The Last Word

It is with some sadness and a lot of relief that I pen my last Marathon Woman blog post. As many of you will know by now Teresa and I completed it in a time of 5 hours 29 minutes and 6 seconds having run the whole thing in very mixed weather conditions.

Rather than take you step by step through the race (I don't really want to write all of that and I'm pretty sure you don't want to read all of that) I'll summarise the before, during and after and maybe just sentimentally reflect on our (all together now) 'Journey' that brought us to this point.

Before: Well Edinburgh is absolutely beautiful and I'm so glad we made a long weekend of it and got to enjoy some of the city. The Hilton was also a great shout and we made good use of the pool facilities to relax us the evening before! I think if I could go back and do any of the preparation again I wouldn't change it. Mentally we were in a good place, we'd eaten a good amount but of (mostly) sensible stuff and it felt good to finally be on the brink of an event that had been hanging over us since December and had basically consumed our time, energy, thoughts and relationships for many months.

I think I was at my most nervous on the Saturday. A continuous stream of good luck messages was brilliant but served as an ever present reminder of what we had to accomplish and that many many people would be waiting for a favourable report the next day. I also think for the week before I had deliberately not thought about the challenge that lay ahead, lest I become overwhelmed, and with time just to relax and think over the weekend those thoughts came to the forefront of my mind. Sunday morning was a long morning. An early breakfast of very exciting porridge and fruit, then a long wait around. When we finally made our way to the start line (having the debate of do I try and do one more wee or just hope for the best) we were ready. We chatted to a few like minded people who we saw then on the way round and at the finish, and the excitement and expectation was very very tangible. Steve and Farley took our bags wished us well, then we were on our own. Us against the world!


It was a great experience though. And I'm very privileged to have done the whole thing with Tree, even to the point of crossing the line in exactly the same time. We in turn provided much amusement for our fellow runners. Having followed advice to write our names on our shirts (best tip we received, SO many passersby shouted encouragement and just hearing random people calling out your name was such a lift), we also decided to write a little slogan. Teresa went with 'she made me do it' with an accusatory arrow pointing in my direction, and I fought back with 'she said it would be fun'. We had a lot of laughs and conversations with people on the way round and each one put a smile on our faces that took us a little bit further.


Also having determined not to eat any sweets from strangers on the way (we hadn't done it in training, so I wasn't going to do it in the race), at the first kindly family holding out a packet of jelly babies I just thought 'screw it' and proceeded to accept the generosity of every sweetie giver-outerer from that point onward.

After: The first thing I did when I crossed the line (apart from stop running) was cry. And the first thing I said was 'I'm never doing that again'. But my short term memory has kicked in once again and I'm already pondering if perhaps I may do another marathon or two in future. I still can't actually believe we did it. I sort of knew in my head that we would but it wasn't until probably mile 22 that I actually knew that we would, and that we wouldn't walk, and I think I was fighting the emotion from then on.

When we eventually found our way to the runners area afterwards we were greeted by big hugs and Creme Eggs. WHOOP! We had a very long walk to the buses back to the city centre, which probably aided recovery, and were certainly in a much better condition than some casualties who hobbled across the line with crimson socks from bleeding feet. Unfortunately, after a week of being sensible and looking longingly at the desserts and drink we were going to enjoy on Sunday evening, I was just too tired to indulge! (well that's a lie, we did attack a monster brownie dessert between the four of us but I think it's only fair!)

We had been forewarned of a feeling of depression following the event, and this really hit me on Monday and Tuesday. Probably not helped by the long journey back from bonny Scotland but for us we had experienced the elation on Sunday, received the congratulations etc and enjoyed the plaudits. What follows is days and days of being asked expectantly 'how was it? did you enjoy it?' and struggling to answer with the enthusiasm that is expected of you by the asker. I must have seemed quite rude to many of you, and I apologise and thank you for your enquiries and support, but even though it's a relief it's all over, there is a disappointment and a sadness that what you have invested so much of yourself in is now accomplished, which is why so many people immediately ask of themselves 'what's next?'!

What's Next?! So, what is next? Well, on the running front I will keep training over the summer (my body has now recovered sufficiently that I can think of this without trepidation) and am looking forward to a half marathon in September with my brother. I think for me the next challenge will be non-athletic. I have relationships I need to now invest more time into, an exciting summer of seeing friends and family ahead, and things I want to get more involved in at my church like youth work and house group. Plus two months and amazingly the football season will have rolled round again. So I think I'm quite busy enough!

So this is it for now, the end of Marathon Woman (not the end of me but the end of the, one more time, 'Journey' that started with me not being able to run for more than 30seconds nonstop and finished with five and a half hours of continuous, albeit slow and steady, running). Thank you so much for your support, money, prayers and belief in us. This is the first thing I've taken up and really stuck at so it really is possible to achieve stuff if you persevere. Right, that's enough from Oprah Winfrey, thanks again everyone!

Can I have my Easter egg now please Mark?!

Here We Go...

2 days 20 hours 52 minutes and 25 seconds remaining. According to the official Edinburgh Marathon website. Last day at work today, and I'm racking my brain to make sure everything is in place to take.

Realised I had made a bit of a faux pas yesterday when looking at the bumpf and the course route. For some reason, in my head, cities are like Bath, where I went to uni. Full of history and culture, and also small enough to walk across in an hour or so. However there are of course larger cities. Like London or Edinburgh, that you just cannot walk across in an hour. So when looking at the position of the start line (about 100 yards from the hotel) and the finish line (about 6-7 miles from the start) I realised that there may be a slight issue post race.

Now I have to hold my hands up and say that Teresa did bring to my attention weeks ago the availability of shuttle bus passes from the finish back to the start. And my reaction was something like '(laughing) oh no my dear friend, we don't want to waste money on something like that, we'll just walk as our cool down, it won't be far that'. FOOL! And I heartily apologise to Tree!

Now rather fortuitously, the bus tickets, sold on a first some first served basis, were still available yesterday and have now been purchased, downloaded and printed ready for the off. That would have been a very nasty shock after the elation of finishing! I'm sure in years gone by we would look back and laugh at my foolish naivety, but that's only if The others were still speaking to me :(

I did my last run yesterday evening. Just a short and steady 2.5miles to keep my legs ticking over. Mr Minstrel has helped me along on the carbo loading front today and despite the constant nervous buzz in my tummy I am finding I am able to eat quite well.

There really isn't much more we can do now except rest up and fuel up and trust in the preparation we have done. I had read on the official website that there would be some televised coverage, for those that have asked, but I can't find any trace of this in Sky TV listings. Pity.

I'm sure you will all be eagerly awaiting the next instalment, no turning back now!

2 days 20 hours 39 minutes and 59, 58, 57, 56....

Reality Check

Reality is starting to bite today.

I went for a 4mile run Monday night which I very much enjoyed, took it easy, and the legs felt good. My last run will be tonight, another easy 4miles and then important rest and fuelling up for Sunday. SUNDAY!!!!

My race number and timing chip came through Monday and I was very excited when I got home, and that is excitement is definitely there today as I print off all the paperwork I need and start to think about what to pack. But today another emotion has come to settle in my stomach. I wouldn't go so far as to call it dread. But I think fear would be an accurate description.

I guess fear of the unknown. Fear of death, well maybe not death but fear of pain. But most of all my old nemesis- fear of failure. I'm not entirely sure what would constitute failure at this stage. Not finishing it would obviously be gutting but I'm confident that we have prepared as best we can and as we are both very determined we will finish, unless we have medical problems and are forced to pull out by the marshals. But even if we come in way over our desired time, compared to where we started and just how far we have come, we are a success. And I think for both of us, having lots of interests and being perhaps a bit flighty at times (me certainly), this is the first thing that we've really taken up and stuck with, so that in itself is also a huge achievement.

So now we're at the bit I was really looking forward to- eating. I excel at eating, always have done :) But my recklessness seems to have disappeared and instead of reaching for 1kg of Dairy Milk I'm going with bagels, fruit, pasta, rice etc. How very exciting. Maybe I am finally growing up.

Nah!

(As a little aside I did buy 6 Creme Eggs for £1 yesterday at Farm Foods, bit of free advertising, but can confirm all six are still present and correct in their unopened packaging and will be waiting for us at the finishing line on Sunday. Well maybe not all 6 in one go! Depends how much pain we are in and whether eating ourselves into a Creme Egg induced coma will help numb that pain).

The forecast looks ideal. About 12 degrees, overcast/ raining, stereotypical Scotland really!

I expect you will get one more broadcast from me tomorrow then silence until it is all over. We will be setting off at 6.45am on Friday morning for the long drive and returning sometime Monday evening, triumphant but exhausted I would imagine.

A final plea, please please consider sponsoring us if you haven't already. As cliched as it is, knowing that we are doing this not only as a personal achievement but to raise money for an excellent cause will really help when the fatigue hits :D

The Final Countdown

well, we're both on countdown mode now. This time next week we will be on our way back from the great city of Edinburgh, probably stopping at every Burger King on the way down :)

6 days to go and the hard graft of preparation has been put in and is now behind us. This week I have two more runs left to do, tonight and Wednesday, both of which will be about 4-5 miles but pretty gentle just to keep the legs ticking over and keep my head in the game. And lots of eating soon.

The weekend wasn't as diligent in eating as it could have been, what with it being Eurovision, but I stayed away from chocolate and indulgences were limited to Chinese and cake. And I did run. I'm still focusing on the protein for the next couple of days to continue to aid muscle repair and then Wednesday onwards I will start to reduce the protein and up the intake of complex carbohydrates. Although advice says you can feast on sugary carbs as it will all be stored as glycogen, I want to try, as far as is possible, to keep focused, to fuel up with carbs that are mainly lower in fat, so as to avoid the sluggish feeling that can come from too much chocolatey type stuff.

