Ok, ok, I'll stop with the snow references but we still have tons of the stuff & its showing no signs of going away!!!
I got to a point yesterday when I thought if I don't go out & do some exercise I am either going to die of over eating or kill someone! So on went the trainers & the Ipod & I went to the canal path as I had been advised it was ok.
Wow!!!!! I only wish I had taken my camera. It was like running in my own little Narnia. Thick, crisp, sparkling white snow & bright sunshine! Luckily there were 2 tracks in the snow as it was about 6 inches deep. Once I got over the first few horrid warm up miles I was cooking on gas! LOVED IT!!!!!
Had banging tunes pumping through my ears & it was really enjoyable! I felt very alive. Managed a cheeky 7.5 miles & feel SO much better for it!
39.8 miles totalled so far, yep still sounds crap but watch this space. Am completely fired up & once the gym is back open 4th Jan & everything xmas & new year is out the way I am on mission training plan!! as its only 3 months & 27 days to go till marathon number 1....... yikes!!!!!
Hope you all had a wonderful christmas & if you want a challenge for the new year does anyone fancy running a half marathon or 10k for MS to help me raise some funds???!!!! If so email me, I will support you 100% of the way to achieving a goal for 2010!! :o)
Monday, 28 December 2009
Friday, 25 December 2009
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who reads my blog a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
I have been blown away by the amount of people who have sent cards & have said they are tracking my progress on my blog (not that there has been much lately, promise there will be soon!!) I didn't think anyone read my ramblings at all! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading & I wish you all a fantasic festive time!!!
Jo x
Ps Went for a walk today and the show is still thick & Icy!! Am missing running dreadfully and cannot wait to go for a blast! It may have to be soon & just risk the snow! Update ya soon x
I have been blown away by the amount of people who have sent cards & have said they are tracking my progress on my blog (not that there has been much lately, promise there will be soon!!) I didn't think anyone read my ramblings at all! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading & I wish you all a fantasic festive time!!!
Jo x
Ps Went for a walk today and the show is still thick & Icy!! Am missing running dreadfully and cannot wait to go for a blast! It may have to be soon & just risk the snow! Update ya soon x
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Its Snow Fun!!!!
Was all revved up for my 8 miler today until...... a lovely foot of snow arrived!!!
Never fear, change of tact & I'll have to suffer the treadmill...... oh no I won't the gym was closed! Doh!
Oh well, a walk in the snow with the dog just had to do!
Snow, if not Icy is a good base to run on. I ran in snow last year and really enjoyed it so when it isn't as deep as it is at the mo I will get out!
So even though you write a plan and get all ready to tackle it there is always something that can crop up! Am not going to panic just yet but I REALLY REALLY need to get some miles on these feet!
Annoyingly my gym is closed for the next 2 days so I can't even get in there, I may have to risk the snow.
Hope you are all ready or getting ready for a lovely Christmas!
Will post my snowy progress in the next few days!!
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Its a Plan Stan!!
Evening All,
Well I have finally sat down & tried to write my training plan until London. I have now realised how bloomin soon London is! 4 months 9 days & 13 hours to be precise. Ok to you that may seem like quite far away but I remember once I hit January last year it absolutely flew by!
So the basics of my plan are this
Monday - Body Balance Class - This is Yoga & pilates combined. Very good for your core strength & flexibility. I am going to be using this class as a good stretch after my long run which will take place on a Sunday.
Tuesday - Gym - This will be an hour plus of cross training ie, Bike, cross trainer, rowing machine, treadmill - This is good for cross training so you are not just constantly pounding the streets.
Wednesday - Mid week shorter run - This initially will start off from now as about 4 miles but will probably increase as I get closer to the marathons.
Thursday - Circuits class - This is also for core strength & some speed work too if it includes sprints.
Friday - This will be a rest day - Yipeeeeee
Saturday - Another rest day Unless I want to change my long run day
Sunday - This is my LSR day - there are still arguments as to what this means.... Long slow run, Long steady run, Long sunday run....... This is basically the long run of the week and where you build up the miles so your body gets used to doing the mileage. On this sunday I am doing 8 miles, generally you only build this up 1-2 miles a week.
