Catching up!

Updating this with photos etc is on my list of things to do but it never quite gets to the top as school stuff takes over, especially with reports due in 3 weeks and an selection day for LINK for becoming a global teacher today which I totally messed up and feel rubbish about but there is enough of that on my school blog.

I didn’t run Friday as Louise couldn’t with her calf so I gave in and went for coffee with the teachers but I ran an awful five on Saturday to make my mileage up to 40 miles – I always aim for 40 or over but hardly ever make it with the amount of time I spend working so I was really pleased with this.

I also feel that I have really cut down on the junk miles now; most of the time I am pleased I achieved what I set out to in my runs and if I really feel that tired or sore now I tend to take the rest day instead of running or doing a high impact class at the gym.

It ended up being just Neal and I on Sunday morning for my first 20 miler and it was tough but good.  I ran 20 miles at 9.27 m/m ave, managing some quicker miles at the end.  I had also started the first 4 really slowly as I felt a bit rubbish and it was very windy so I had a lot to make up to make it to that average.  I ran it 1 1/2 mins faster than my first 20 before New York although it is quite a bit slower still than than the last one I did before it but I might get there again.

I did come in afterwards and collapse in the hall as I could not make it any further and the room was spinning – I felt drunk and it has put me off drinking too much for a while longer – I don’t want to feel like that again in a hurry.

Went to the speed session at the club on Monday night and my legs felt surprisingly good.  It was 8 x 2 mins and I ran 3 of them I think at 6 something m/m which I was surprised at as it was the first time I have run that speed in the 2 min intervals – and that was the day after 20 miles.

Ended up resting Tuesday as I was getting myself ready for this interview etc today and am now about to go out to the club, I feel very down about the interview and have a sneaky feeling that might not help me tonight but we’ll see.

Minimal hill training

 4.50pm,  Hill repeats session, 5 miles, 48.07

Hill training has been something I have always done quite a lot of within my marathon training but for no known reasons really this time I have hardly done any hil repeat sessions, although most of my runs particularly the long ones are hilly.

I ran from the gym to Pollok Park on Thursday and round to the house before going up to the big hill (used in the women’s 10km).  The most times I have run up this in one session is 8 I think but I only had time for 3 tonight before Body Pump and Body Attack.

mile 1 – 9.34 m/m

mile 2 – 9.28 m/m

hill 1 – 1.38 mins  recovery – 1.49 mins

hill 2 – 1.38 mins  recovery – 1.46 mins

hill 3 – 1.42 mins  recovery – 1.48 mins

Mile 5 – 9.24m/m

Distance was 0.18 miles for each hill rep, I assume I could find out the gradient if I put the garmin into the computer but at 8.00pm on a Friday night I can’t be bothered!

I ended up not doing anything today as work totally stressed me out, read my school blog to see why, and so I really wanted to for coffee with the others aftre school and I wasn’t meeting anyone else to run tonight anyway.  It means I really have to go out and run 5 miles tomorrow morning.

Weird runners high

7.13pm, 7 miles, 1.04.55, ave pace – 9.17 m/m

 9.38 m/m, 9.00 m/m, 9.05 m/m, 9.10 m/m, 9.05 m/m, 9.35 m/m, 9.19 m/m

I was so tired last night and really wanted to stay in and watch the Brits but I forced myself to club saying I would only do a short one and ended up with the group doing a longer one.  Once I was there I felt much better and thought I should go for it.  Plus it was suposed to be slower so I knew it would be alright.  Going by the time people said we would be out for I thought were doing about 9 miles so I was actually a bit disapointed with 7!  Thats not like me!

It felt like we were going fast as my legs are still hurting and I suppose if you took out the first mile and the second last one the ave pace would be quicker but I was still surprised it was as slow a total time as that.  Although it wasn’t even supposed to be that fast and I felt bad as I had said I did not mind slow and then 2 of us got a bit carried away and lost the other two.  Its nowhere near my best time for 7 miles but was probably quite good marathon training for me.

Afterwards I felt quite ‘runners high’ like even though it wasn’t that fast or anything special and was quite sore on the legs.  I have put it down to the fact I went out and ran at all that night and did okay when all I wanted to do was stay in and eat chocolate!

Sore legs!

I was shattered yesterday!  I did leave work in just enough time to squeeze in a tiny run before spin but my calves were so sore and I was so tired I could not get myself moving out of the car in time.  I did spin and that was fine but I cancelled Body Attack as I thought I was better doing no high impact so I could go to the club for a decent tempo run today.  They are still sore today but are not as bad so fingers crossed.  Still shattered though and I have been making sure I get plenty of sleep.  Don’t know whats up with me.

A reasonable session

7.00pm,   5 miles

Speed session at the club – 1 min on, 1 min off, 2 mins on, 1 min off        x6

1 min – 6.46 m/m              2 mins – 7.35 m/m

1 min – 7.36 m/m              2 mins – 7.44 m/m

1 min – 7.41 m/m              2 mins – 8.27  m/m

1 min- 7.01 m/m               2 mins – 7.51 m/m

1 min – 6.20 m/m             2 mins – 7.33 m/m

Quite happy with this considering how sore my calves were during my very slow warm up.  Yesterday had taken its toll but it could have been a lot worse!  No idea where I pulled that first minute from in particular.  Just disappointed I had one that was above 8 m/m; that is now my new goal to get through a whole session at sub 8 m/m pacing.