My excitement is building now. I'm trying not to think too much about the pain that lies ahead but I am really happy with the efforts we have put nto the preparation and I firmly believe that will pay off on race day. Also hoping this glorious overcast weather holds as that would be ideal race day conditions.

Thank you for your ongoing support. If you are able please consider supporting us via our justgiving page- www.justgiving.com/sueandteresa

We'll do the hard work on Sunday on your behalf!

11 days to go- Taper Time :)

Early yesterday morning I was doing some more research on the Internet on tapering- the preparation period in the couple of weeks before a marathon when your running tapers down and your eating increases. Goody I thought. The advice I read yesterday, from a good source, Runners' World magazine, actually advised a 3 week prep period with the long run (20miles) last weekend, as opposed to the 2 week period I'd previously read about. Hmm, I thought, well it's a bit late for that now as we'd planned all along to do 20miles yesterday then ease down from there. So, we decided to go for the 20 and stick with original plans.

I did everything to spec for marathon day, down to clothing etc as well. And when I put on my red Ormiston running vest not only was I pleasantly surprised by the reflection in the mirror (contrary to popular belief Lycra can cover a multitude of sins if it's particularly supportive) but I felt very excited for the first time, and really quite proud.

So anyway, got to Tree's, had a mini photo shoot in our gear (will get some pics up later) and got ready to hit the road. It was hot, really not nice to run in. Tree wasn't relishing the thought of running for longer than she'd had hours sleep (poor Tree didn't get back from a weekend away until the early hours to face the prospect of a 20miler in sunny Colchester) but determined to do it.

We were going ok, pacing ourselves, focused on the task ahead then out of nowhere Tree suffered a bit of a panic attack at 9 miles. Never had one before, not sure what caused it, but pretty scary. So, once Tree had calmed down and got her breath we walked for a few hundred yards then a gentle jog the last half mile back to the house. By this point Tree was absolutely fine, back to normal but...

One of the things we have developed in this training is adaptability and as much as it would have been a psychological boost to know we'd done the magic 20 before race day, you also need to be sensible and to react to circumstances as they arise. So we regrouped at Tree's, filled up on water, packed our swimming things, and did another 4.5miles ish with back packs (for me that was worse than the ten without, so uncomfortable!) to the local pool/ mini spa where we then enjoyed an afternoon of switching between jacuzzis, steam rooms and the cold plunge (me, not Tree, chicken ;D) all in the name of aiding blood flow to muscles and boosting recovery. And it really did help. I can actually walk up stairs today. I also bopped down to a low cupboard and up again. Accompanied by a loud cracking sounds form my knees but still an improvement on last time!

So, tapering. The RW plan was something like- 3 weekends before 20 miles (we did 18 so not too far off :S), 2 weekend before 12-14miles (14.5, get in), 1 weekend before 8-10miles (you'll be lucky! Pretty busy, might be able to squeeze in 5-7 miles). Also meant to be doing short runs (no more than 4miles) on some of the days in between. So not quite the restful week of eating I'd previously envisaged but I will do whatever I have to in order to be as prepared as possible in the last couple of weeks.

Eating wise, we've now upped our protein for a few days to aid muscle repair and recovery and decreased carbs a little to balance the calorie intake. My last run will be either next Wednesday or Thursday afternoon and it'll probably be next Wednesday onwards that I will properly carb it up. Lots of pasta and bread and fruit and veg. Good fats are also advised, nuts, seeds etc, vitamin C as our immune systems are vulnerable with all this intense running malarky. Any chocolate etc will be stored as glycogen, so it's all valid, but I'm going to try and just be a bit restrained and sensible and go for the complex carbs that are lower in fat. High trans-fats are out (bye bye icecream) and Sensible Sue is here.

But even with just 11 days to go the battle this afternoon has been Minstrels or no Minstrels? It's a no-brainer really, to have come this far the answer is (of course) no Minstrels. And I've held out (mini cheer for me, whoop!), but I do need to get a grip on my chocolate consumption habits because once the running dies down they'll be no saving grace for my tummy anymore!

Please keep supporting us to the bitter end!!!!

13 days and 1 long training run to go :)

We're so very nearly there. I lost focus a little with my eating again this week but not disastrously. Well, not by my definition of disastrous anyway. A couple of short runs, Friday and this morning, and my knees have recovered from last Monday ready to go again tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be hard. 20 miles but a familiar circuit so we'll have a realistic idea of how far round we are which I prefer. I like to have that mental control and to know what's coming. The forecast is 21 degrees and bright sunshine which is far from ideal as we'll be starting at 10am- the same as actual race day so we can prepare food wise as we will then- and running for about 4 hours through the hottest part of the day. But, as much as we're hoping otherwise, it really could be like that on race day the way the summer is going so far so at least we'll have practised in that.

It's in sight now. I'm still pretty happy with our preparation, we've followed all the knowledge and advice we've been given, and I think that will pay off on the day. Ideally I'd be carrying about 2 stone less around but at least I have strong leg muscles as a result :S

It's really good to know that we only have one more long run before the event, when we will want to savour every moment and feel rightly proud of what we will achieve! I had a bit of a breakthrough this week in that I really really enjoyed the run I did Friday morning. It was only 5 miles but it was absolutely glorious and I think I can finally say that I'm a runner. Looking forward to early morning summer runs when this is over when the air is fresh and the bugs are still asleep!

Once again thanks for all your support so far. Keep supporting us to the very end, we'll need it!

Behaving Myself :(

Eating good stuff is no fun! What I would really like to do is go ito town after work, and buy a big bag of chocolate buttons to eat while watching a film tonight. And even though I've got to drag myself round 26 miles in 2 and a half weeks I probably would if I didn't have to admit to it on here. So, today- cereal, an apple, tuna sandwich, mini ryvitas, a yoghurt. Gosh, what an exciting life I lead! This afternoon, will probably have a banana. Liver, potatoes and veg for dinner (get those iron levels up!), and maybe some strawberries and a meringue nest for dessert. Whoop!!! :)

Hippos Really Can Run

Sitting here recovering from this morning's run so I thought I'd update you all with our progress (I will aim to update more frequently in the lead up to the marathon). We did 18miles this morning and very glad to have done that and battled through. It was a battle at times, mentally and physically, but apart from a brief water and comfort stop at Tree's after 10miles (scheduled in!) we ran it all. We both hit a wall. Not sure if it's 'THE' wall, or if there's worse to come on the day but we kept going. I also managed to run into a piece of sharp wire sticking out from something so now have a 6 inch gash on my leg (not as dramatic as I'm making it sound) plus a hole in my favoured pair of running trousers :(

I felt mentally ready for the run this morning which was a huge positive. I had done one gym session and an eight mile run in the last week to tide me over and loaded up on carbs yesterday to give myself a fighting chance today. I used a lot of self talk today to keep me going when it got tough ('keep strong and positive' and 'in 3 weeks it will be over' being 2 of the most used phrases!). I wore a hat. I wasn't sick when we finished. The conditions were slightly cooler than last week, with a nice breeze, but a couple of degrees cooler still on race day wouldn't hurt. But we'll have to see what we're dealt on the day.

One thing that continues to plague me is a phenomenon I like to call 'runner's tummy'. And anyone who run long distances will know what I mean! Horrible cramps from about mile 7-8 onwards, but not a huge amount you can do except keep running. (If anyone has found a solution to this do let me know!). And today I had knee twinges while running for the first time. They always ache afterwards but not normally during. But, on the whole we've been very fortunate to stay injury free during training and a couple of rest days should help. On the day we'll just have to keep going so suck it up Sue :D

We have our last long run next Tuesday, when we'll be doing 20miles, then a week and a half of tapering with a couple of short runs and proper food preparation. I think Tree would like an extra week of training but I just don't think I can mentally take it! I don't want to wish time away but the relief of having it done and out the way in 3 weeks is definitely a motivating factor to just dig deep for the last couple of weeks. Then a break. Until I start training for the next half marathon in September. Oh yeah, and although I said I wasn't entering the London marathon ballot...well I did! Co-erced by my oldest brother. And it turns out, again despite saying otherwise, that Tree's thrown her name in the hat as well. Gluttons for punishment. Hi, my name's Sue and I'm a runaholic.

The other thing I'm struggling with, and might as well share with the world, is feeling like a hippo! Albeit a hippo that can run for 18miles. My eating's not been brilliant lately and following the marathon I will be heading back to Wibbly Wobblies to shed the last couple of stone that plagues me. Yes, I am definitely a lot fitter than I used to be, but it'd be best all round for my joints, heart, risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease and everything else associated with excess blubber, if I get rid of it once and for all. Bye bye Ben & Jerry :(

So for now I am going to start blogging my eating until the marathon to keep me on the straight and narrow- starting today:

Today- BIG bowl of porridge and honey, apricots, Yorkie (I know, they're not for girls but if you can't have one after 18miles of running when can you?), prawn sandwich, then probably...apple, sweet and sour pork and rice (sadly not from the Chinese or deep fried in anyway), and a yoghurt. And lots of water.

I need the accountability people!! Finally, my constant concern with what people think of me has a purpose- to keep me focused for the last bit of the 'journey' (just for you Steve, haven't rolled out the J word in a while).

Thanks for your continued support, really does help!

Taxi!

So over a week has passed since my last blog. That is one less week of training. Eek!

