Hard work

Thursday 28th August

Body Pump

Body Attack

Worked really hard in both classes tonight as thought I was feeling better from the cold and must have burnt off a lot of calories!  Pretty much back to my normal weights in pump which is good.

Friday 29th August

3 miles

Felt awful!  That working hard at classes last night was not the right thing to do as I felt much worse today.  Miss Pump bailed on me for running so I went out myself on the cycle path but I could hardly breathe and my legs just felt like lead.  Decided not to run on Saturday so that hopefully I would be okay for a long run tomorrow.  Went to see a few of the global teachers today and got asked how the running was going – I had to say nothing short of disasterous!

I have decided I am running the Chicago marathon in my mini kilt (with leggings underneath!) and a Scotland top and just going to have fun as there is zero chance of a pb or even anywhere near.

Back on track with Miss Pump

Tuesday 26th August

6 miles, 55.51mins, 9.18m/m pace

Body Attack, Body Pump

I was supposed to try and do a long run today but had mananged to only take one knee support with me so that put paid to that as my knees have been really sore after long runs and that was with the supports on.  Louise was meeting me, supposedly part way through the run, to join me for a bit of it so instead I went to meet her and we did 6 together.  I was feeling lousy with the cold and so was not unhappy not to be trying to attempt a long run. 

It was really nice to be out running with her again as it has been ages and we do so much better when we are together and motivating each other.  Very steady pace as she has been injured as well and we just used this run to start us off and get us back into things.  Hopefully we will get out on Friday as well.

I stayed for Body Attack and Body Pump as well.  Managed to work pretty hard even though feeling quite lousy!

Not getting HUNG UP on no running, I’ll just DIE ANOTHER DAY, in Chicago probably….

No running as too busy driving and going to see Madonna in Cardiff!  Legs were too sore from standing for 6 hours on Saturday night to run anyway.  She was amazing though, well worth every penny and every minute spent standing waiting, or in the car!

I thought the two of these were just material - no they included £1m worth of cystal diamonds!

Set list:

Candy Shop

Beat Goes on

Human Nature

Vogue

Into the Groove

Heartbeat

Borderline

She’s Not Me

Music

Devil wouldn’t recognise you

Spanish Lesson

Miles Away

La Isla Bonita

You must love me

4 mins

Like a Prayer

Ray of Light

Hung Up

Give it to me

I thought she looked amazing!

Irvine 10km

Thursday 21st August – Body Pump. 

The race did not exactly kick start me to running again then as I hoped – my knees were very sore today and I did not want to push it with a run.

Wednesday 20th August – Irvine 10km race

48.14

1 – 4 km ave 4.45m/km, 5 – 8 km ave 5.00m/km, 9 – 10km ave 4.30m/km

I only made up my mind the morning of the race to run it – it depended on whether I could walk down the stairs without pain in my quads.  So of course I had not exactly rested the day before having had the small run, attack and pump and when it came to the evening my legs were still tired.

What else helped me make my mind up was the fact John was running and we could go with him and Katrina.  I had not seen them since the WHW race and so I was looking forward to catching up and it also meant we did not have to try and find it ourselves.  I was right and it was great to catch up but I think I probably did most of the talking – sorry guys! 

I really did not hold out much hope of running under 52 mins for this run as I was feeling very unfit from my break and really just hoped for a kick start to my training.  Started with what I thought was a very slow pace and so was very shocked to get to 1km in 4.47m/km.  So much so I did not believe it was 1km and did not click the watch.  (My garmin was running out of battery I realised on arrival so I used pacepusher’s watch).

So pleasantly surprised I kept up the pace up until the end of 4km but then really slipped as I got tired.  I had been so definate about being rubbish that I decided not to worry about time and just concentrated on picking people off which I did a lot of and nobody overtook me at all.  This actually maybe helped me keep up the pace.

Saw John when I was at about 4km and that kept me going for a while, trying to work out if that meant he was on course for the time he wanted.  Just that day I had been telling people how I did maths all of the time in my head while racing and they couldn’t believe it but I do it constantly to work out how I am doing.

I could not believe how much I managed to pick it up for the last 2km, my goal is that pace for a whole 10km race soon, I was almost there before I went away.  My legs were really hurting by this point and I think I would have been closer to my pb if I had rested beforehand.

I was very glad to see John coming to push me along in the last km, it gave me a real lift, would be great if he could do that all the time! 