So there you have it this will be the basics of my week, Obviously this will change from time to time with races & other commitments etc & will be swapped around but its the base to work on! Sue will be looking my attempt at a plan over & no doubt she will tell me I have not included enough miles on my feet so it'll possibly get changed! If it does I'll keep you updated!!
Things (like life as I have said before) can get in the way & like the weekend Sundays run sort of went out the window as I had the Circuits xmas night out on Saturday....... Sunday was completely cancelled for me in all forms! But I am not going to be hard on myself as Monday I picked up straight off and did a very strong & dare I say it enjoyable 3.4 miler & tonight I did a great session in the gym including another 50 sit ups.
I'll keep ya posted :o)
Mile o meter 32.3 miles - This means that so far I have run the equivalent of from my house to Aviemore High street!
Well I have finally sat down & tried to write my training plan until London. I have now realised how bloomin soon London is! 4 months 9 days & 13 hours to be precise. Ok to you that may seem like quite far away but I remember once I hit January last year it absolutely flew by!
So the basics of my plan are this
Monday - Body Balance Class - This is Yoga & pilates combined. Very good for your core strength & flexibility. I am going to be using this class as a good stretch after my long run which will take place on a Sunday.
Tuesday - Gym - This will be an hour plus of cross training ie, Bike, cross trainer, rowing machine, treadmill - This is good for cross training so you are not just constantly pounding the streets.
Wednesday - Mid week shorter run - This initially will start off from now as about 4 miles but will probably increase as I get closer to the marathons.
Thursday - Circuits class - This is also for core strength & some speed work too if it includes sprints.
Friday - This will be a rest day - Yipeeeeee
Saturday - Another rest day Unless I want to change my long run day
Sunday - This is my LSR day - there are still arguments as to what this means.... Long slow run, Long steady run, Long sunday run....... This is basically the long run of the week and where you build up the miles so your body gets used to doing the mileage. On this sunday I am doing 8 miles, generally you only build this up 1-2 miles a week.
So there you have it this will be the basics of my week, Obviously this will change from time to time with races & other commitments etc & will be swapped around but its the base to work on! Sue will be looking my attempt at a plan over & no doubt she will tell me I have not included enough miles on my feet so it'll possibly get changed! If it does I'll keep you updated!!
Things (like life as I have said before) can get in the way & like the weekend Sundays run sort of went out the window as I had the Circuits xmas night out on Saturday....... Sunday was completely cancelled for me in all forms! But I am not going to be hard on myself as Monday I picked up straight off and did a very strong & dare I say it enjoyable 3.4 miler & tonight I did a great session in the gym including another 50 sit ups.
I'll keep ya posted :o)
Mile o meter 32.3 miles - This means that so far I have run the equivalent of from my house to Aviemore High street!
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Special People!
Evening Everyone!
Well as I promised here is my first update of the week not a huge amount to report but progress all the same!
After my 3 miler & self butt kick on Sunday I knew Monday would be a right off as we were hosting a "Drinks & Nibbles" party for B&B friends. Cleverly managed to slip on our back door step & fall flat on my backside with quite a thud...... NO I hadn't been drinking! Infact at least if I had I'd have an excuse just to randomly fall over! Lump & cut on my knee & a cut hand, but mostly my pride that was damaged!!
Didn't put me off though as yesterday I took my self to the gym for an hours cross training session. I did the bike, cross trainer & treadmill & then treated myself to 50 (yes 50) sit ups/crunchies (not of the chocolate variety!!) to finish off with :o)
SEE... I told you I was going to get right into it again.... and there is a reason why.... you wanna know??!! Well have a seat & I'll begin...............WARNING... I do go on a bit but there is a moral to my story I promise!