Let's evaluate the past week then shall we and see how we can build on that. Gym Tuesday, tick. Run Wednesday, tick. Although, I didn't reach the dizzying heights of 10-12miles but just did 5. My legs just weren't on board on Wednesday. It was pretty warm and having something in the evening I needed to get back for meant my head wasn't really in the game either. Still, 5 miles is better than doing nothing at all.

The run over the weekend didn't happen. It could have done and it's my own fault it didn't. My lovely boyfriend did offer to accompany me on his bike (he's not a runner. yet.) but I allowed fear and insecurities to get the better of me. We're not quite at the stage where I'm prepared to let him see me run. It's just not a good sight. Maybe another time. And not knowing the neighbourhood at all I didn't venture out on my own! However, the one positive is that I kept my eating in check, on the whole, and my Easter egg is being guarded for me by said boyfriend until the marathon is over. Hurrah!

But yesterday was the first long run Tree and I had scheduled in together. The aim was 18miles, 2x 9mile laps so we could top up drink half way round. And boy did we need it! The first lap was ok, warm, did lots of talking (in hindsight, probably not a good thing) but had lots to catch up on! The second lap, hmm, well I struggled. It was probably about 12 miles onwards that my legs just started complaining. And I wanted to give up. And did walk a few times. Eventually at 14.5miles I pleaded the case for cutting the run down to 16 miles which we did- and probably just as well. Very very ill when we got back! Not at all pleasant, thought I was going to be sick. Stood up at one point and promptly had to lay down with my legs in the air or I think I would have keeled over. I think I took on enough fluid, but I didn't wear a sunhat until the second lap and it was pretty blistering out there. The worrying thing is it could well be like that on race day, as it was for the London marathon, so we do need to be preparing ourselves for that.

So 26 days to go now. Training this week. well, we have another long run booked in for the same time next bank holiday Monday so it's building up to that. Rest day today, gym tomorrow, hopefully I might be able to fit in 10 miles on Thursday after work. Then I've actually got the weekend free so I will make myself exercise, whether gym or a couple of shorter runs. And maybe a mini carbo load in the lead up to Monday's run again as running 18miles on porridge, a banana and some energy drink is probably insufficient!

I'm still glad we're doing it but I think Tree and I are both finding at the minute that running is an obligation, not an enjoyment. London marathon ballot entry opens (and will probably close) today and I've decided not to try and enter this time. Before I start signing up to more crazy things we'll see how this marathon this year goes and maybe give myself a bit of breathing space for once!

We will finish what we've started- we're both too stubborn not to. But roll on running for fun :)

34 days to go :S

The time is edging ever closer. I have spent the last week and a half (since my last post actually) being pretty lazy and finding excuses not to go running. The longer this continues the harder it is to get back on the treadmill so to speak. However, on Sunday I couldn't put it off any longer, knowing that we have little over 3 weeks left of training and only 5 weeks til the actual day. I have done a bit of gym work in that time but not enough to justify the £40 a month it costs me so that is going at the end of the month and running will have to be my new best friend :S

Having spent some of yesterday morning watching the London marathon I had mixed feelings. When I saw the thousands of people lining up and heard some of the stories behind the faces I, like many of you I'm sure, was very inspired and genuinely excited that in 5 short weeks that will be us. However, as I watched the latter stages of the race and saw those same faces filled with pain and self-loathing I'll admit I started to feel a bit nervous.

However I did drag myself out yesterday afternoon. Two laps of a circuit that is just under 9miles. Think I paced it ok, although I was running besides roads and there is always the temptation to run faster lest the car drivers think you're a wuss. Also just about got the fluid intake right which is encouraging. I called via home after the first lap to get more water and then for some reason decided it was easier to just forget that I'd already run 9miles and just pretend my second lap was the only lap. This worked pretty well for the first 5 miles. Then my brain decided to go long term and started thinking about it n terms of the marathon. "If this were race day you'd only have 12 miles to go". Well that's encouraging. But actually, even at 16miles, the thought of doing another 10 wasn't that bad. But then I started to get impatient, as I do, and I just wanted to get home and get finished. The last half a mile was bizarre. I got bored and decided to walk for 30seconds, whereby it felt like my legs belonged to someone else. Then, because my joints and muscles were sore, I upped the pace for a few hundred yards and that felt a lot more comfortable in my natural stride length. But that's not a pace I could maintain for 26miles which is why I've been trying to force myself to go slow, slow, slow! As a reward and a cool down I walked up my road and did have a good stretch when I got in. However, as usual, I didn't stretch before I started and that is something I must address asap as race day we will be stretching first and we need to have practised that. We're still learning!

So yeah, just under 18miles and it took me a good 3.5hours. So positive that I can run for 3.5 hours but a bit behind the pace we'd like to do on race day. And as much as it is daunting to think we have just 5 weeks to do another 8 miles on top of that, it was only 3 weeks ago that we did the half marathon and we have both stepped it up since then.

So the challenge now is to keep on it. I don't have anymore long runs scheduled on my own but three with Tree. So in between I'll be hoping to do between 7 and 10 miles to keep clocking up the miles. It felt this morning like an old lady had possessed my body and I was wishing I lived in a bungalow. But nothing that a bit of swimming/ aqua aerobics won't sort out! Hoping to be back out pounding the streets on Wednesday and maybe over the weekend if I can find a suitable and safe route in a strange town! Gym/ aerobics Tiesday, swim tonight, rest day Thursday.

Time is of the essence, go go go!

The 3 'P's

Went for a long run last night and discovered the 3 magic Ps- patience, pacing and perseverance. Highly cheesy I realise but it helped keep me focused all the way round!

Now I had actually intended to go running Tuesday night but it was pretty miserable out and I was pretty tired and actually I was more excited by the thought of watching a film, eating chocolate and drinking cider. All of which I accomplished. However, I felt pretty sheepish when I had a text through from Teresa to say that she had just run over 16miles. Right, I'd better pull my socks up then.

The other thing that had weighed on my mind Tuesday was the whole fear of failure thing again. Knowing that we had done 13 miles the week before actually intimidated me rather than encouraged as I was thinking 'what if I set out to do about 11miles and really struggle?'. I was concerned that I would have taken a dip in form and this would discourage me and make the task ahead seem even steeper. So I buried my head in the sand and put off until Wednesday what I should have just done Tuesday.

However, I was in a better frame of mind Wednesday. It was sunny, I had nothing pressing that I had to get back for, and I had just accepted the fact that I was going out for 3 hours running and I just had to get on with it. Which is where the 3 Ps came in. I decided to keep off the roads and just do 3 circuits of my usual route which would be just under 15miles. I had to be patient. Often when I'm running I'm so focused on the next thing that I just want to get round quickly and get home so it's out of the way. Yesterday was about putting in the hours and enjoying the experience. Which, actually, I did!

I've been reading running magazines in the hope it will transform me into an athlete. One of the things in there is to train at a pace 10% slower than what you want to do on the day. So I really tried yesterday. I paced it pretty well, took 2hr 45mins in the end but my legs kept wanting to race away so I was constantly having to slow myself down, remind myself that there was a long way to go etc. The worst bit was on the last lap, because my brain knew that the end was getting quite close it just wanted to get it over with. But I was determined to be keep a steady slow pace and hopefully still have something left in the tank when I got home.

Perseverance. Well it goes without saying that this is important when training for a marathon. Still struggling mentally but I was very challenged by Teresa's efforts to go out and at least break the half marathon mark as a psychological boost. I also did my first run with a sports drink yesterday, the same one as will be available at the marathon, and seemed to get the balance of that and water about right.

So all in all a very encouraging effort! I did physically have something left in the tank when I got back and I did step it up a bit for the last half mile. My knees were pretty sore (and stairs today are proving a challenge!) but that's inevitable I think. And I'll keep on with the strength and conditioning work at the gym to help stabilise my joints and maybe lay off the chocolate and alcohol now and hopefully relieve the burden on my joints a little!

So basically we have a little under 5 weeks of training left then a week and a half of 'tapering'. Hoping to do another couple of runs in the 15-17 mile mark and two around 20 miles plus shorter runs and gym work. I think we're meant to be running about 30miles a week cumulatively at the minute so if anyone wants to join us you're very welcome!

My life is ridiculous!

So I've learnt the hard way the last couple of days that my life is far too busy right now to concentrate properly on training for a marathon. Therefore this weekend I have taken a scythe to my diary and cut anything that I consider to be non-essential. This was actually quite a wrench for me as I enjoy being busy and I like being able to help people but for the next 7 weeks I will be exercising the use of the word 'NO' as well as everything else.

The particular problem this weekend was 2 bar shifts on Friday and Saturday evening, on top of a long week, that just wiped me out. I had planned a long run on Saturday and ended up just doing an hour's gym along with an afternoon nap. And my second attempt at a long run yesterday turned into 5 miles, which lung wise felt good but leg wise there was nothing in the tank, so this has now been deferred to tomorrow when I will be doing just under 12 miles come rain or shine. Probably rain, it is April after all :S

But I have learned at the best time (with five hard training weeks still to go) that in order to be putting in the hours for these long runs it isn't sufficient just to eat a lot, but sleep and rest is absolutely vital. It's only a few weeks of my life after all so this must take priority now. At least the mind is willing at the moment and the motivation is definitely there. Just this morning I have eaten a very sensible banana instead of the cookies I actually wanted! So another minor victory.

Physically I am ok. My knees are taking a while to recover after the half and it's probably a good job I have just done short runs this week to allow them a bit more time. I'm doing quite well in striking a balance between pushing my body and accepting that pain is inevitable, and knowing when to give myself a break.

