a stadium and so there was no mud to wade through which does I am afraid play havoc with my knee. It was a nice day too so that always helps. I did as many of the obstacles as I could, fell off halfway on the monkey bars, couldn't get up the rope and fell off the grab wall thing going round a corner, so I did a fair few burpees. Absolutely loved going up and down the stadium steps and running past people who obviously dont :-D

The next day I was supposed to do around 12 miles, managed 5 I was just so tired and achy. Decided to run home from work on the Monday but then realised that my samples that I absolutely had to get running that night were not going to dry down for ages. So I needed to run whilst they were doing that. I went off up the canal and ran as far as I could which was until I was actually on someones flat doorstep in limehouse, and back. That gave me 11.6 miles. It was a slog if I am honest and really didn't give me much confidence for Kent, but I guess we have them runs. I am sure I must've done some other stuff in the week but I dont know what!

On Friday I saw Russ. First part was the yoga flow flexibility thing. It hurts. I must do it every day. I guess if it can increase my flexibility and my stride length it will be worth it. Then we did some silly walks outside. Some of them were videoed and this has resulted in me falling out badly with my right foot. How DARE it flick out like that! It looks bloody ridiculous! Of course this is down to my wonky knee *sigh* that means rather than just glancing at the leg press when I am in the gym I have to get on the effing thing. I did mean to ask Russ something though, is it right do you think to do both legs....wont that end up with the good one looking like a superhero leg and the other just being an ordinary Clark Kent one? Seriously I couldn't sleep the other night thinking about that. Maybe if I put as much effort into doing the exercises as worrying about them I would be a better runner. What a novel idea!

Anyway Saturday was Raphaels parkrun (The park IS named after a ninja turtle, how cool is that!) a really nice park with a suprisingly sweary hill in it 3 bastard times! Did a mediocre time, with pretty much destroyed glutes :)

Sunday rode off to the Velopark in Stratford with Andy and Claire to do a duathlon. 3 miles 15 miles 2 miles all on a 1 mile roadbike track. Suprisingly hard but a really good workout and by virtue of being old got second lady vet. Much to my very obvious suprise :-D It does spur me on though to be better.

Then Monday met up again with Andy, Claire and her boyfriend Paul and led them all to Ongar, then twice round the TSE loop. Then tea and childrens cake in Onfar before we cycled home. I clocked 43 miles and really enjoyed myself. I am starting to love the bike again :) Was going to try OW in the afternoon but there are certain days when swimming makes me want to throw myself off a bridge - though not a bridge over water, obv.

Thats it really, spent today working at home rejigging loads of data to meet different criteria ready to cry if I lost significance (I didnt) The best thing was no cat tried to kill themself. A good day!

The more that you want it.....

the more that you need it....

(Noel Gallaghers HFB are very much a current favourite)

It would seem the mojo is properly back :-)

Decided this weekend just gone to swap a long run with......a marathon. As you do, and why wouldn't you.

I have done Halstead before and it is a lovely race, in nice surroundings. And, you can enter on the day. (£10 more but hey I have wasted so much more than that on races I havent done) The last time I went there I DNF after haring off much too fast, running my second fastest half and then breaking down. So I actually had a demon to bury, or face, or stab to death or something.

Went down there with my friend Andy with a vague agreement to follow my plan to halfway. That plan was 5.25ks.

Got there signed up, SAW EVERYBODY I HAVE EVER SEEN AT A MARATHON BEFORE, probably as I was trying to do this off radar :-D

As soon as we started although we were running the right pace, well a bit quick actually, I knew I wouldn't keep it up and I was right, but then as soon as I started I knew that finishing this race happy was my aim. So we kept it up at an alright but not spectactular pace until halfway, chatting and just enjoying it. At 13 miles Andy puched on, he had saud he would and I was fine with it, I did speed up a bit after he legged it but soon settled down again! Not long after that Ian another friend pulled along side me and asked if I was going to tab it in at this pace. He hadnt been over 16 in training so this was a long training run for him too. We soon decided that after 20 we would do a few walks too and thats just what we did making sure we stopped for a drink etc at the marvellous support station of Jenny and Caroline. We did the #handinhand thing at the end cos I didn't at London. So a finish of 4.24 something.

I felt ok next day really just bone crushingly tired and not inclined to exercise. On Tuesday I wanted to do the first ELVIS race, but I had been running about up and down stairs and corridors all day and my knee was singing songs to me, and they weren't love ones! So ditched it. Wednesday Chris got up for work around 4 at which point Bolt came to wake me up and I never got back to sleep until I had a brainwave at 6.45 and locked them both out for an hour. Bliss. Now I am asking Mr H to let them out when he goes and they can wait to come back in when I am awake. 2 days later I already feel better for this plan. Losing sleep doesnt fit with me I am not a hero who can survive on 4 hours a night, I need the full 8! Still I managed a swiss ball workout when I got in on wednesday which was bloody hard because I havent got much gym type stuff done whilst these marathons have been happening.

