30th November 2010
Well if I thought that last week was cold nothing could have prepared me for this week. We have had some snow, lots of frost, lots of ice oh and a bit of freezing fog - perfect running conditions.
Oh thank goodness for my fleecy running leggings, and gloves, and 3 tops and a scarf and a running jacket. Maybe next time I will wear some leg warmers, I swear there was a little gap between my leggings and my socks, brrrrrr.
So today's run was just 2.5 miles after my marathon run last week. The eagle eyed amongst you will see that I only managed 1 run last week - I have a very good excuse list for that. I was away working for most of the week, when I had finished working it was pitch black and the gym that was advertised at the hotel was indeed closed for refurbishment. I also didn't get to train with Petra on Saturday, some major winter weather conditions coupled with some black ice and a rear wheel drive BMW saw to that.
So anyway back to my run - 2.5 miles in the freezing cold along the Camel Trail. No one was out this morning, no one at all. So I set my run keeper with a 5 minute warm up, so again my pace will appear slower, but at the end of it all I need to take 5 minutes back.
My pace throughout was pretty consistent, and went like this; 0.5 miles - 7.04 min / km, 1 mile - 7.20 min / km, 1.5 miles - 7.51 min / km, 2 miles - 7.40 min / km and finally 2.5 miles - 7.50 min / km.
Conditions were not in my favour and with all the extra clothes I was wearing I must have been carrying an extra stone. It was cold and the path was pretty hard going, but I got up, dressed and went out there and did it, so now I am an official winter runner - oh yes, bring it on. Off for a hot chocolate now!
22nd November 2010
Well if I thought that last week was cold nothing could have prepared me for this week. We have had some snow, lots of frost, lots of ice oh and a bit of freezing fog - perfect running conditions.
Oh thank goodness for my fleecy running leggings, and gloves, and 3 tops and a scarf and a running jacket. Maybe next time I will wear some leg warmers, I swear there was a little gap between my leggings and my socks, brrrrrr.
So today's run was just 2.5 miles after my marathon run last week. The eagle eyed amongst you will see that I only managed 1 run last week - I have a very good excuse list for that. I was away working for most of the week, when I had finished working it was pitch black and the gym that was advertised at the hotel was indeed closed for refurbishment. I also didn't get to train with Petra on Saturday, some major winter weather conditions coupled with some black ice and a rear wheel drive BMW saw to that.
So anyway back to my run - 2.5 miles in the freezing cold along the Camel Trail. No one was out this morning, no one at all. So I set my run keeper with a 5 minute warm up, so again my pace will appear slower, but at the end of it all I need to take 5 minutes back.
My pace throughout was pretty consistent, and went like this; 0.5 miles - 7.04 min / km, 1 mile - 7.20 min / km, 1.5 miles - 7.51 min / km, 2 miles - 7.40 min / km and finally 2.5 miles - 7.50 min / km.
Conditions were not in my favour and with all the extra clothes I was wearing I must have been carrying an extra stone. It was cold and the path was pretty hard going, but I got up, dressed and went out there and did it, so now I am an official winter runner - oh yes, bring it on. Off for a hot chocolate now!
22nd November 2010
OK, so the big run of the week. Boy is it cold out there today. Mark very kindly brought me back some Under Armour fleece lined leggings for my winter running – thank goodness for those and my gloves today!
My pace will appear slower if you have been following my previous runs. This is because I added a 5 minute warm up time to my run, and that 5 minutes of jogging, bouncing up and down on the spot, star jumping and basically looking like a possessed rag doll has affected my times, if that makes sense.
First half a mile as ever did not feel particularly comfortable. The pace for this – 7 minutes 40 seconds, but taking into account the first 5 minutes as I said. The second ½ a mile was slower, 7 minutes 48 seconds, I am not sure what happened there.
The third went even slower, 8 minutes 17 seconds and by now it feels as though I am making no progress whatsoever. I had to have a bit of a chat with myself – this is your longest run, don’t push it because you have to go that extra bit further, sort yourself out for goodness sake – that type of thing.
The fourth half mile was worse at a pace of 8 minutes 31 seconds. But now that is fine, I accepted it and started to relax into my run. I wasn’t going to break any times with this one, but I sure as hell was going to keep running for 7 kilometres.
The 5th section was a steady 8 minutes 49 seconds, no worries I was still running. The next one 8 minutes 45 seconds – get in!!
My last mile didn’t record on my Runkeeper – technology is great when it works. My poor iPhone has the battery life of an Asda Basic Battery, i.e. very limited. Maybe I have outrun my iPhone? Maybe I am just too good and professional and will need a very expensive Garmin or maybe I just need to make sure that my phone is fully charged before I start a run!!
And so to round up my run – I ran 7 kilometres dead and it took me 55 minutes. That is the longest I have ever run in one go and the furthest I have ever ran in one go – complete and utter result (and a little bit of dog scaring whooping).
18th November 2010
A quick 3 miles today. The weather was good, cold and a bit mushy underfoot, but not raining.
The camel trail is looking beautiful at this time of year, especially first thing in the morning. Lots of people walking their dogs, cyclists and runners – can they hear my really loud music? I hope not, Jump by Girls Aloud is probably not all that credible!
Nothing major to report today really. Average pace, I didn’t overdo it and this distance feels pretty comfortable for me now. I am starting to get this running business. If I don’t go out on a run I do miss it, just a tiny amount anyway.
My next run will be 4 miles, but I am going to take that up to 7km, another first for me. I will let you know how I get on.
15th November 2010
My next run, according to my plan, was going to be 2 miles. Basically the plan is building me up to a total of 13 miles over an 18 week period. I am initially aiming for 8 miles, never say never, but at the moment 8 miles seems like 8 months away.