So, 48 days to go (oh that doesn't sound very long!), full steam ahead until our last big run on Tuesday 10th May, then a couple of weeks of 'tapering' shorter runs ready for the full 26.2 miles. Yippee!

Bad Habits are Hard to Break

The post-half marathon euphoria has now passed and I'm back faced with the task ahead. I felt very focused and disciplined yesterday, and I am still focused and know what lies ahead and what I need to do. I'm just struggling with the classic end of the day feeling! What my body would like is to curl up in a ball, have a little nap and eat cheesecake. (And this is what I would have done 2 years ago). What I will actually do is go to the gym, do a decent length workout incorporating lots of weights and stretching, and fell infinitely better for it.

I have scheduled in a run for tomorrow morning, about 7 miles is 'all' I can fit in before work, and it'll be interesting to see how my body reacts to that! But the sooner I get back out there the better as I know how quickly running fitness can dip if you miss a week or two.

I don't understand quite why I still struggle so much to get motivated for exercise! I know that I've never done an exercise session and regretted it, and that once I am there I will actually enjoy it and all the associated health benefits. I had read somewhere that for something to become a habit you have to do it something like 20 times. Well I've definitely clocked up a lot more visits than that and it's certainly not a habit yet! But then I suppose doing something out of choice even though you don't feel like it is actually just as important as what your habits are in the first place?

Walk in the Park ;-)

Well the Colchester half marathon is done and dusted and the hard work starts now. We have just eight weeks to step it up to double what we did yesterday. The stats for yesterday were chip times of 2:24:31 for Teresa and 2:24:32 for me, seven seconds quicker than Bristol, but as in most things they are just numbers and don't really paint the whole picture of improvement.

I mentioned last week that although we wanted to improve our time (by more than 7 seconds!) the aims of yesterday were really to (1) measure improvement (if any) since September, (2) to learn more lessons that would help in preparation for Edinburgh and (3) to gauge just how much work we need to do in order to be ready for a full marathon. (We also had two further aims- to not be last, we weren't, yay!- and to not be lapped by the winner- we weren't, just. The winner finished in 1 hr 9mins. What a weirdo :S).

(1) Well there was definite improvement in terms of fitness and recovery. Physically I felt really good. Mentally I got a little bit bored and I'm sure that the mile markers towards the end were wrong. Between miles 10 and 11 and 11 and 12 was definitely more than a mile and they should invest in a new trundle wheel for next time. Although interestingly miles 4 to 5 and 5 to 6 of the two-lap circuit were measured correctly. Weird eh? I don't think I could have done another 13.1miles yesterday but could probably have pushed to 15 which is encouraging. However...

(2) That was because I had had a week of carbo loading etc and was fully fuelled. I think Teresa would agree that she probably didn't eat enough in the run up last week and therefore yesterday was a bit of a battle for her. But mentally she is so strong and a complete inspiration to me and I'm certain that had we been properly fuelled we would have been even more encouraged by our performance. However, we are still on a learning curve and I think when the actual marathon comes round I will painstakingly plan out every meal for every day rather than just eat as and when I feel like it without guilt. 'Fail to prepare and prepare to fail' as my lecturer used to say :S Mentally it was very different preparation to Bristol as it was local, we'd already concluded we would be somewhere near the back of the field and it just didn't have the same big event buzz of our first half marathon. And again, because it was 'just' a training run, we weren't as up for it as we perhaps could have been.

(3) So there is still a long way to go. We have pencilled in some long runs in the lead up to the marathon but even our small runs need to be challenging us. My default 'small' run is now 7 miles. Which is a far cry from when I started! But if I only have time for a small run I need to be pushing the pace and trying to get round in near to an hour to really push my body and improve my cardiovascular fitness for the longer runs. Now the half marathon is gone it'll be 3 runs a week. One short, one long and one more either short or intermediate for the first 3 weeks then up it goes again. In between this probably 2 gym session and maybe a swim with one rest day. I will apologise now to friends, family and significant other as you may not see very much of me for the next few weeks. I'm still not quite sure when I'm going to make time for this amongst other commitments but I do know that I need to prioritise this now if I want to finish. And I really do want to finish!

We seem to have come away from yesterday without injury which is a blessing! I am stiffening up a bit now, particularly my back, and I suspect I may need to get rid of some more tummy before Edinburgh to give my back a break! ( But I made a good start this morning by not buying Milk Tray which was on offer. Still celebrating the small victories!).

I was really surprised by the breadth of people racing yesterday. We had expected it to be mainly club runners as there were only 1000 entry places, hence the pessimistic forecast of how we would do. And there were a lot of club runners. But we were very encouraged when, as we lined up to start, they asked anyone expecting to complete it in under 70 minutes to line up behind the first lamppost (like the school playgournd!) and under 90 minutes behind the second lamppost. There was quite a lot of laughter and a general shuffling backwards as a few brave souls put their necks on the line and headed for the front of the pack.

We started out fairly slow and steady and stayed that way! It seemed to me that person after person was coming past and neither of us dared look behind for fear of seeing tumbleweed and the lorry collecting cones that Teresa had nightmares about before the Bristol half. Some people were kitted out in matching running gear, others looked like they'd stumbled out of bed after a night on the town and decided it would be a laugh to go for a run. One guy ran it in plimsolls. I also enjoyed reading t-shirts to keep from boredom. My favourite was probably the one that read 'Pain is just weakness leaving the body', although I did wonder if the owner actually believed that or whether it was just bravado. We didn't pass them slumped over in a ditch anywhere so I can only assume they pushed through the pain and posted a good time.

The marshalls on the whole were superb and really encouraging. Not quite sure what they made of this crazy lady who smiled pretty much the whole way round (see Facebook pics for evidence)- I think I was just in a whole other place yesterday! One marshall helpfully encouraged us to 'break through the wall'. Easy for you to say. We'd already run 11 miles by that point, you've stood and clapped for 2 hours :P Still, we did appreciate them and everyone else who came out to support and encourage.

The slightly disappointing bit was the 'quality goody bag' promised to every runner. It consisted of a hand towel with the half marathon logo (ok, so that is cool and will undoubtedly be used at the gym and strategically placed on machines so my fellows gymmers stand in awe and wonder :D), a key ring, some sugar free mints and some promotional leaflets. To be honest I'd have been happier with a mars bar and a bottle of coke but each to their own!

Finally (thank goodness, I know this is the longest blog post in history) a huge thank you to everyone at AFC Sudbury who gave to our bucket collection on Saturday 26th March and who have already pledged to formally sponsor me in the marathon. We're unsure exactly how much we raised but many of you were very generous and knowing we are raising money for such a good cause is motivation enough to lay off the mini eggs and put in the time pounding (and it really does take a pounding!) the pavements of Sudbury!

Bring on the Carbs :)

So I hauled my butt out of bed early Monday morning to go for a little(ish) swim, thinking that I was bound to be stiff as a board and that would relax my muscles. So imagine how smug I felt when, apart from a slight ache in my hip flexors, I appeared to be absolutely fine. Swim over, I made my way to work, impressed at how I was able to climb the stairs so effortlessly and how I had invested in shares in Deep Heat for no reason.

Fast-forward 24hours as I go to sit cross-legged on the office floor (as you do!), and something along the lines of 'ooohhaaaahhhhheeeeeooooh that hurts' escaped from me. I did stretch after the run but could probably have spent longer on this. And really need to get into a proper warm up/ cool down routine still if I am to recover quickly from the longer training runs in the lead up to the marathon.

This afternoon I will be doing just a 5 mile run, then carbing it up all the way to the weekend. This is the best bit! Although for this half marathon it will be more complex carbohydrates, lots of pasta, bread etc rather than the fun carbohydrates, chocolate, crisps etc that were consumed all in the name of 'fuelling up' for the last one.

I'm just really interested to see what progress, if any, we have made since our first half marathon. I'm pretty sure we're a bit wiser, we're definitely fitter as our recovery is much quicker, but whether that will translate to a quicker time, who knows? But then this time around the half marathon isn't our end game, just a training tool along the way. When I read back that sentence I wonder who this is that's writing and what they've done with the real Sue! But I fear crazy running lady Sue is here to stay :S

What am I doing????!

So I am writing this 'fresh' from a run. Although dead would be a more accurate description. Let's get the stats out the way- 11.8miles, 2 hours, walked the last 0.2 or something as a 'reward' for my efforts but more because every part of me was saying noooooooooooooooo. If you'd have seen me running you'd have actually thought I looked in good shape (apart from the excess energy stores around the waist region). But I find that if I at least act as if I am running comfortably it goes some way to fooling my body that I am indeed fine. As soon as my head/ legs/ arms drop and I start to admit to myself how tired I am I mentally go to pieces and it's game over. So I merely lie to my body and it seems to work!

That is the furthest I've run since the last half marathon in September and I hadn't been particularly worried about the half next Sunday, until now. Having said that I wasn't properly fuelled for the run today and haven't eaten anywhere near what I should have. I always find it difficult to get eating right for afternoon runs so I tend not to bother :S I'll be having lunch soon! So, hopefully having eaten properly in the week leading up to it, and with Teresa there to run with and bounce off hopefully we should still be fine for the half. But the thought of adding another 14.6 miles to what I did today, even on a course that is mostly downhill, is a scary thought!

9 weeks to go...

Which still sounds like a decent amount of time. Until Teresa and I sat down last night and pencilled in our 'long' runs (we're talking 3-4 hours of running at a time :S) in our diaries last night for the final weeks leading up to the marathon. Then it didn't seem quite so far away!