Last night I was supposed to do club HC. Left on time to go central line, district line, but Holborn was shut.............well, I think it was I couldn't actually get anywhere near it and couldn't join the mass that was spilling out into the road for fear I would actually lose it and stab someone with my 4 colour biro.

I walked to St Pancras and got a met line thinking I would change at Liverpool st for a H&C line to Barking. I couldve waitied for one of those at St Pancras but the first train that pulled up was empty and really I 'm not not getting on that! Then at Liverpool st I just waited, and waited and waited and thought 'oh bugger this!' I wasn't going to get there in time so I just went home. Just as well as it turned out as Mr H was really late having had 'the most rubbish birthday ever' that was an actual quote. Obviously it got miles better when he saw me. Obviously. So no exercise again, but, tbh in the week after a mara I feel not too much need to go for it.

Today I have my kit, I could if I wished run some of the home journey, but I dont know if I will. I am completely frozen and have been all day, and my rhr was 71 this morning which for me is at least 15 above where it normally is. Maybe I am coming down with something.

I do hope not as it is Spartan race tomorrow at the Allianz stadium :-) I am only going for the t shirt.

When I am sad and weary.....

and all my hope is gone,
and I can't put my finger
on the time things first went wrong
I have a little secret, I like to tell myself,
and until now I havent told anybody else......

BUT I'M NOT TELLING YOU!
That song came on my ipod this morning and cheered me right up. God I was in a bad mood.

First Mr H left at 4.30am, the last time he left that early both cats snuggled up on the bed and went back to sleep. However they have been getting up about 5.30 ish lately as he has been leaving about six, so today Bolt repeatedly jumped on the bed next to me and meowed in my face and Thunder wandered around all the bedroom surfaces knocking anything she could off. Aaaarrrgggghhh.

At 5.15 I let them out. Then I had a small run in with a man I could barely understand at the polling place and then somebody went under a train causing all trains to be held wherever they were. Which is never somewhere you can get off.

Oh yes, and I knew I needed to speak to someone at work without losing it (I have, I didnt)

Bah!

Anyway, I took Tuesday as a rest day. I'm not sure why now! Yesterday was Tri Club duathlon one of 5 which are club champs. Only 3 count and if you can you should direct one.

Well 3 of us competed last night, me and 2 guys. The original plan was 1 lap of park (3.2k) 20 laps of track on bike (8k) the small lap of park (2.5k) but there was football going on in the middle of the track that should have finished at 7 but they insisted they were on til 7.30.......there are always scheduling problems here due to it it being run by the council who are are bunch of incompetent fuckwits (only 20 more days til the bin strike ends cos our already overflowing bins arent causing a hazard are they).

New plan, 1 big lap of park 1 small lap of park then the bike.

Set off feeling like I'd been hobbled because I hadnt warmed up :-D but soon got into my stride. Had to check back at one point cos I didnt really know the route as it went through off into wood for a little bit, but was ok and on the second smaller lap I was pretty happy even though it was throwing it down with rain. Got back to the stadium and had done 3 laps before next bloke got back, he did over take me once but I took him back and then the 2nd bloke who started 4 laps behind me overtook me twice so he was obviously stronger on the bike but I was strong enough to not lose all my lead, despite the wind on one side of the track, and finished first.

Happy me :-) I am directing next month, it's easy enough.

Today a swim as I am knackered, but that will do.

And yes I did vote. Labour FWIW.

It's been a while!

Thought I would resurect this, is that spelt right? Anyway.....

It's good to have this here where I can look back and see how I am doing against how I was doing. See?

Been a busy past few weeks, preceeded by a few months of feeling a bit meh about the whole racing thing. I think I am over that now. I think it took some good experiences to do that.

Manchester marathon 5.30. Ran with Emma from club, relaxed, easy run for me and fun too because in a race like that I wouldn't normally see that end of the field (no no I am not that quick, just running fast enough to be focused) and the support was bonkers!

Also I got to go on a tram. And I got off at a stop called Oldham Mumps. Ha!

Then the following Sunday it was the BIG ONE!

No it bloody wasn't. It was the London marathon which is the same length as all other marathons, it's just a lot more lucrative for charities and sponsors. You almost had to do a marathon distance walk through Adidas branded clothing to get to the expo proper. I bought nothing on prinicpal. I didn't really have any money so that made it easier :-D.

I did no running between manchester and London ( apart from running through Liverpool St station after Manchester because I was soooo desperate to not miss that train home) so had fresh legs.

Well you would think that wouldn't you. I sat looking at them on the train on the way to the green start wondering if they would work for me. I had worn my adizero boost so I at least looked like I belonged in the GFA area. I wondered if they would screw me up without enough cushioning but sometimes you really do have to just try, and what did I have to lose?

