Not Today Punk

How my day began, Let me set the scene.........

It's 4.15am I haven't slept, hubby has been snoring almost non-stop I say 4.15am but it 
may have been later it's just that was the last time I remember looking at my watch and
thinking.........I could put that pillow more comfortably round his head!  

I had an important project at work to do today and was feeling more than a little stressed. This was not helped by knowing that before I could even go to work, the dog needed to go to the vets for some blood tests oh joy.........the vet was delayed and so by the time I got to work I was running very late, tired and to cap it all when I dropped the dog off at home,  I had forgotten to change out of my jeans into my office clothes.

As the day dragged on I was really ready to just go home and curl up in front of the TV but I knew I needed to go out and run the week 6 repeat 2 session or I wouldn't get the last run of 25 minutes in for week 6 this weekend. I didn't want to run in the dark on my own, so headed to the gym, the treadmill would have to do. 

Arrived only to find that the gym was full of 14-15 year olds  It must of been some school fitness incentive. I almost turned around to leave, but groaned inside and headed to the treadmills. Most were already being used so I ended up over by several young lads messing around trying to walk backwards, or get two of them on the same treadmill. After a quick glare at them as only a mother can, I set my ipod to the highest volume and started my warm up walk, out of the corner of my eye I could see the lads taking the mickey out of me they were obviously feeling a bit put out that I had taken their treadmill. Laura (the podcast voice) told me I was going to be running for 10 minutes then walk for 3 mins then run for another 10 mins. After last weeks 20 minute non-stop run I knew I had this in the bag, no problem

As Laura said it's now time to run, The lad on the next treadmill broke into a run at the same time with a sideways smirk in my direction, his mates were making some kind of gesture that I only caught a glimpse of in the reflection in window infront of me, but it made the lad giggle and just for a moment I knew that it was game on!

I had been running for just over 8 mins and feeling really good, the lad along side was starting to sweat, so when Laura announced that I had 60 seconds left to run before walking for 3 mins, I just answered her in my head "Not today Missy" and just kept on running, she soon announced that it was time to run again for another 10 mins, but I was still going strong and now I could see the lad was really starting to struggle. A quick calculation in my head I knew if I could run till Laura said I had finished and then still run for another two minutes I would of run for a full 25 minutes which is what I would need to do for the next week 6 session anyway, so I just kept going. 

The minutes ticked by and as I looked at the lap counter and distance on the treadmill, the lad gave up at just under 3km sweating buckets and gasping for breath, his mates now had another reason for mickey taking..........Laura announced that I was done for the day, So I ran for another two minutes picking up the pace just a little and then finished with a walk.  As I sipped my water I casually stepped down from the treadmill and walked past the group of lads, I had a big smile on my face and a voice in my head saying "Not Today Punk"

And for those of you who already know me, you will be pleased to know that I returned to the changing room, opened my locker and guess what I found? that's where I had left my Tiara!

From There To Here

Ok I know it has been a while since I last updated my blog, but life sometimes just gets busy!

 

Have I been sitting around doing nothing? certainly not! 

The Color Run was great fun

No record breaking times, but that really wasn't what it was all about. 

Tomorrow it will be 4 months since I started my running journey.

After that first night out with Mark, only being able to run for just about 30 seconds with lungs screaming and legs like lead, I had no idea if I would survive this long. But we kept on going out each week and slowly I could run just that bit further before having to take a short walk break. 

Although I was making progress, by August I knew that If I ever wanted to really be a runner I needed to increase the amount of times I ran each week. So I started doing some extra sessions using the NHS podcasts, I haven't always been able to complete the three  runs required in the same week, but have taken my rest days and then fitted them in around my runs with Mark. By doing this I quickly saw the benefit of these extra sessions, I was able to keep running further each time Mark and I went out, not much faster, but he assured me that speed will come with time and not to worry about it, that just time on my feet and miles on my legs was all that I needed to do. 