So last night was the first time I had run since being back from skiing as I was lame on Tuesday and basically sat on my butt for two hours instead. We just did our seven mile route and are both going to do about ten miles this weekend as preparation for the half marathon on the 27th March. I will admit the first mile and a half was not comfortable. Coughing and spluttering (a consequence partly of 16 hours on a bus with 70 other people, air conditioning kindly pumping all our germs around!). But after that it got much better. Physically my legs felt really good (in fact after a week of plough, plough, PLOUGH!!! I think they were quite relieved to just be running). And lungs wise we still did a lot of talking so it's looking quite promising. No fear for the half, probably because we know that we can already do that distance, and I'm actually quite looking forward to running Sunday afternoon. Hoping for the sun to shine upon my face :)

I do feel more focused again after last night. We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us. But mentally I'm more positive. One of the lessons I had to learn very quickly when skiing was not to compare my performance to others. This is something I've struggled with for ages and have mentioned before. But last week we were all developing at such different speeds (snail pace for me) that I just had to keep referring back to how I was at the beginning of the week and how far I had come by the end.

So reflecting back for a moment. This time two years ago I was grossly overweight, couldn't run for more than a minute without stopping and walking and never thought I'd get past that. Today, fitter, healthier, can run for a couple of hours at a time without stopping, not daunted by the thought of running a half marathon. 10 weeks time...? What an exciting thought :)

I've decided not to gym today. It's been a busy week for me so I will be heading home and getting into my pyjamas probably before 5pm, and settling down for a quiet night in. Instead I'll swim in the morning for a change, then run Sunday.

I do need to sit down today and plan my eating for next week. In the lead up to the Bristol half we didn't get the whole carbo loading thing quite right. The theory is long run this weekend to deplete glycogen (stored energy) levels. Three or four days of a protein rich diet, with some carbohydrates so it's not too drastic. Then a short run mid week (3 or 4 miles- how nice!). Then lots of pasta, veg etc towards the end of the week with a little bit of protein. What we actually did in September was just eat solidly for a week. Which, I won't lie, was enjoyable, but not the best preparation. So we'll do it right this time and here's hoping for a PB to boost us as we then step it up another gear. Bring it on!

Swish, swish, swish....Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Just kidding, all in one piece :) I'm sure all four of you that read this have been eagerly awaiting news of how skiing went. Well, it was genuinely one of the best holidays ever, although I certainly didn't take to skiing naturally! In fact, by lunchtime on day 1 I was in floods of tears and the instructor had even suggested I take an early lunch as I was getting so hysterical. Oh the shame! I have many excellent wipeout stories I could share, but let me just pick out two of my favourites.

The afternoon of day 2 was going well. I had had a better morning in lessons than day 1 and was managing to have some control over what my skis were doing on a gentle nursery slope. At the bottom of the nursery slope was a button lift, which is essentially a disc attached to a wire pulley that gets you back up the slope to the top. Sounds simple, right? Yup. So I positioned my skis parallel to the wire, as instructed, and reached for the disc thing. However, having let the disc go too far past me I ended up on my back, on the ground, underneath the wire. I then proceeded to be hit on the head by every disc that followed. As I struggled to shuffle out from under the wire I was alerted to another disc by my friend Becky, helpless to offer any other assistance due to also having planks strapped to her feet. As I rolled out of the way of the disc my right ski became hooked around another button and I began to be slowly transported up the slope, still flailing on my back, to the horror of my friends. Bridget Jones eat your heart out! Fortunately I managed to untangle myself, finally escape the dreaded discs, and laugh about it long and loud afterwards. As a result of that incident everytime I got to the bottom of that slope I would simply pop off my skis, throw them over my shoulder, and frog march back up to the top (faster than the button lift might I add). That was excellent marathon preparation!

The other particularly memorable wipeout was on the afternoon of day 4, when tackling a proper blue run for the first time. One on, not particularly steep, slope, I was gently meandering down, ploughing and turning as I had been practising in lessons, when I came upon this scene. A group of skiers had stopped on the left of the slope to chat and embrace. A group of skiers (perhaps the same extended group) had also stopped on the right hand side of the slope to do likewise. They had also helpfully left a ski in the middle of the slope. Tricky. So I (rather skilfully) took a path in between both groups, avoiding said ski, and picked up a decent amount of straight line speed in the process. Foolishly I shifted my weight backwards and there was no way back from there! WIPEOUT!!!! But rather amusing to watch I imagine as I started with skis first, then head first, then back to skis first, and coming to a halt rather sheepishly wondering whereabouts up the hill I had left my poles. However, on a rather warm day it was quite refreshing to get a faceful of snow and no harm was done :) By the end of the week (and after a couple of days break in the middle to actually enjoy some of the holiday) I would call myself a skier and am hoping to go again next year. Just without any crazy marathon preparation to worry about at the same time.

I think I had underestimated just quite how good skiing is for fitness so I'm optimistic that running this week will be ok. Since returning I have gymmed and swam and polished off all of the delicious Swiss chocolate that I snuck home in my luggage (literally we ate a bar a day while out there and then just skied it off, good times!). I am planning to run tonight, Thurday and Sunday, and gym tomorrow and Friday. This is our last week of training before a week of eating for the half marathon on March 27th. I think that will be fine and really hoping to shave 10mins off our PB from September. But at least it should give us a good idea of how we are progressing and what we still need to do!

While I was away my brother rather gallantly ran the Silverstone half marathon, training in just 6 or 7 weeks for it. I think the official time was something like 2:53:55, and he beat Katie Price, so I want to publicly say WELL DONE to my awesome older brother.

Finally, one more plug for our fundraiser next Friday. We are currently deciding whether or not to go ahead with it due to low numbers able to attend so I will  keep you posted on that.

Swish swish swish...thud

Today is the day that I go skiing. Or, given that the resort was closed last time I checked, it may be the day that I sit in a chalet and read books for a week! Really hoping my fitness is maintained while I'm away, and I don't get too carried away with Swiss chocolatiers.

Was pretty happy this morning. Went for a long run which, in my head, should have been about ten miles. I paced it really well, it felt really good, and most importantly mentally I made myself go out on my own and do it and stick with it and was ever mindful of keeping something back for later on. So I was very chuffed when I got home to find I'd done it in an hour and a half. Less chuffed when I put it into the computer and discovered it was only about 9 miles, was really hoping to hit double figures, but still 9 miles done comfortably is still an excellent run.

When I return from skiing we've got just one more week of training, then a week of eating right etc before the half so it was really important for me to notch up that run today. I was planning on taking my running gear with me abd fitting in a couple of shorter runs while away. However, having just packed and repacked four times, my running gear did not make the final cut of what went into the suitcase. Instead I decided to stick with things like warm layers, ski wear, boots, sleeping bag etc, things that are slightly more imperative in case the snow reappears.

I'm not anticipating having much internet access while away. And if I do it probably means that I have actually broken all my bones and have little other option to spend my time than in front of as computer. So assume that if you don't hear from me that's a good thing!

One final thing, buy your tickets for the fundraiser!!!! Available from the AFC Sudbury club shop/ Teresa while I'm away, or from me as soon as i get back :)

I'm Alive!!

Fear not avid blog followers, I have not over exerted myself so much that I have keeled over. I have been very busy personally and professionally and have just been doing a couple of runs a week and a gym session if I'm lucky. Last week I did three runs, two with other people which felt really good, and one on my own which I really struggled with. But I seemed to completely mess up my pacing, doing 7 miles in one hour five minutes, so no wonder I felt a bit ropey at the end. It is still the mental aspect I'm struggling with most. Fighting boredom and the want to give up even though I'm perfectly capable of keeping running. I've been reading some running mags and looking more at doing a proper warm up to prepare both physically and mentally.

This week sees me set off on my wonderful skiing adventure returning, hopefully, with nothing worse than dented pride. Before then I will be squeezing in a gym session, probably tomorrow after work, and a run on Wednesday morning. I am really hoping to push for ten miles Wednesday as when I come back from skiing it's then only 2 weeks until the half marathon and 10 weeks until the real thing. It still seems a daunting task but I'm convinced we'll get there.

However, just a push about the fundraiser. Please please come and invite absolutely anyone who you pass in the street. Friday 25th March, 7.30pm til late, disco, chip shop supper, dessert and games for £10 per head. Bargain and a great cause. However, the thing that will make it great is having friends, family, supporters, and anyone else who wants to part with a crisp ten pound note in exchange for a shiny ticket :)

The Fundraiser

Breaking news! Teresa and Sue have just announced details of their forthcoming fundraiser to be held on Friday 25th March.

It will be a disco type event with chip shop supper and dessert table to be held in the clubhouse at AFC Sudbury. There will also be some extra fun and games on the night, and we promise you will have a good giggle. Tickets are £10 ('is that all?' I hear you cry) and can be bought directly from myself or Teresa or from the club shop on match days at AFC Sudbury. All the money raised will go towards the work of Ormiston.

If you can't make the event there will be plenty of other opportunities to support us financially, don't worry! (But even if you're not in a position to support financially we appreciate any moral support you can offer too).

So I haven't blogged for a few days. Probably because I also haven't trained for a few days. I went out for a run on Saturday morning, intending to do about 10miles. After a mile I stopped and just had a look around at the countryside and my head/ heart just wasn't in it. Ended up doing 2.5miles and heading home with my tail between my legs. (Obviously I don't actually have a tail, just speaking metaphorically :S).