Saw Russ just as I was about to go which was nice and I think I said this before, settled me on my strategy, the best result of which would be a good for age time. I knew what the k's had to be done in, and I also knew if it really really felt wrong I could slow down, have a smell the roses run. No one would die.

I think this relaxed attitude saw the first half of the run with k splits all well inside what I needed. I knew it would get tricky soon after as I just didn't have the endurance in me. Seeing Mr H at 14 really picked me up but I did get slower and slower. However not enough to not do what I wanted, and I remember thinking as I ran down the finishing bit.....wow, I feel all right really, that wasn't too hard. (3.48.43)

10 minutes later I was lying on the floor, head propped up on the fence behind me wondering how on earth I would get dressed with the cramp that consumed me eveytime I moved my legs. A lad walked past me and said 'left it all out there did you?' and I suppose I did, but not in a bad way, I think I ran a good race, I just lacked what those long runs in training would have given me, had I done any :-D

Anyway, that was a good day. Was a bit on autopilot for a few days though after. Then Bolt got bitten on Wednesday by an unknown assailant. I did hear his scream but he was too far away for me to see who did it, but he is loads better now, if a bit wary of going round the back on his own, which makes me think if the possibility of it being a fox because he's not worried about hanging out with the other cats at the front. Anyway long story short no exercise last week either!

Until Saturday morning. Then it was the QEOP 10K. Ideally I didn't want to be racing  10k a week after a marathon, but, I want to do the whole series so I had to. (You can just guess when the next one is)

Getting to this race is a breeze for me me so it's not at all stressful. It's also not so big so quite chilled out registration then off for a little jog to loosen legs. The laps are 3.33k each and for the first one I am 1st lady til 3k. Feeling ok. The next lady overtakes me at about 4k, it's ok I didn't expect to be doing so well. Then at 6k I started to feel awful, that feeling where you are really hungry but feel really sick and my legs turned to jelly. I considered stopping at the lap, but then thought....you are third, just KEEP GOING. Which I did.

Sadly at 9k I was overtaken, but I was just hanging in there, nothing I could do so ended up 4th lady. 46.41, but 1st V45 again. Also won some more Orbit tickets. I have 6 now, I suppose I better go at some point ;-D

Sunday I planned an easy short run cos my legs were trashed. Then I got an email advising me I should do 12 miles so I could do 20 next week. Bugger!

Sorted that by running to Valentines Park, meeting up with Andy to do a few laps and then doing a few with him and Vicky and Richard until the 12 mile mark was met. Then tea in the cafe and a welcome lift home.

Sunday I met Andy and we rode down to Ongar and did a lap of the tri course round Moreton and Fyfield. Really enjoyed it, it's been ages since I rode down there so will go again soon. Need the bike sorted cos it is squeaking a bit......................no idea, I am too useless to fiddle with it so I will take it to a professional, or at least someone who wont break it.

So looking at that lot, one mojo would appear to have been refound. I have been back on iron for a few weeks now and I know that helps. I found a company that make something called Proferrin sport, iron supplements that apparently dont give the stomach distress that some forms can.

Well I have tried 3 now, and 3 times I have ended up doubled up with stomach cramps. At work we accept an n of 3. BUT, what I really think I need is a blinded test. I think I need to get Mr H to put one in my food and disguise it, like we do with the cats. Because when I was researching the tabs although most of the reviews were really good there were 2 that said the tablets made them ill. Maybe I am expecting to be ill and so am???? I really wouldn't put it past me, I can be a proper twat!

But the fire inside keeps burning burning out....

Walking like a zombie.

I did do that half mara. 1.45.48. I knew, but at least I did it.

Then I went and did the womans 10k in Finsbury Park. 48.47. Blimey.

Then I did VP 5k the next day 23.01. Good god.

That afternoon I swam a k in 4 x 250m segments in the British Gas relay. That was ok, I don't expect to be good at swimming.

I then did nothing for 2 days. Too tired. 

Then I did Grit on Wednesday.

Then I did intervals on Thursday. Rubbish.

Then on Friday I had lots of meetings.

On Saturday I did the Olympic Park 10k 48.09

This morning I did 15 miles to Copped Hall 5 mile. I ran the race in 41.30. I called Chris to get me I was done in I couldn't cycle home.

I'm telling myself this, because I need to.

Boxes....

I've got loads. I have a box for everything. Dyou know what I mean?

Perhaps if I said compartment it would be clearer.

Ever since I can remember it has been this way. I succeeded as a child by separating everything. If I hadn't I wouldn't be here. Sounds quite dramatic I guess but if you were there you would know. I believe my brother has done it so well that's why I haven't heard from him in years. Pity, but I do understand.