And so to today where I had to face a really big challenge on my journey, a milestone moment that is week 5 repeat 3 of the couch to 5k plan, just another podcast, just another run for the week.......but this one has been looming up for a while now, making me nervous with the words "Run for 20 mins" no walking......Hey where did that come from last week we were only running for 8 minutes then walk, then run again........gulp can I really do this, have I put in enough effort? when I am out with Mark we don't time my running or walking just the overall time it takes us to do 5k I run till I can't run anymore......walk till I get my breath back.......run some more.

All through my morning at work I kept thinking, it's just a number, your going to be on a treadmill, you can stop and walk if you need to. You can always try again next week or the week after. No one is going to be upset with you, but you. All these thoughts just kept going round in my head................Then just one thought as I changed into my running gear and headed to the gym.............

STOP being a bloody princess, get in there and DO IT! 

So I Did  

5 mins brisk warm up walk and then I ran for 20 minutes without stopping, 5 mins cool down walk and do you know what? I haven't stopped smiling since................It wasn't fast.......It may not have been pretty for spectators but today I feel like a runner!!!

One last thought before I sign off for today

A Thank You 

To Mark 

for changing my life forever

for the second time

I Believe We Have A Winner

Before I get started on this weeks training (session 8) I have some really great news, well to be honest I have known for a couple of weeks but wanted to wait for the confirmation before announcing to the world.........drum roll please.....
I have won 2 places in the 5k Color Run at Brighton on the 14th September 2013.

This all came about because at the beginning of my training sessions, Mark said that it would be a good idea to enter for a race, this he said would keep me focused on my running.........well I did sign up for Park Run but that didn't really count in his book because I could go along any weekend so there was no real pressure. I was a bit scared to say the least at the idea of commiting to a dead line. Then one day back in July I was on the Womens Running UK website and saw a competition for 2 places in the Color Run. Yep you guessed I entered and won, and of course it will be Mark running with me. Now although this is a 5k run it isn't timed and the main idea is to have fun not try to beat your personal best, so all in all I think this is an excellent place for me to start (insert big grin)

With the Color Run now to focus on I was even more determined to do well this week with my training, I had also booked the week off of work fully intending to get all those niggling jobs done, you know all those things around the house that get pushed to the end of the "To Do list" because of work or late nights. I also fully intended to get some use out of my new gym membership. 

Well my timing couldn't have been more 'Off' the gym is CLOSED for 2 weeks for a complete refit, all new equipment is being installed Doh! not to be outdone, I went for a nice 4 mile steady paced walk with my sister on Tuesday,
Aqua Zumba on Wednesday and then running with Mark on Thurday night.

Training Session 8 (oops I seem to of run out of Dino pictures)
I wore my Brooks Puredrift, these are really an amazing pair of shoes and I promise I will get around to writing a full review one of these days.
We did our 5k through the woods and along the train track route, which really is pleasant, the evening was cooler and it had rained quite a lot during the day so the air was fresh and it felt easier to breathe, I am not sure if it was because of the exciting news (could also be read as panic) about the Color Run, the nice fresh air or the fact that I was feeling pretty stressed out over my dog being ill, but I just wanted to really push myself, I 'needed' to run. So run I did, then walked just long enough to catch my breath and then ran again as many times as I could, just random times not counting minutes or seconds just running till I couldn't run anymore, it felt wonderful. Before I even really noticed Mark was saying we had got to our half way point and we needed to turn around and head for home, so we chatted and ran and just for a few moments while we ran through the woods with the light of the day starting to fade, I felt free and at peace with the world, If this is how running can feel then I never want to give it up. As we approached our finishing point Mark was pushing me pretty hard to pick up the pace and bits like through the station car park that we would normally walk, he was egging me on to run. At the time I didn't know why he was in such a hurry, but all was soon revealed when he announced that we had finished our 5k and I had a new personal best time of......*another drum roll please*..........49 minutes and 41 seconds Yeeehaa!
Now I know this isn't exactly super speedy for some runners, but for me this is a major mile stone, I knew that I needed to get below 50 minutes for 5k so that I could enter at Park Run. Eight weeks ago I was doing 5k in 1 hour 11 mins.
Am I pleased............You bet your life, I am over the moon

Till the next time............