This isn't just a training thing. I've generally just lacked motivation for anything in the last few weeks but this has had a knock on effect to running. This morning I hit snooze instead of going to the gym but for the first time I actually cut myself some slack and didn't feel guilty for the rest of the day. I do know that I need to get back on the wagon sooner rather than later though so the plan is: tomorrow, gym after work, Wednesday again, gym after work, Thursday, run with Teresa, Friday morning probably swim. We'll see how I go with sticking to that before planning any further ahead.

Yeah Baby!

Just a quick update. Today has been a good day. Spent last night with a lovely family in the country, great night's sleep, very refreshed. Went running in the woods with Veronica this morning, probably did about 20 minutes or so but really enjoyed it. It was quite spontaneous, relaxed and just lovely to have a change of scenery.

Ended up running with Teresa tonight, again fairly spontaneous, and plotted a route in my head around the town that I thought was about 4.5-5 miles. We talked most of the way round, it felt comfortable, enjoyed it. Got back, had been gone an hour and twenty minutes and wondered if we'd just been running really really slowly. Worked out the route on t'internet- 7 miles. Yeah baby! What a difference from yesterday. Maybe my body doesn't respond well to planned runs and needs more surprises?

So, if you happen to be passing my house at anytime feel free to call on me for a run, it seems to work! :)

Down the Rabbit Hole...

So this weekend I finally found an hour or so to dust off my sport psychology research. I'd forgotten what a minefield it all is. It doesn't fit into neat categories but all the theories interlink with other theories. It really is like going down the rabbit hole and my revision is going to take longer than planned!

Initially I have looked at some studies I have on mental strategies in endurance events and will be adopting some associative strategies during training and the race. Essentially this means associating with my body by focusing on pacing, breathing, technique, positive self-talk etc for the majority of the time rather than using disassociation (basically distracting myself from the pain/ sensations of running by counting sheep, looking at the scenery, planning what I'm going to have for lunch etc). Apart from decreasing the risk of injury in training and the race I can't remember why this is good but the studies were pretty scientifically sound and used both elite and non-elite subjects so we're going with it!

Other things I'm starting to look back into are achievement goal theory, motivational climate and attribution theory which are mainly going to help in the training process by setting realistic goals, and creating an environment which encourages and measures success by personal improvement rather than by comparison to others. Which I am very prone to. So, for me, this is really interesting and it's great to get back to study and use my degree for something other than adorning my bedroom wall.

So that's the mental stuff covered. Physically I am really really tired. Like pit-of-the-stomach exhausted. I definitely overdid the exercise last week and didn't really have a proper rest. Because of my tendency to just spiral out of control with my eating on rest days, I'm a little nervous about having them in case one rest day turns into two then three etc. We did run on Friday, about 6.7 miles, and I gymmed on Saturday and just did a bit of walking Sunday but was so busy I didn't really rest. This morning I did get up and go running (5 miles) but it was really really hard work today and there was just nothing in the tank. I'm still glad I went but I think in order to start clocking up the miles I need to schedule a rest day in before a running day so that I am refreshed enough to enjoy it and not just plod round.

So, on that note here's the schedule for the next few days- gym/ run tomorrow, swim Wednesday, circuits Thursday. Yep, I've really learnt my lesson. I think I might rest Friday then try a decent length run on Saturday morning i.e. 7.5miles +  (Maybe even 10 if I'm feeling really enthusiastic but that is doubtful). Also am going to push to lose a little bit more weight in the next few weeks. The further I'm running the less I want to carry really! Mmm, lettuce and dust. Yummy.

Just keep swimming...

So I've had a bit of a chunky monkey week (and I'm not talking Ben & Jerry's for once). I've actually behaved myself and have been doing everything right in terms of training but I just feel like a chunky monkey. But it's times like this you just have to know that the hard work will pay off and 'just keep swimming' as Dorey would say.

I'm very very enthusiastic about my new gym programme and am looking forward to getting in there again Sunday and playing. We've thrown in a few things like assisted chin ups which I can't help but grin/ laugh all the way through. Doesn't really help me with keeping a low profile while I'm working out. The worst bit is that being the start of the year every time is peak time at the moment and I hate having to wait for equipment to be free. Patience is not a virtue I possess while exercising. Get in, work out, get out. So as much as it's great that people are changing their lifestyle etc and on here I have been championing that cause and encouraging everyone to make those small changes, on a selfish note I'll be happier when those new years' resolutions start to fall by the wayside...

I also went to the revamped circuits session last night. It's been all change since Christmas and if I thought the pre-Christmas programme was challenging...this is an absolute beast. Spinning, every squat imaginable, burpies, bunny hops, lots of arm weights, side plank- plank- side plank, cycle abs, pulses. Then when we'd done our four circuits of everything our instructor decided to finish us off with some jumping and boxing. Thanks for that :-/ However, having said all that I will be going again next week. No pain no gain :)

Pretty tired today. But good tired from having done something. Still looking forward to the run after work in my brand new running shoes :) Went to a superb triathlon shop in Colchester last night called 53-12 (bit of free publicity for you there!) and the guy analysed my gait etc then sold me some expensive shoes. Again, thanks. I already knew I pronated. But didn't realise that I 'lilt' (I think that was the term he used) on my right side and also I bring my right foot out and round and splay my foot. So as much as I appreciate the analysis and the advice regarding a good pair of running shoes I am now very aware that I run like a freak. Again, my efforts to keep a low profile while exercising were delivered a heavy blow.

Next few days. Hmm. Think I might swim tomorrow morning then devote a few hours to some sport psychology study and get some kind of strategy/ training scheme down on paper. Sunday will be gym day, Monday will be a run unless it's still blowing a gale, in which case I'll swap for Davina. I think by Tuesday I'll have earned a rest.

Happy weekend everyone :)

GI Sue

So I finally made it to a bodycombat class last night. Brilliant! Hig energy, used a lot of muscles I didn't know existed, they turned the lights off so no-one could see that I was in fact doing a completely different move to everyone else...

I can't normally make the Tuesday session because of footie but as there are two other sessions a week I'm pretty sure I can fit it into my schedule! I did also make it to the gym on Monday night but I got so frustrated with the blessed new machines again that I did about an hour and then cut it short before I got in a bigger huff or cried. I have got my programme review thing tonight so hopefully once I am set up on that I will be raring to go and will no longer feel the need to scowl so ferociously while working out.

I very much looking forward to running on Friday and hoping we will make about 8 miles. I know we can do that distance, although I'm also sure that after a week at work my body may think otherwise.

I've not achieved the whole balance thing again yet in terms of food. I ate cake before 9am yesterday (was truly amazing though) but now that the exercise is getting back in check that will fall into place. I'm thinking that I might gve the mini-eggs a miss today, and also that I might hand out my photo to all local shops and ask them not to sell me chocolate, no matter how much I plead.

Well, I'm off to practise my right hook...Ciao!

Missed Opportunities

I am really frustrated with myself right now. I should be out running 7.5miles, instead I am sat in my PJs writing this. The past week has been a week of missed opportunities. For various reasons, which I won't go into, I haven't exercised since Tuesday and have eaten a lot of rubbish. At times like this you have to just draw a line under it and move on so this morning was meant to be the moving on bit but instead I hit snooze 6 times.

I think I feel particularly disappointed in myself as everyone else around me is doing so well. My brother is sticking to his training plan with gusto, and Teresa ran 8 miles yesterday. So for a start I feel like I'm letting both of them down. But now my fear of 'failure' is starting to creep in as well. I've always been quite harsh on myself and tend to measure my 'success' compared to other people or what I feel I 'should' be achieving. This is a state of mind that needs to be altered for sure. But I was actually quite nervous about potentially doing 7.5miles this morning. I know I physically I've done it before, but I haven't trained for a week. And what if I had to walk for a little bit? To me, that would have meant I'd failed. Which is completely wrong.

In reality we do need to start stepping it up now though. We've got just under 8 weeks until the half marathon but I go skiing 4 weeks Wednesday, during which time I won't be doing any running, just falling over. Then when I come back we've got a week of training before we'll do a longer run, then taper it down for a week until the half. So we need to step it up. And Teresa is doing her part so I need to step up to the plate.

So, the week ahead. I will have to go to the gym tonight now, grrr! But the longer I leave it before I get back to it, the more lazy I become! Tomorrow I am thinking of going to the running shop after work and getting some new trainers, then a gym class in the evening as there's no football to tempt me away from exercise. Wednesday I am having my gym review at last so then I'll get a new and exciting programme, probably have a little play there but, in essence, it'll be a rest day. Hopefully minus the mini eggs. Thursday, hmm, circuits and gym. Friday, running with Teresa.

Today is Teresa's last day at work before she moves onto pastures new. We're going to continue to aim to do one run together a week after our respective working days but the challenge for me now is to go it alone against the biscuits monsters at work and without my 'conscience' there to encourage me along the way. Bring it on!! :S

Mini-Egg Wednesday

I have officially decided to rename the middle of the week Mini-Egg Wednesday. Don't worry, I have checked with Cadbury's, the Government and the Queen and it's fine with all of them. Today has been another day of being really hungry (and again, not just me, but the rest of the office too) although I've been a bit more restrained than last week. So either it's another downturn in the weather or we just need a mid-week pick me up every week. But whatever the reason I have enjoyed some more mini eggs today and am really glad that Easter is late this year. By my calculations there's officially still twelve mini-egg Wednesdays left until Easter weekend, and I'm sure they'll be back in the shops again by August :)

So, last night. Yes, is the answer. I did go for a run. It was a particularly momentous occasion because my running partner was feeling a bit under the weather and so we have postponed our joint run until tomorrow. But, I still went home and dragged myself out and around 5 miles in a respectable (for me) fifty minutes. It was really hard going for the first half a mile so I decided to smile like an idiot through the tiredness and convince my body it was just being silly and it seemed to work. Once I got onto the muddy (disused) railway track for 3 miles I was so preoccupied with not slipping over and trying to get off the trail before it got dark that I seemed to forget about being tired. So it was a double victory- mentally I didn't want to go, physically I was pretty tired- but willpower prevailed. It seems to have taken a leave of absence right now but hey-ho. Now where did I put those mini-eggs...?