Anyway, I can do it with running too. I can be competitive, if you know me you will know that. But, I can also just run. I mean it's not my job. I can train hard, I can also be distracted with life....actually that's rubbish, I can be distracted by a leaf floating past the window!

So yesterday I did the JW Ultra, for I think the 6th time? 4th time the full ultra. I will be honest I have been happy enough doing the relay the last 2 years, and 30 miles is a long way, but during this running career of mine I have made some bloody good friends and none better than the RD of this race. I mean I have run 262 miles with him in the space of 10 days. After that you either kill each other or become firm friends. So when Mr JW said he was going to run this for the first time (as the race, not the first time ever) I didn't really have to think twice.

I spose long runs as training would have helped but really I've been doing other stuff so they didn't happen. Never mind, it is just running.

I wasn't nervous before this, I have been before but that's when I was trying to PB or beat someone else. Today was just about getting from a to b. A being Stratford racecourse, b being Bournville. 

And right, it was fun..... Letting everyone run off and then Trotting behind with the dog. Chatting and catching up. Taking pictures at the viaduct.....

And just having fun.

CP 1 was passed without any drama, but someone mentioned a cut off. I will be honest I can't have read the race notes as I had no idea! Apparently we needed to get to CP2 by 4.5 hours. This sent me into proper stress mode. I don't normally worry about cut offs. So I will admit, during that section I was a bit of a pain in the arse. Sorry Mark!

Anyway, we made it with 3 minutes to spare and then basically walked the last section! My knee was v sore, and no wonder and my foot was painful to put on the floor. Dunno what's up with it, it is swollen today with lots of red spots on it. Maybe I was bitten?

So we finished in just under seven hours, and you know what, that's cool, I spent the day running with my friend, and I'm lucky to be able to do that.

At the end someone asked me if I'm worried that doing that off of no proper training would affect my other races coming up. No, I'm not, that's all in another box.

And that's the way it is.

Meanwhile, I have 2 happy cats. How good is that!

Next weekend I have a half mara. Don't think I will do it, it doesn't mean anything to me and running an average time at it would be pointless. I should go out on my bike and do some hills. Yeah!

How good it was.....

Even if it's over :-}

Did you know the Courteeners are playing Brixton Academy the night before the Winter Ballbuster. Gits! Anyway it's sold out now so I can't waver. I proper like them, that's all ;)

Anyway, I will need to get my gig fix another way. Elbow are playing Hammersmith Apollo next year, maybe I will get me some of them.

So, this weekend just gone I did two Spartan Races with my OCR partner in crime, and it was ace :)

Travelled down to Pippingford Park (note to SpartanRace UK, this is no fucking where near London, in fact I think it is closer to France. There were many French racers there) and met up with my team. We registered with no bother and were given a headband number....how cool! A chip and a wristband that served absolutely no purpose :-D.....except maybe to identify you if you died??? Maybe.

We then trekked back to leave our gear in the car cos the bag drop q was mahoosive! Well, maybe I moaned a bit and someone else took the stuff and I stayed and got a drink :-D

We were due off at 1 but were watching the 12.30 wave go off when I suggested joining it as there was no one stopping you. So we set off. Shortly after this Mark commented that now we prob wouldn't get a time. 

I hadn't thought of that, what if our chips didn't work til 1??? 

I did stress on this the whole race. The goal here is the trifecta medal for doing the Sprint, Super and Beast. We need a time for all of them.

Still we are on the course now. A congested jog/shuffle to the first obstacle. A wall. Over with some help and then some under overs, then off onto the course proper. Lots of mud and water, running up and down hills and steep banks were a big feature. Obstacles were cargo net climb, atlas ball carrying (rolling), monkey bars, parallel bars, ropes, rope pull, slippery wall, sandbag carry, water carry, spear throwing, another wall, crawling under barbed wire and jumping over the fire at the end. Around 7k of running made up the event.

I will admit that a number of the obstacles were beyond me. I can't climb a rope, and I took one look at the monkey bar height and just couldn't (they had to lower them the next day as too many people injured themselves on them) and parallel bars....hmmmm.

But I do aspire to :-D

When you finished you got a big medal, t shirt and vouchers for free stuff including a beer. Nice!

Showering all the mud off was a long arduous task so I won't go into that.

Next day it was same again but with an added 5k and 6 more obstacles. I would've enjoyed this more but for twisting my knee in the mud, a spectacular fail of the parallel bars and being the world biggest wuss whilst doing the log carry through what was a frankly dangerous water obstacle with rocks and logs in the water that you couldn't see :-/ obviously they realised this after we had been through because they roped it off and made the log carry dry land only. My Olympic Rings though were a sight to behold though ;-D

So, sprint and super done, thank you so much to Mr JW without whom I would probably be still trying to get over the first wall.

Just the Beast to go then.

Not been myself since but that is something else entirely. Just a sprint tri next weekend. Let's see how that goes.