When I started running (1st Jan 2008) it was a new years resolution to basically get fit. I remember so clearly running round the block & getting home nearly on deaths door, breathing like I was having an asthma attack, coughing like I smoked 40 a day and generally feeling mortified at how unfit I was. I couldn't let this put me off, I had to do something about the shape I was in! Every other day I ran around the block until it got easier and from then on I added a bit to my route to make my runs longer. At the time I was working at Nationwide still & my colleague Andrew (who is an annoyingly superb natural runner!!) was very supportive & encouraged me continue & helped me with running related questions etc. I remember so clearly the day that I went into the office & was SO proud of myself for running 2 miles! I thought I had this running lark sussed & it sparked a conversation about my dream of always wanting to run the London Marathon. It was that day that I decided that if I worked hard enough & I knew it would be tough, but with Andrews belief in me I could do it or at least give it a bloody good go!!! So I got myself a charity place & because it was his fault I dragged Andrew along to do it aswell!!
It was amazing once I started to tell my close friends & family that I was doing the London Marathon how many people were excited for me. Some of them knew what a big deal it was to me as I had mentioned it before & some of them were just generally excited for me that I was rising to the big challenge of running 26.2 miles. But I was overwhelmed by the support & encouragement & the sense of no doubt from people that I was going to do it. This alone is one hell of a massive motivator!
It got the the October 2008 & I had only managed to raise my mileage up to 6 miles, I had experienced shin pains & niggles & my confidence was dropping. At the time of the Lochness marathon I met alot of runners who were staying with us at the guest house & when talking to them I told them about my story & my training & they were polite & chatted to me but I could see that they were thinking "ammature runner wanting to do a fun run" I was quite disheartened & realised that there are some elite runners out there that don't have an ounce of encourgement for people to take up running unless they are quick/natural athelete types & I swore on that day that I would NEVER ever discourage someone for taking up running/jogging how ever slow they were. I remembered how the support from people like Andrew, who told me to keep going even when I felt I was doing naff helped like you wouldn't believe! And thats when I met Sue.....
Sue came to stay with me a few days after the marathon & we got chatting. It wasn't long before I found out that she has just run Lochness as her 50th....yes 50th Marathon!!!!! WOW!!! I simply could not stop asking her questions & advice & she chatted to me with passion about running & training plans etc etc I was utterly inspired! 50 marathons & she treated it like it was no big deal & one day I could say the same. Not a hint of "I'm an elite runner" but lashings of encouragement & enthusiasm. I was struggling with a training plan & Sue said when she got back to Canada she would email me some information to help. How nice of her, I thought, but I didn't think she would.......True to her word she emailed me & not only did she offer to basically mentor me to Marathon day she emailed me a tailor made plan after asking me loads of questions & emailed me every week to get progress & help me through my run up (excuse the pun) to the big day. I am delighted to now class Sue as one of my very dear friends & cannot believe my luck that she came to stay with me that day. We still speak as often as we can & she has now moved the encouragement onto kicking my butt when it is needed....& boy am I grateful!
There is a point to my ramblings.... There is so much more I want to say on this subject & could go on forever but really my point is I need to be fired up again to complete my massive challenge ahead in 2010 & the reason I am feeling fired up again is because, how can I not be when I have had the level of support that people have shown me since I started running??!! I know I have only picked out Andrew & Sue as examples on this post but there have been SO many of you who have supported, encouraged, comforted, inspired, motivated & most of all believed in me. And quite frankly I simply could never thank you all enough, so I am going to think of all the things I have just said when I am at mile 3 of 7 and want to give up & make it give me fire in my belly to carry on & this will be one way of showing you all that I appreciate all you have done for me!!! :o)
Well as I promised here is my first update of the week not a huge amount to report but progress all the same!
After my 3 miler & self butt kick on Sunday I knew Monday would be a right off as we were hosting a "Drinks & Nibbles" party for B&B friends. Cleverly managed to slip on our back door step & fall flat on my backside with quite a thud...... NO I hadn't been drinking! Infact at least if I had I'd have an excuse just to randomly fall over! Lump & cut on my knee & a cut hand, but mostly my pride that was damaged!!