Wherefore Art Thou, Motivation?

Today is one of those days. Both Teresa and I are seriously struggling to get enthusiastic about running this afternoon. Tree, because she's been overdosing slightly on exercise and is shattered, and me, because I am also shattered but I am all snuggly and warm indoors and the thought of venturing out into the cold and, what will probably be, wet, is not appealing. However, if every time I didn't feel like exercising in the past I had given in to that I certainly wouldn't be where I am now.

So I hope that the next time I blog I will report that despite our tiredness we ran anyway and felt much better for it. But I can't promise anything...

Fighting Spirit

Hello Monday, how lovely to see you again so soon :S The weekend has disappeared in a blur of exercise, food, socialising and tissues, and it seems I have emerged the other side with my fighting spirit in tact. 'Why the tissues?' I hear you ask. Well firstly I had a bit of a romantic setback, initially sending me into the arms of Ben and Jerry, but once I had finished the half-eaten tub left in the freezer from Christmas and discovered the answer wasn't actually at the bottom of it, I got off my backside and decided to channel my energies more constructively. And secondly, the lurgy has caught up with me. Thanks to all my close friends and family for sharing your germs so generously, much appreciated!

It can be difficult to know the best thing to do with regards to training when you're under the weather. I have to clarify, it is just a cold, and just a female cold at that, so I am up and about. But when I woke up this morning, with a sandpaper-like throat and unable to breathe through my nose, the thought of jumping around in the living room to an exercise DVD didn't appeal. However, the fighting spirit won through and I did manage the aerobics and pump sections (with heavier weights than normal might I add!).  It turns out exercise is actually quite a good decongestant :D

Teresa and I did run on Friday night and we did decide to tack on the extra mile so it was about 6.7ish miles and felt pretty good again. Half way round I became a little bit overwhelmed at the thought of having to add another 20 miles to that but managed to reign the panic in and remind myself that we're on track and, although it's helpful to bear in the mind the bigger picture for motivational purposes, actually setting realistic goals in the short term is more helpful right now! With that in mind I also dug out some of my sport psychology work at the weekend from my degree and started refreshing my memory. I had forgotten how interesting it all is and have already found a couple of strategies to use that should help us in training and in the race. When I have done a bit more revision I'll blog about some of the techniques we'll be attempting to use.

The other challenge of the weekend was I went to my new and 'improved' gym now they've got their all singing all dancing machines in place. I decided I am actually a grumpy old woman who doesn't like change. Or, more accurately, I was getting really frustrated at not knowing how to use the new equipment and the lack of anyone to show me. Which just meant I felt like a numpty (a feeling I have experienced before and I'm sure will again!) and didn't have a particularly satisfying workout. But I will admit that once they re-design my programme I think it will be brilliant and I'll see lots more improvement. I did have a play on one new piece of kit which can only be described as the Hitler of gym equipment. It's a slidey abs machine thingy (yes, that is the technical term) and I think I managed 8 on my front abs and 6 on each side before I admitted defeat. However, I can tell from how much it hurts to cough/ move today that I worked muscles that have been dormant for far too long. I'm quite sadistic though and seem to enjoy that next-day muscle burn so it's safe to say I'll be using that bit of kit again!

So, the week ahead. A tricky one for planning. I've ticked the box for today already so that's one down. And Teresa and I will be running after work tomorrow. Two down. I've earmarked Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon or evening for something but that is TBC depending on other things. Friday I will be enjoying Chinese and cinema (jealous? thought so!) so I think I'll have that as my rest day, and Saturday will be tricky but I'll aim to salsacise it or run in the morning. Sunday, run/ gym and before you know it that's another week closer to the marathon. Eek!

Run Like the Wind

So I guess you're all due an update on my training progress this week! I have been mysteriously quiet for a reason- the lack of training. So Tuesday was my designated rest day, which is all well and good. However, my old nemisis Bad Sue was back in the building and my eating went to pot as per usual. I'm going to attribute this to the excellent hospitality on offer in the board room at the football which I felt it was rude not to take advantage of ;-) So about 20 biscuits, half a box of chocolates and some chicken and chips later, Bad Sue was enjoying a bit of a sugar rush.

Unfortunately one rest day turned into two. On Wednesday I had pretty much eaten my entire lunch by mid morning (strangely enough I wasn't the only one, so we in the office blamed the sudden return of the cold snap for our increased appetites) and lunch ended up being a bag of mini eggs. Mmmm, chocolatey goodness. I skipped swimming in the afternoon because quite frankly I felt like a beached whale.

So, onto Thursday. I woke up feeling focused again and ate healthily which was good. So a minor victory to celebrate in that I only fell off the wagon for 2 days whereas that has been known to go on for weeks! Teresa and I planned to run last night but personal circumstances arose that meant that has been postponed to tonight. However, I had quite a lot of pent up energy last night so I went for a very short but pretty quick run. Was probably just under 2 miles with hills but I pushed it all the way and have genuinely never run that fast for that distance before, hooray! The running felt really good and I had a bit of fun by running like Phoebe from friends for a short while. Simple things amuse me! But if you are driving through Sudbury and see a girl in pink running and grinning like a maniac, give me a toot! You may just get a wave back!

So the plans for the weekend. Running after work tonight, probably about 6.5-7 miles. Maybe a run with my brother in the morning, if not gym, and some kind of activity Sunday, run/ swim/ aerobics/ gym. Ooh, what to choose?!

Still on track, still feeling good and still looking forward to the challenge ahead. Happy days!

The Charity

So I thought perhaps now is a good time to tell you a bit about the charity that Teresa and I will be raising funds for. They are called Ormiston Children and Families Trust (registered charity 1015716) and are the biggest children's charity in the East of England. That may surprise some of you who perhaps haven't come across them.

Ormiston's strapline is 'making a difference to young lives'.  Particularly they help and support children and young people who are experiencing prejudice and discrimination, those at risk of or experiencing physical harm, emotional or mental health problems, those who are displaying challenging or harmful behaviours, those who are the main carer for a parent or sibling and those who are affected by the imprisonment of a close family member. They work with the whole family to address the difficult situations they face and help them to make positive changes to their lives.

Ormiston currently have 39 services across seven counties and currently there are four main areas of work.

• Children's Centres, where Teresa and I work, which help support parents and carers from all backgrounds, with issues of child development, behaviour support and providing a safe space for children and carers to engage with each other. Children's Centres also work in partnership with health, education and social care to ensure children have the best start in life. 
• Families affected by imprisonment- Ormiston currently work in 11 prisons across the region. Children and families affected by imprisonment may need help in lots of ways, visiting their loved ones in prison, or maintaining contacts. Very often children and young people are upset and have difficulty coping with a range of emotions about their imprisoned relative. Research has shown that prisoners who maintain strong family links while serving their sentence are less likely to reoffend on release.
•  Traveller Initiatives- Ormiston supports families from Gypsy and Travelling communities with a range of issues such as housing and health. Their direct contact has a particular impact on the young people, improving their self-esteem, aiding practical skills such as numeracy and literacy and building their confidence to access services available to them or attend job interviews without the fear of discrimination that is so prevalent in our society. In turn this helps the families as a whole and has gone some way to reducing barriers and misconceptions, although it is hoped this work can continue with increased community cohesion.
• Young carers-Ormiston supports young carers across the Fenland and East Cambs area. Young carers are children or young people who are caring for a parent or sibling for some of the time. They provide a mix of fun activities to give the young carers some free time to enjoy themselves with other young carers who will understand the worries they have, and support through group activities or one to one work which will give them a chance to share concerns about their family or to find extra help with their schooling or home life.
  
  Like all charities at the moment Ormiston are feeling the pinch of funding cuts across the board. As well as continuing the services already on offer, Ormiston would like to increase fundraising to be able to start new projects for which funding or grants are not currently available but are much needed.
  
  I get genuinely excited by the work that Ormiston does and the difference I see it having on individual lives. For more information about them or their work please visit www.ormiston.org

Proud!

Me again :) (Stating the obvious there, what with it being my blog and all). So I've just had a phone call from my oldest brother to say he has signed up for a half marathon in March and I thought this needs to be blogged straight away! I am extremely proud and looking forward to training with him and passing on my 'wealth' of experience from the one half marathon I have completed.

Go Steve :D

A Tale of Two Sues

Well, this weekend has been the battle of the two Sues- Good Sue and Bad Sue.

Good Sue went for a run on Saturday morning (fairly comfortable again, excellent!), and did lots of walking (too cheap to drive anywhere still), went to the gym yesterday and did some aerobics and boxercise before work this morning. Bad Sue skipped the gym on Friday afternoon and instead chose to go home and gorge on chocolate and biscuits. Bad Sue also went out to Pizza Hut Saturday night (although Good Sue made her choose something relatively healthy) and then returned home from said pizza restaurant to consume some lovely Ben & Jerry's (the two favourite men in my life!).