So I was really pleased with my time in the end, as I thought it would be much worse and I do not have too much to make up.  Hope something positive happens in the glasgow 1/2 marathon, not that I have actually entered it yet!

Finishing the 10km

still sore

2 miles (treadmill)

Body Attack

Body Pump

This will teach me to race down all of the downhills on the West Highland Way as my quads were still sore on Tuesday, hence only the two mile run.  I did it on the treadmill as it was bucketing down and I did not want to get soaked before being in the gym for 2 hours!  Quite enjoyed it for a change since my knees are still also sore and I could watch bits of the Olympics at the same time!

It’s rubbish working while they are on though as I would have loved to have seen the 200m final live (among others0 but had to settle for listening to it repeated on the radio and then watching it on the internet when I got home.

Doing the Irvine 10km tonight, think I will be rubbish but it will hopefully kick start me with some motivation and give me an idea of where I am with training – know where near where I was at the end of June, I know that much!

Stairlift required……to go down

600m swim

I was planning on going to the club tonight but I can still hardly walk, especially not downstairs so decided on a swim instead since Pacepusher was doing that.  I quite enjoyed it as not been for a while but I am so rubbish at it now.  I wasn’t as a kid but I have no endurance for it now at all.  I had better find some though as I plan to do the Edinburgh triathlon on New Year’s Day as my first fundraising event for the year to raise money for my school in Malawi.

Burning quads

Body Pump

This was all I managed today as my quads have been screaming at me since I woke up after tearing down all of the downhills yesterday.

Also, quite tired as stayed up to watch the marathon and saw Michael Phelps get his eighth gold at 4am, and I did not exactly sleep in!  I had a few tears at the end of the marathon! 

I have updated my school blog with another few days worth of stories, this is taking forever!

WHW running to help me along

Drymen to Rowardennan

15.28 miles, 3.17.41 hours, ave pace 12.56m/m

10.29, 11.31, 9.25, 10.10, 12.17, 18.27, 15.17, 13.07, 11.22, 13.43, 14.20, 12.42, 14.13

I don’t have all of the splits as pacepusher told me to lap stops and that messed it up!

I wanted to run on the WHW today to do my long run as it meant the pressure would be off but I would still be building up time on my feet – which I certainly did!

Pacepusher ended up supporting me, see his blog for why, which was good as then from Balmaha to Rowardennan I did not have to carry my drinks, and I got updates on the Olympics as I went along.  I really liked all of this section despite it being hilly and enjoyed my run.  Hopefully this will give me some more confidence for my next long run.  It was quite slow towards the end but hopefully I can build this up in preparation for the fling!

And I finished just 2 mins before the 100m mens final and was able to listen to that, absolutely amazing.  Wish he had kept pushing to the end though, would love to know what he could run it in.  Staying up tonight to watch the marathon and then unfortuntely at 4am Phelps goes for his 8th gold so think we will be staying up for that too.  Don’t know when I stayed up that late before – not that I have managed it yet, after all of that fresh air I might be lucky to make the marathon!

Excuses, Excuses

Thursday 14th August

Body Pump

Body Attack

Didn’t run as I did not want to get soaked before being in gym for two hours and literally had no time on Friday as was on a staff night out that started at 5.30pm in Finnieston and I work in Blantyre!  One of my worst nightmares occurred on the way as I got stuck on the underground for 20/25 mins. 

I felt sick at one point as the irrational side of my brain imagined a train smashing into the back of us or having to walk forever through a tunnel to get to the station – turns out we were only about 10 metres from the station, I wish they had told us that!

Getting worried!

Tuesday 12th August

9.3 miles, 1.33 hours, ave pace 10.06 m/m

10.02, 10.08, 10.18, 10.01, 10.25, 10.03, 9.37, 10.06, 10.07, 3.06

Body Jam

Body Attack

Body Pump

Went out to try and do 16 mile and only managed that.  And it’s probably the slowest I have run in years!  I don’t even know what was wrong, but nothing, absolutely nothing was going right!

I can only hope that when I go back to work on Thursday, not that I am ready for that after so little holiday, I will get back into my usual routine.  Don’t even want to say anything else about it – but Debs I am still trying to count my blessings!

Did attack and pump at night, and did jam for the first time before those.  I am glad I was not in the dance studio and having to watch myself in the mirror as I felt very stupid trying to do the moves!