Didn't put me off though as yesterday I took my self to the gym for an hours cross training session. I did the bike, cross trainer & treadmill & then treated myself to 50 (yes 50) sit ups/crunchies (not of the chocolate variety!!) to finish off with :o)
SEE... I told you I was going to get right into it again.... and there is a reason why.... you wanna know??!! Well have a seat & I'll begin...............WARNING... I do go on a bit but there is a moral to my story I promise!
When I started running (1st Jan 2008) it was a new years resolution to basically get fit. I remember so clearly running round the block & getting home nearly on deaths door, breathing like I was having an asthma attack, coughing like I smoked 40 a day and generally feeling mortified at how unfit I was. I couldn't let this put me off, I had to do something about the shape I was in! Every other day I ran around the block until it got easier and from then on I added a bit to my route to make my runs longer. At the time I was working at Nationwide still & my colleague Andrew (who is an annoyingly superb natural runner!!) was very supportive & encouraged me continue & helped me with running related questions etc. I remember so clearly the day that I went into the office & was SO proud of myself for running 2 miles! I thought I had this running lark sussed & it sparked a conversation about my dream of always wanting to run the London Marathon. It was that day that I decided that if I worked hard enough & I knew it would be tough, but with Andrews belief in me I could do it or at least give it a bloody good go!!! So I got myself a charity place & because it was his fault I dragged Andrew along to do it aswell!!
It was amazing once I started to tell my close friends & family that I was doing the London Marathon how many people were excited for me. Some of them knew what a big deal it was to me as I had mentioned it before & some of them were just generally excited for me that I was rising to the big challenge of running 26.2 miles. But I was overwhelmed by the support & encouragement & the sense of no doubt from people that I was going to do it. This alone is one hell of a massive motivator!
It got the the October 2008 & I had only managed to raise my mileage up to 6 miles, I had experienced shin pains & niggles & my confidence was dropping. At the time of the Lochness marathon I met alot of runners who were staying with us at the guest house & when talking to them I told them about my story & my training & they were polite & chatted to me but I could see that they were thinking "ammature runner wanting to do a fun run" I was quite disheartened & realised that there are some elite runners out there that don't have an ounce of encourgement for people to take up running unless they are quick/natural athelete types & I swore on that day that I would NEVER ever discourage someone for taking up running/jogging how ever slow they were. I remembered how the support from people like Andrew, who told me to keep going even when I felt I was doing naff helped like you wouldn't believe! And thats when I met Sue.....
Sue came to stay with me a few days after the marathon & we got chatting. It wasn't long before I found out that she has just run Lochness as her 50th....yes 50th Marathon!!!!! WOW!!! I simply could not stop asking her questions & advice & she chatted to me with passion about running & training plans etc etc I was utterly inspired! 50 marathons & she treated it like it was no big deal & one day I could say the same. Not a hint of "I'm an elite runner" but lashings of encouragement & enthusiasm. I was struggling with a training plan & Sue said when she got back to Canada she would email me some information to help. How nice of her, I thought, but I didn't think she would.......True to her word she emailed me & not only did she offer to basically mentor me to Marathon day she emailed me a tailor made plan after asking me loads of questions & emailed me every week to get progress & help me through my run up (excuse the pun) to the big day. I am delighted to now class Sue as one of my very dear friends & cannot believe my luck that she came to stay with me that day. We still speak as often as we can & she has now moved the encouragement onto kicking my butt when it is needed....& boy am I grateful!
There is a point to my ramblings.... There is so much more I want to say on this subject & could go on forever but really my point is I need to be fired up again to complete my massive challenge ahead in 2010 & the reason I am feeling fired up again is because, how can I not be when I have had the level of support that people have shown me since I started running??!! I know I have only picked out Andrew & Sue as examples on this post but there have been SO many of you who have supported, encouraged, comforted, inspired, motivated & most of all believed in me. And quite frankly I simply could never thank you all enough, so I am going to think of all the things I have just said when I am at mile 3 of 7 and want to give up & make it give me fire in my belly to carry on & this will be one way of showing you all that I appreciate all you have done for me!!! :o)
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Apologies!!!