So I guess I'm still, after 18 months of hard graft, struggling for balance in my life. I need to reach a point where if I decide not to exercise for whatever reason (and let's face it, it happens) then that doesn't automatically mean I hit the self-destruct button instead and eat rubbish instead!

Anyway, enough of them. Exercise wise I did pretty well last week and hit my targets, albeit with some session swaps, but then you need to be flexible if you're fitting this in around daily life as well.  This week I am taking my rest day tomorrow (once again the lure of football wins out over evil gym instructor) but aiming for swimming Wednesday, running with Teresa Thursday, gym on Friday and maybe a run on Saturday morning depending on weather. If not I will substitute an appropriate alternative!

And finally some words of wisdom from Sheriff Woody- 'Reach for the sky!'. Have a good week :)

Slow and Steady...

So Teresa and I went out for our first run together in weeks last night and I think it was pretty successful. We did our tried and tested route of about 5.7 miles and physically I felt pretty good. Lungs and breathing were fine, legs were a little tired but I think the leg work I've been doing with the stability ball at the gym have really strengthened them. So I was encouraged physically that although I've not been doing a huge amount of running, the other fitness work at least seems to be helping rather than hindering.

Mentally I struggled a bit but that is why Teresa and I make such a good running team. She's ace at pacing and keeping going even when it would be easy to give up. When I run on my own I tend to start out a bit fast, impatient to get home and finished, but last night we ran at a steady pace all the way. And we all know the story of the proverbial tortoise and hare. As with the half marathon, we will run the marathon as tortoises, slow and steady. Perhaps not winning the race but definitely finishing.

We could have gone further last night. And we did toy with the idea of extending the route near to the end. However, one lesson we have learned from doing the half is that we stepped up the training too quickly, daunted by the task ahead of us, and peaked too soon, losing interest in training the nearer we got to the event. So this time we're about where we need to be at the moment and we will steadily increase the distance. Our current focus is a half marathon at the end of March as a training event and we're certainly on track for that. That will hopefully be a good measure of our progress and just what we need to do to step it up again for the full distance.

One things I do need to do is buy a new pair of trainers, from a specialist running shop, sooner rather than later! Either that or buy shares in Compeed :S

Pressing On

So today I am absolutely shattered. I've heard it said that exercise makes you sleep better. I think that is a big fib myself. The last two nights have been full of dreams and devoid of quality sleep so that I have suitcase-sized bags under my eyes. However, the training must continue and so we will drag ourselves out for a run after work regardless and hope that auto-pilot kicks in once we get going.

This week has gone to plan so far :) Gymmed it on Tuesday night and actually quite enjoyed it. Surprisingly I wasn't that sore yesterday so perhaps if you just keep exercising when it hurts your body eventually concedes defeat and gets on with it?!

I was a bit naughty yesterday though. I know it was supposed to be my rest day but I did go for a fairly lengthy swim after work. I hadn't swum for weeks so it felt good to get back in the pool but I do know the importance of resting, and particularly at this early stage of training. I don't want to go at it like a bull in a china shop and lose interest/ not allow proper recovery time, so I may rest tomorrow instead. Who'd have thought two weeks ago that I'd be struggling to schedule a rest day?! I'm hopeful that I can keep the momentum of training going, at least until I go skiing (48 days to go, whoop whoop!). Then the challenge will be learning how to glide gracefully down a hill without breaking or spraining anything. Ha! We'll see!

Biggest Loser

I love that show and will hold my hands up to being a bit of a Biggest Loser junkie (UK, Australia, USA, I don't mind!). The last British series aired nearly two years ago now just before I started my 'journey' (my brother loathes the use of that word in any reality show so that's just for you Steve!) and I take my hat off to anyone who goes on there. You hear people say that because a lot of the contestants have so much weight to lose it's 'easy' for them, but to have such a radical change of lifestyle in such a short period of time can't be easy. Especially when many of them go from leading completely sedentary lives to doing 5-6 hours of exercise a day on a calorie restricted diet.

However, the frustrating thing with this series is we get one hour of coverage a week rather than highlights of every day like it used to be. Which means for prime time viewing it becomes all about the results on the scales and very little about the process, the hard work that goes in, the individual mental and physical battle in their quest to change their lives. And personally I find that quite frustrating. So many people who want to lose weight/ get fit want a quick fix. The BL contestants do lose weight so quickly because it is such an intense environment (with medical crew and experts on standby 24/7). But without showing the sweat and tears that goes in to get those results I think the viewer is left feeling resentful of these people who seem to lose a stone in a week with comparative ease, rather than admiring them and being inspired by their courage to make such a lifestyle change.

Anyway, enough of my analysis of prime time TV. I'm pleased to be able to report that I'm on track. Ok, so it's only 36 hours since I blogged but one step at a time! Following a rather harsh frost Sunday night and very slippery paths on Monday morning I swapped my run for Davina McCall. Not the real Davina McCall obviously, but a DVD of her being put through her paces.  And judging by how much I ache today I definitely had a worthwhile workout. I kept my eating in check yesterday, just about, and am actually looking forward to going to the gym today after work (another swap, my venture into the world of boxercise will have to wait another week).

It's incredible how much more positive I feel having just been disciplined for a couple of days and I can definitely testify to the mental and physical health benefits of being active. Thanks to everyone who has been in touch to encourage me thus far, it definitely helps knowing that if I eat my weight in chocolate (mmmm) instead of going for a run then I'll jolly well have to own up to that on here.

In turn I'd like to encourage anyone who is thinking of making a change to go for it. This time of year we're bombarded with get thin/ fit quick schemes, but just small changes in diet or a brisk walk when you get in from work can make a big difference. It's like that saying, 'what's the best way to eat an elephant?'- one bite at a time :)

[NB- I'm not actually advocating the eating of elephants, they just wouldn't fit in the oven for a start.]

Small victories

Hmm, like most things last week didn't go entirely to plan. The run on Thursday morning completely messed me up to the extent that I went home early from work with a splitting headache and feeling sick, ibuprofen having done absolutely nothing to help. I say it quite often but no good can come from exercise! Ok, that's not medically true but clearly it was too much too soon for my lazy body. I used my illness of the previous day, and the fact that it was raining, not to run on Friday and on Saturday I decided that going to watch football was in fact infinitely more appealing than going to the gym.

But, as inidicated in the title, small victories are to be celebrated. I have been to the gym this lunchtime and had a good session, and last night I managed to resist an entire buffet and three trays of cake. Get in! So this week I have plotted my exercise already and have hopefully been a little more realistic. And I reckon if I achieve an 80% success rate of training I plan to do and what I actually execute then that'll be pretty good.

The schedule for this week- Monday am run before work, Tuesday eve- body combat (I've wanted to try this for ages, a boxercise type class, but fear of not being able to do it all has stopped me. But if I were already fit enough to do it all I wouldn't need to train so much and I figure I need to toughen up and get used to pain!), Wednesday- rest day at the moment, Thursday pm- run with Teresa, Friday pm- gym, Saturday am- maybe swim/ walk.

I'm also returning to writing down my food. Something I did religiously when signed up to Wibbly Wobblies but have slacked on the last few weeks. I don't know that I will count points again but it does make me think twice about what I'm eating and give me a better awareness of just how often I snack and the difference between eating what I want and eating what I actually need. I had considered rejoining WW in the new year but the fact that it takes up a whole evening and costs money has put me off. I will see though. I certainly benefited from being accountable to Marjorie Doors every week but I also know that if I just eat less and exercise more it'll have the same outcome for cheaper!

At least one good thing to come out of the recent hike in petrol prices is that I'm walking more! I could claim that my new years' resolution was to be more eco-friendly but in truth I'm just miserly. And every little helps right?!

So, this week. I'm going to take it a bit more steady, have realistic expectations of myself and celeberate the small victories. And it'll start with a run in the morning. Unless it's raining.

Battle of the Bulge

Hmm, I know everyone puts on weight over Christmas but when your Christmas eating starts around the 20th December and continues until the 5th January, that's a lot of bad (but goooood) food consumed. Therefore I am declaring war on the bulge this morning. Goodbye lazy Sue, hellooooooooo Marathon Woman!

So my attempts at getting fit were derailed yesterday by a) my horrible car being in the garage yet again and messing up my plans and b) my lovely dad took me out for food and pool after work. Now, unless you count pool as a sport and therefore practice as 'training' (fair play if you do), I didn't train yesterday. However, hold the press, I did go for a run this morning for the first time in a couple of weeks. Hurrah!

5 miles, about 55mins, walked once for about 30 seconds. Fairly happy with that. The last time I went I walked three or four times which is ridiculous. I have plenty of reserves about my person to run the whole way, I am just lazy! Or, more accurately, I give up too easily and need to become mentally stronger. Time to dig out those sport psychology books methinks.

I can't say I enjoyed the run this morning but I'm glad I went. It would also be a lie to say it energised me for the rest of the day because quite frankly I'm tired now and grateful to have 6 hours sitting at a desk! But, I know it has gotten me back on track and I will eat more healthily today as a result. We have another run planned for tomorrow afternoon, then gym on Saturday, maybe a swim on Sunday and then a cheeky afternoon nap :)

The other thing that struck me this morning is how fortunate I am to be physically able to run. There are many who I'm sure would love to have a young, healthy, and quite frankly rather attractive body ;-) to take out running so this morning I was counting my blessings. As well as counting down the steps until I finished.

Oh, and one last thing. During a period of insomnia in the night (obviously too excited by the prospect of running this morning to sleep properly) I came up with all sorts of exciting ideas for our fundraising event on the 25th March. It's going to be ace, put it in your diaries now.

I mean it. Diaries. Now. :D