I  am sure I will be sore tomorrow, especially since I came straight in and started cooking dinner instead of stretching.  I cannot get home in time from work (I am a teacher – we don’t finish at three!) to eat before going to the club but hate having to eat late afterwards. 

Better today!

 7.30am - 18 miles, 2.47.01 (gutted it wasn’t 2.46!) Ave 9.17 m/m

1 9.31, 2 9.03, 3 9.13, 4 9.25, 5 9.38, 6 9.09, 7 9.13, 8 9.11, 9 9.21,

10 9.03, 11 9.13, 12 9.23, 13 9.36, 14 9.11, 15 9.19, 16 9.28, 17 9.02, 18 9.02

 I had not done any running since Sunday but did Body Attack yesterday and felt fine so I was sure I would today.  After tearing her hamstring in New York and only just recovering fully my training partner Louise then had something ‘ping’ in her calf while teaching step on Thursday night and can hardly walk so she is pretty scunnered!  This meant I went out with Chris ‘Crazyboy’ is how I think pacepusher describes him.  I was slightly worried it would be too fast but not worried enough to go and do 18 by myself!

I had wanted to start slowly and speed up which I generally like doing, but as can be seen from our splits we were all over the place.  I do not think either of us is particularly good at pacing!  I was really pleased with the frist half of the run as it is quite hilly and I forced myself to push up them.  I was a bit worried from 10 miles that I would not be able to keep the pace up and was nearly crying and barfing at the end.  This is still not as fast as I was running before New York but it is getting there although I am sure I am going to be very sore tomorrow.

Chris was really good at keeping me going over the last 5 miles, there is no way I would have been doing that pace, especially in the last 2 miles, if I had been by myself.

Went to Achilles Heel and got my new trainers for the marathon in the sale, they felt so good!  My last ones feel as if they have worn out really quickly.  I also bought a pair of Brooks bright yellow and red trail shoes for £20 for those bits on the West Highland Way that I would like to do. 

Feeling rough!

That title just about covers it since Thursday! 

• I tried to run on Thursday before pump and attack and I only managed a couple of miles – although I did do the classes too.
• Friday I did okay with Louise, in fact better than I thought when I looked at my garmin afterwards although still not great.  We did 7 x 3 min repeats over 5.4 miles and I managed to be 8 m/m somethings for them all, when I thought I was going a lot slower than that.  Rewarded ourselves with a hot chocolate afterwards – we like to live dangerously!
• Saturday was my day off – just as well as I do not think I could have squeezed in a run or had the energy for it after being up at 3.30 am for a flight to Dublin from Prestwick!  I spent most of the day in a sleepy trance until awakened in the evening by red bull!
• The red bull unfortunately kept me awake rather longer into the night than I would have liked and if I had not told the 13 others I was running on Sunday morning I doubt I would have.  However once up and out running at 7.50 am I felt great and flew along for the first 3 miles, (Red bull really does give you wings – it must still have been in my system) however during the last mile I started to feel a bit rough; from the effects of the red bull and going to fast in the beginning.
• I woke up on Monday – supposed to be doing 18 miles – with a stinking cold.   This was not in the least surprising after such a lack of sleep and a stuffy hotel room however it scuppered my plans for Monday and I resolved to see how I was on Tuesday.
• However here we are at Tuesday and I still feel really rubbish, we were supposed to have an easy week this Sunday coming before going up to 20 miles and now I will have to do 18!

Short but fast

Did not even dread going to the club tonight so I must be getting used to going on a Wednesday night!  My legs still felt quite tight from Sunday so I did not want to do too much to spoil the rest of my week.

 It ended up only being 4 miles that I did but they were 9.19 m/m, 838 m/m, 8.08 m/m and 8.10 m/m.  This is fast for me for recently, although I had managed runs like this leading up to New York, so I am pleased with this and reasonably happy that it was short since it was fast.  I would rather have done a short, fast run than a longer, slower one.

Sore legs

I could not bring myself to go to the club on Monday night as my legs were pretty sore from Sunday’s 18 miler.  I then felt so guilty that I thought I would go round to the shop, jog that to see how it felt and if it was okay I would go a little run by myself. 

It was not okay!  It was not going to be worth going a run, it would have been miles for the sake of it and of no worth to me.

So on Tuesday my legs still felt a little sore but not as bad. I did spin and then went out a three mile run which was slower than last week but still okay.  I averaged 9.40 m/m which I am happy about considering I did 18 miles on Sunday at that pace!

I did not end up doing attack as no-one else was, I could not be bothered to do it myself and knew it would probably do me more good to have the rest from it.

I think I need new trainers sooner rather than later as I am getting sore knees, a bit of shin splints and they do not feel very bouncy at all now.  I have not even had them that long but will need a new pair before London anyway so might as well get them soon.  It is only 10 weeks to go now! 

18 miles

Finally got 18 miles done and feel quite good about it.  My times were rather mixed as I had a really bad patch from 4 – 6 miles but after that it was better.  Did it in 2 hours 55 mins which is not particularly fast (ave 9.44 m/m) but 10 mins faster than my first 18 for New York and I did not feel too bad at the end which is good.  It was though only 3 mins faster than my fastest 20 miler before New York so shows that I have some way to go to get back to that speed.

 Did Body  Pump afterwards and used my normal weights but it was hard!  Looking forward to the rest of the week – well apart from tomorrow night at the club as I will probably now be back to being the slowest person in the group!