Hello Everyone!!
I'm so sorry I haven't sent an update for a while, well a week in fact! It really has been all go!! And not a great deal of training has been done to be totally honest! You must be thinking....how on earth is this girl going to run one marathon, let alone 2 in 4 weeks!! Well you just watch this space................
So, last week I had my lovely friend Sarah come & visit me & we did have the terrible misfortune of a pamper day to suffer ;o) Oh, it was awful having to lie there while I was massaged with lovely scented oils & then if that wasn't enough to endure I had a facial & head massage.... I hope you realise I am doing all this suffering for you guys! I won't mention the afternoon spent in the sauna, steam room & jacuzzi as that may be rubbing it in a little...... Never fear, when I start racking up the miles & I have to go for a sports massage...believe me... you will get your revenge as that is painful stuff!!!!!!
I did however attend my Thursday night Circuits class & I REALLY tried hard this week and I am not joking. I did as many of the press ups in the proper stylee not the girly way! And how delighted was I that I left the class without feeling like I was going to be violently sick...BONUS!
I did go out today for my first run in a wee while. I did 3 miles at an average pace of 12 mins per mile which isn't rocket fast but to be honest I was so pre occupied with all that I have going on & needed to do today I cut the run short. Come January, this WILL NOT happen as I can't afford to do it but for today it was best for me not to carry on. Apart from tomorrow, when I am hosting a little get together for B&B friends, the week is looking a bit clearer so I really am hoping to get back into the swing of my training properly & may even go for a few runs & the gym....go steady... it may be like proper training ;o)
This brings my mile 'o' meter to 28.9 miles & you know what I am actually quite embarrassed to even type that at the moment & feel I have let you all down by being so rubbish! Excuse me while I kick my own butt..........
I'll keep you updated a bit more too!!! Thanks for reading, I love it when people tell me they have ready my blog & have been following what I have been doing. Thanks so much for taking the time to read!!! Please feel free to post a comment or send me an email via my website to say 'Hi' I love hearing from you all x x
I'm so sorry I haven't sent an update for a while, well a week in fact! It really has been all go!! And not a great deal of training has been done to be totally honest! You must be thinking....how on earth is this girl going to run one marathon, let alone 2 in 4 weeks!! Well you just watch this space................
So, last week I had my lovely friend Sarah come & visit me & we did have the terrible misfortune of a pamper day to suffer ;o) Oh, it was awful having to lie there while I was massaged with lovely scented oils & then if that wasn't enough to endure I had a facial & head massage.... I hope you realise I am doing all this suffering for you guys! I won't mention the afternoon spent in the sauna, steam room & jacuzzi as that may be rubbing it in a little...... Never fear, when I start racking up the miles & I have to go for a sports massage...believe me... you will get your revenge as that is painful stuff!!!!!!
I did however attend my Thursday night Circuits class & I REALLY tried hard this week and I am not joking. I did as many of the press ups in the proper stylee not the girly way! And how delighted was I that I left the class without feeling like I was going to be violently sick...BONUS!
I did go out today for my first run in a wee while. I did 3 miles at an average pace of 12 mins per mile which isn't rocket fast but to be honest I was so pre occupied with all that I have going on & needed to do today I cut the run short. Come January, this WILL NOT happen as I can't afford to do it but for today it was best for me not to carry on. Apart from tomorrow, when I am hosting a little get together for B&B friends, the week is looking a bit clearer so I really am hoping to get back into the swing of my training properly & may even go for a few runs & the gym....go steady... it may be like proper training ;o)
This brings my mile 'o' meter to 28.9 miles & you know what I am actually quite embarrassed to even type that at the moment & feel I have let you all down by being so rubbish! Excuse me while I kick my own butt..........
I'll keep you updated a bit more too!!! Thanks for reading, I love it when people tell me they have ready my blog & have been following what I have been doing. Thanks so much for taking the time to read!!! Please feel free to post a comment or send me an email via my website to say 'Hi' I love hearing from you all x x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
