10.23 miles run

I didn't know how the run was going to go after attending the HHHO Ball last night. Not getting to sleep until 2:30am and getting at 7:30am to run is not ideal 🤣 As I didn't drink last night (except for the one Sambuca) I felt okay. I ate the meal and drunk lots of water.

I forgot my water bottle so I didn't have any water until 3 or 4 miles in until I found a place open to buy water. I didn't have aches and pains in my legs though the first few miles seemed heavy. Then I found some nice roads to run down and completed a couple of laps. I think I would have been quicker if I had found those roads first. 

The run plan was : 

Run 2 hours (25 min jog, 5 min brisk walk) x 4, or 8-10 miles.  

I try and avoid the 5 brisk walk in between (secretly worried my brisk walking speed is quicker than my jogging speed!). 

So I ran 10.23 miles just because I was so close to the hotel and felt fine. 

Currently standing on a 2 hour journey surrounded by thankfully quiet United and  Newcastle supportets down for the final! Chiltern trains are not built for passengers with suitcases! Legs are starting to ache now... 

Next week's plan: 

Tuesday: 40 mins easy run

Body Balance

Wednesday 

Body Pump

Body Balance (if Vicki)

Thursday 

run 48 mins (10 min easy run (4 min tempo run, 3 min wak/jog) x 4, 10 min easy run)

Saturday

Body Balance (if I get a space)

I think Pump as well will be too much

Sunday

Run 2 hours (28 min jog, 2 min brisk walk) x 4, or 10-15 miles

I am running the Battersea Half Marathon the following Saturday so I might try for that distance. 

HHHO Ball

Had a fantastic night for HHHO Ball. Our friend Matty always gets a table.  Caught up with some Help Harry Help Others friends, I can't thank Harry enough for the friendships I have made through the charity. I haven't seen most of them for 4 years. Suzanne unfortunately was poorly so couldn't attend.

                        Me and Carla

The food was delicious. I had to keep taking photographs of my friend Jonathan's food as I kept starting to eat mine! 

I also meet two School Business Managers who I tweet with so it was really nice to meet Andrea and Shirley. They were sitting on the TEL Group table. I had my one and only drink paid for the owner David - Sumbuca as I was running this morning. 

This year the Ball was celebrating 10 years since the Charity was sent up. It would have been Harry's 23rd Birthday on 22nd February. The evening was an important reminder of how special Harry was. He raised £370,000 before he died by making bracelets, organising events to sell them, sponsored events, schools initiative (telling pupils about making and selling bracelets) and visiting business where he would have the attention of the whole audience from business, celebrities and football teams, some of which are still involved in HHHO.

Georgie, Harry's mum and my friend, set up the charity to continue Harry's dream to help raise money to help those with Cancer and also their families. Something that was needed but missing when Harry and his friend Robert were so poorly. We saw a recap of some of things HHHO does to support those with Cancer and their families. 

See https://hhho.org.uk/about-us/

Gave me even more inspiration to train and complete the London Marathon to raise money for this wonderful charity. 

59 days to go - Busy Wednesday

3 miles 

Had a good run yesterday morning. 40 minutes and it mostly felt good except for the last quarter of a mile. It was a good run, completely different from last week's mid-week runs.

Body Pump

Managed to get there early so had 30 minutes extra time writing up my TMA (deadline is today). Always a great class and it wasn't too bad except for the lunges. 

Body Balance 

Probably the last week of Vicki covering so I probably will not stay after pump next week. My friend Ana came to her first Body Balance class yesterday so that was really nice.  

Rest Day today

Rested today so I'm hoping I will be okay tomorrow - 50 mins. I will try and and not be up too late with my TMA! 

Body Balance and a new bag

I love my new bag - it is a life saver. My connecting train was cancelled again this morning so I had to walk 25 minutes from the train station. Previously with three bags, I would have had to wait half an hour for the train but with this bag, I had no problem walking it. Also means that I am not taking up too much space on transport nor in the studio. I brought it from Decathlon with my discount from work. 

It was lovely to be back at Body Balance today. I have really missed it. Roz missed me too as we both do an easier move instead of Wildthings and she had to do it herself! 

I was planning to go running this morning however I've been up really late the last two nights as my next TMA is due on Thursday! 

Tomorrow morning - 40 mins run

Body Pump with my sister and then Balance.

Thursday rest

Friday - 50 mins run

Saturday - Football at 9:30am then straight to London to catch the train to Solihull. Cannot wait for the HHHO Ball! 

Sunday - 2 hours or 8 - 10 miles in Solihull!

Home 

8 mile run non-stop

Yes 8 miles run ✅️. Maybe I just need to accept that my long runs are easier for me than shorter faster runs. I was a little worried after my 2 short runs this week.  

I had the choice of 30 mins run and 5 mins x 3 (1 hour 45 mins) or 8 miles. I set up MyZone with the intervals just in case but I really wanted to run it non-stop (excluding traffic light waits ✋️). When the alarm went off after the first interval of 30 mins, I felt fine so I carried on. 

The numbness is my ankles was still there. After 6 miles, I could feel my body recognising that we were running longer than normal. I had an energy gel at 1 hour 20mins as I need to get used to them on the run. Was pleased to finish the run, i

My mind was saying stop running, no carry on for the last quarter of a mile. Now that I have finished, my left ankle on its right side is tender so I need to keep an eye on that. 

Average pace 12:10 so happy with that! I make sure that I was drinking water throughout the day yesterday and had pasta last night. 

I am hoping to get to Body Balance x 2 and Body Pump and another 3 runs! 