A Real Pain In The Butt

The title of this post is sadly very accurate, I have really been in quite a lot of pain since a trip to the health suite last Wednesday. You see I had a bit of a problem last December with Piriformis Syndrome  For me the worst thing for causing pain was sitting on any hard surface. I had several months of physiotherapy and acupuncture to release the nerve, which along with aqua aerobics did a great job. However at the health suite I had a nice steam and then went in the whirlpool, that was my big mistake, I played the jets along my lower back and legs thinking this would give it a nice massage. I was wrong, what it did was inflame my muscles and trap a nerve again, by the time I got out of the pool I knew I was in trouble. 

Well long story cut short, I have had to do extra physio exercises and take a lot of anti inflammatory drugs and use an amazing freezing gel called 
Polar Frost  Thanks to a combination of all of these things I am now pretty good.

On the plus side I got a call from Sweatshop to say my Brooks Puredrift had arrived, I was really pleased with their collect in store service and the fact that this also gave me a chance to have a quick run on their treadmill to test the shoes out, all felt good even considering my nerve pain.

Training session 7 became more of a walk and talk session, because although I was not really in much pain while walking or even running slowly, it didn't seem like such a smart idea to push my luck. It was very nice though to go out with Mark and just have the time to chat about running and what gear is good etc. It was also good to take my new Brooks out for a spin, they did very well. We went 5.7 miles in 1 hour 54 mins so nothing too speedy, I did a couple of slow runs just to try out the shoes, but I will do a proper post about them when I have had a chance to really try them out.

Till the next time.................................

A Bit Of A Catch Up

Well I seem to have fallen behind a little with posting to my blog so this will have to serve as a bit of a catch up.

I have had two training sessions with Mark since the race for life, session 5 we did our usual 5k run/walk I ran in a pair of Nike lunarlon trainers that I picked up reasonably cheap in a TK Maxx store, they are not zero drop, but are a good transistion shoe till I get my new Brooks Puredrift which is what I was told would suit my running style by the guys at Sweatshop. We completed our run/walk in 52.5 mins which is my fastest time so far, the shoes gave me some well needed cushioning for pavements and I didn't have any shin pain at all very pleased with that

Session 6 with Mark went pretty good, I again ran in the Nike lunarlon, and although the time was a little slower 54 mins 45 seconds for 5k this as usual includes the time that Mark spends teaching me exercises or ways to improve my form etc. so all in all pretty pleased. I also found that my breathing was much better I think because it was a cooler evening and I was concentrating on breathing through my mouth and not trying to breathe through my nose.

Up until now pretty much all of my running has been in the sessions with Mark, 
mainly due to me being a bit of a coward at not wanting to run around in woods and fields on my own, but I have been doing some other exercise in the form of Aqua Aerobics and Aqua Zumba, I also have a bike/elliptical cross trainer at home. Which until recently, like a lot of home gym equipment has spent a good deal of time as a clothes horse. I knew that if I wanted to get better at running there is really only one way to do that, you guessed it I needed to get off of my butt and actually run, so I decided that now was as good a time as any to go and join the gym at least then I would save the money on my aqua classes and be able to use the treadmill to clock up a few exta miles. And interestingly as I am a Slimming World member I got 20% discount on my membership fees and I donated a pair of old trainers, which got me my first two weeks free....what a bonus.