 

Struggled again today

I struggled again today, this time pain in my lower back on the left hand side. Of course, the pain stopped not long after I finished, which is obviously a good thing. 

I have switched from Runner's World's plan back to the London Marathon's beginner plan as I think it fits in with me much better. The long runs are pretty much the same but the RW's wanted me to run 4-5 times a week and I cannot fit that in and my legs need time to recover. 

I think I am really missing out on Body Balance at the moment and not stretching out my whole body. However, cat sitting last week, work football and Uni hasn't allowed that last week or this week. Hopefully back to normal next week. 

       A reminder of why I am doing this x 

Next run: Sunday

Run 1 hour 45 min (30 min jog, 5 min brisk walk) x 3, or 8 miles!! Longest run so far has been the 2 x 10Ks (6.3 miles) 

Pins and Needles

I have 3 fears about the marathon:

Being injured

My IBS playing up

It being too hot

Yesterday, I have the perfect chance to run. I woke up without an alarm and although I was planning to go to my best friend's house, I was good for time. However, the night before and the morning, my IBS was playing up. Resulting in me not wanting to drink a lot upsetting my stomach more. Which resulted in an unsuccessful run.

My usual numbness turned into pins and needles while I was running. So I think I only ran for 20 minutes instead of 30 and then walked back with my feet still hurting. 

1:13:14 Battersea 10K

I enjoyed that run. I don't know why I was so worried. My friend Tish was there to support me and was cheering me on at the end of each lap. I think she enjoyed it and I certainly appreciated the support. I felt quite emotional when I saw her the first time. I am just so pleased that I am running again and a part of me cannot believe that I am doing it. 

I actually enjoyed running in laps, which I didn't think I would.  I made a deliberate decision to ignore those around me and run my own race, I didn't want to go off too fast. The route was also the 5K route as well. The fast runners obviously lapped me and then non-competitors were also running in amongst us so it all felt fine.

I think the first 1k included walking through the start. 

I was talking to a lady at the start of her 5K race. 77 and completed 33 marathons, starting at the age of 47! She had been abroad for a month and hadn't completed any exercise in that time so she was getting back into it. How amazing is she? 

I had put my MyZone belt on when I went to the Portaloo with my Bluetooth off but MyZone was still recording before and after. I may have to get the next version which you can put on your wrist instead. 

Battersea Park 10k

Currently on my way to Battersea Park to participate in their 10k. Feeling very nervous (not anxious I'm glad to say), more to do with the bits before the race; signing in, standing around, the warm up etc. When I use to run I had my husband and friends with me during those moments.  My friend Tish is coming to watch me. 

The actual race I am slightly worried about my stomach (it was playing up this morning), various parts of my body hurting too much, starting off too fast and going around in laps (I prefer not going over the same ground, easier to think about just putting a step in front. 

I only run 30 minutes on Thursday so my legs should feel okay but we will see!! 

25 mins run - difficult week

I'm glad that I attended the Meeting Our Experts Panel as this is a challenging week in terms of distractions.  Martin Yelling said that the training wouldn't always been smooth and that you will become ill etc. The buses and trains are even more of a nightmare than usual at the moment. 

I was not feeling 100% on Monday. I'm cat sitting at the moment, which I love but is slightly getting in the way of training and classes. My next TMA is in two weeks and work seems to be full of meetings at the moment. So on Monday whilst walking to cat sit, I felt not quite with it and my IBS has been playing up, so I worked from home. 

Yesterday I ran 25 minutes. It wasn't much faster than my 10k time but it after Monday I'm okay with that.

I didn't manage to get to Body Balance on time yesterday as I couldn't needed to feed the cat and then get back to complete some Uni work.  I think it will be the dame tonight as well so missing Body Pump and Body Balance. 

As I ran the 25 minutes on Tuesday instead of Monday, I need to re-think the next run as I am running Battersea 10K on Saturday. Therefore instead of the planned 55 minutes today, I'm going to run 30-35 minutes tomorrow. Rest day Friday and then ready for Saturday morning.

10K and Meet Our Panel

I ran 10K this morning and it felt okay. I knew from my cycling days a rough route which was nearly 3 miles one way so I just added on a couple of extra roads.  The pace was 12:19 per mile so getting faster.  One of the achievements was PB 5K. It is not really my fastest as that was years ago but my fastest time recently.  

After watching the school football sadly lose, I went to the London Marathon Meet Our Panel meeting.

I listened to: 

Martin Yelling talking about training tips

Paul Hobrough on injuries and prevention 

Anita Bean on nutrition 

Born Barikor on fuelling

Haroon Mota on Fundraising

New Balance - had a few good products

Helen Thorn on her Marathon journey 

And Lisa Thompson from the Marathon on what to expect.

All very useful and very real!!

And Lisa Thompson 

80 days to go and Meet Our Panel

80 days to go now and I have received my e-ticket for the Meet Our Experts Panel this Saturday. Getting very real now.

Had a rest day yesterday and no jogging or classes planned for today. Need to run 10k (6.2miles) tomorrow morning. Longest run recently has been 4.6 miles.  Then watch the school play football and then off for the chat. 

Now to plan the route I'm going to run/walk tomorrow. 

Busy Wednesday

It was hard going this morning jogging for 50 minutes after running 20 minutes (at a faster pace) yesterday.  It was nice to run a little later as it wasn't dark so I could take a slightly different route. 

This evening, I participated in Body Pump and Body Balance. I thought they would really hurt but it didn't (except lunges, as standard).

Rest days Thursday and Friday!