My first session at the gym went well, I decided that I would use my ipod with the podcasts for the couch to 5k plan. This way I knew that there would be some structure to my session. Apart from at my gait analysis I haven't used a treadmill in a few years so thought it would also be good to start the plan again from the beginning with session 1 run for 1 min, brisk walk for 90 seconds.
I walked at 5.3 - 5.6 pace and then increased to 6.2 for the runs this was steady but not too fast and I could breathe pretty normally throughout, the minute flew by with relative ease, before I knew it podcast one was over. Feeling pretty good and not wanting to finish my session I continued and did podcast two which was 90 seconds running, 2 mins walking, I did three sets and that brought me up to 5k distance so I called it a day it had taken 55.5 mins so I felt pleased that it hadn't taken much longer than when I was running with Mark so made it feel like a "Real" session. 

Really looking forward to my next session and getting my Brooks Puredrift.
Till the next time................................ 

Race For Life 2013

The day started bright and breezy, which to be honest was a bit of a relief considering the night before had been a major thunderstorm with plenty of rain. We all considered ourselves lucky. Joining me for todays event is my daughter, she will be running, and my sister who will be walking. Also walking with us will be my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Alfie. We have our own cheering squad, both my sons and their respective partners and my hubby.  Kitted out in our Pink t-shirts and armed with enough safety pins to hold all our race numbers and messages of who we are dedicating our run to, we set out.

We were instructed to arrive about an hour before the start so that we could take part in the warm up exercise routine, however when we arrived at the grounds there was such a long wait to the car park we decided to go and find somewhere else to park. This worked out well but it did mean that we had about a 1/2 mile walk to the starting line, oh well just meant our total for the day would be closer to 7K

There's not much really I can say about the event itself, no major dramas, just a nice steady 5k walk with Alfie taking a minor detour for a quick dip in the lake. I guess the real important thing about this was this time last year my sister would not of been fit enough take part at all, but thanks to Slimming World she is over 3 stone lighter than last year. I did do the race last year I too was nearly 2 stone heavier then.

Our times for the race...........my daughter ran with a couple of quick walks on the more hilly parts and finished in an amazing 29 mins. We finished in 1 hour and 4 mins my time last year was 1 hour 11 mins so all in all a really pleasing
result.

We have all signed up in advance for Race For Life 2014 and I have promised myself that I will be fit enough to run the whole distance.........so watch this space

Trip To Sweatshop

It's the Race for Life tomorrow so although it's a bit last minute thought it would be a good idea to go to Sweatshop today for a gait analysis and see what they suggest as a good shoe for my running style. Mark & his Fiancee Jaime came with me for moral support, and to be honest I think Mark wanted to make sure that I wasn't talked into buying big thick shoes designed for heal striking.

We went to the Hatfield Branch and firstly I have to say that the staff there were really good, they certainly new their stuff and being runners themselves, understood and listened to all my concerns. On their website they suggest taking your running shoes with you and any insoles you normally wear so I took my Vivobarefoot and my Nike Free 7.0 with me. The guy looked at both pairs and also the orthotics I had been given for my walking shoes, he also checked my feet for signs of damage etc. I was then given a pair of new neutral shoes and shown to the treadmill, have to admit I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to run for long enough for the video to be taken. But to my surprise and delight I kept up a steady pace and after a while he told me to stop. He took two videos one when I first started and then another towards the end of my run, he explained that this is because a lot people will start out landing on the forefoot but as they get tired will revert back to heel striking if this is there normal form. 

The verdict.............drum roll please.......I have a neutral gait with no overpronation because I always land on my forefoot or midfoot and that I am a natural barefoot runner, I have to say I was pretty pleased to hear that and I could see the delight on Marks face now that it had been confirmed that he was teaching me the correct way to run for my own style. Better news yet was that they couldn't really sell me any new shoes because they didn't have any barefoot or minimal style shoes at that branch. He did suggest a couple of makes that would be suitable but also said that my Vivo's were already really good although I might find it easier to start with a zero drop shoe but with a bit more padding so that roads and pavements would be a little easier and then ease into wearing the Vivo's for more road work, he suggested something like the New Balance Minimus or the Brooks Puredrift. I have already tried on the New Balance Minimus and to be honest I didn't find them that comfortable compared with my Vivobarefoot, but I will check out the Brooks for reviews online.

All in all a good day...........