Good run actually, a pace of 7.25 minutes per kilometre for the first mile, followed by a pace of 7.35 for the second. The second mile included the hill of pain so my pace was slightly slower there.
Overall time was 22.5 minutes, an improvement on the previous 2 mile run which was the same route and took 25.5 minutes. Maybe I am a born runner, maybe I am really related to Zola Budd or maybe it was just flipping freezing out there and I wanted to be home in front of the fire, hmmm the last one I think.
13th November 2010
Personal Training session today with Petra – not such an early start, we kicked off at 10:15.
Petra weighed and measured me, but I have no idea what I weigh. After dieting for about 22 years on and off I have decided to have a healthier attitude about my weight. Petra says that it is muscle v fat that matters and not what I weigh – strange concept for me, but every time I step on the scales I have to look out of the window!!
Petra decided that we would train in the gym today - great news, that rugby pitch is getting muddy out there and it is ever so slightly chilly today – hooray, this should be an easier day!!
But no, because this is Petra and easy is not a word that she uses – oh great.
I warmed up for about 10 minutes on the rowing machine and then moved onto the bike. She has this evil word – tabarta – it means kill me now! Basically it consists of 20 seconds of mad activity (cycling like a woman possessed in my case) with a 10 second “rest” in between. We do it, and then again, and then again and again until my legs fall off, or they feel like they are going to anyway.
After that she gave me a 10 minute “route” on the exercise bike, just to finish off my legs completely, you must have seen the bit in Bridget Jones when she falls off the bike – I need say no more.
After this we move on to some weights work. After being told off for some untidy lunges we go down in to the “professional” weights room – oohhh now this is exciting.
Petra takes me through a whole routine of different lifts with a real weights bar; she even said I could have some chalk for my hands!!! I spotted one of the big fat weights and it had the word Olympic on it – how professional am I.
After being told off (again) for having hamster hands we made a lot of progress and I really enjoyed it. After stretching off that was that, I wasn’t shattered and I didn’t hurt too much.
Best of all I was on my way home when Petra text me on my progress. Since I began training, about 8 weeks ago now, I have lost 9 pounds and 23.5 inches!!! How fab is that, but I bet I won’t be able to move in the morning.
12th November 2010
OK, so as explained on my Home Page things haven't gone exactly as planned this week. The next run on my list was 3 miles, but as I blogged last time I was going to take that up to 6km so I could see some improvement over the last couple of weeks.
The Camel Trail in the wind and the rain is not the same as running backwards around the village so the Camel Trail it was. There was no point sitting in the car waiting for the rain to stop - visibility was awful and the rain was not stopping this side of the weekend!
Hmmm, very strange, not a cyclist or dog walker in site - I wonder why. Also a distinct lack of runners today, am I the only nutter out here?
The first kilometre pace was 7.06, OK so that was fine, and running and splashing through the puddles was quite good fun. The first kilometre always feels a bit odd for me, it takes a while to get in to my rhythm. My friend Marion says it takes her a few miles to hit her stride - but then she does run 30 miles a week - now there is a nutter.
Second kilometre pace was the same, so again a steady one, not too much discomfort but at this point I am soaked right through and my hood has fallen down, glamour puss or what!
The third kilometre pace was 7.10 and at this point I am more than slightly relieved to be turning back for home. The wind seems to have died down but I swear it feels as though I have steam billowing off me.
Oh dear oh dear, kilometre number 4 was just dreadful. Pace 7.57, my legs felt solid and I know now that my porridge reserves had run out - this is no fun at all. I talk to myself when I run and my logic went like this: first kilometre, fine, it just takes a while to settle in, 2nd kilometre, good because I am at my pace, 3rd kilometre, that should be OK because I can turn at the end of it, 4th kilometre = ouch, why am I here, why am I doing this and I hate kilometre number 4, kilometre 5, slightly better than 4 as I am getting closer to the end and kilometre 6, great because it is progress from the completion of 5 onwards and it is the last one.
OK, maybe not that logical but it is the way my brain was working. So kilometre 4, just wrong. Kilometre 5 pace was 7.24 so I managed to pick it up slightly, but to be honest I had had enough at this point. I had hairspray streaming down into my eyes, my fringe was over my eyes and my trousers were wet to the skin. My clingfilm wrapped iPhone was under my jacket, but how long it was going to remain waterproof was anyone's guess.
And so eventually on to kilometre 6 - now this was progress. Muttering, chanting and singing my way along kilometre 6 my pace was 7.30. Stopping with an undignified thump and near collapse at the end I managed a bit of a whoop, scaring the life out of a spaniel that had been dragged out for a walk in the rain, sorry spaniel but a victory is a victory, however small.
And so home to a cup of mint tea and a hot bath. 6kilometres sorted - but I seriously think I need some new kit, including some sort of non slip hat.
4th November 2010
Another run this week, the 2nd of 3. I had to cancel my training session with Petra due to work commitments, so going it alone this week.
My challenge for today was to run 2.5 miles. Having had a facial at Vitality I then had to go out and face the elements of the North Cornwall coast. I figured that I would have enough moisturiser to take me round for one lap, so off I went.
The wind and rain really hits you on this route. Again it felt as though I was running with someone else’s legs so that was great, but I found it really hard to get my breathing under control and in a rhythm. The wind really snatches at my breathe and causes me to take shorter shallower breathes, and then I get stitch, and eventually I will fall over!!
I carried on with it though, downhill great, uphill not so great. My time at the end of 2.5 miles – 35 minutes. Not great, but against the wind so a bit of resistance training thrown in there as well.
My third run of the week is supposed to be for 3 miles, but I am going for 6km so I can build on my 5km result of the previous week. I am going to do it on the Camel Trail so I am going to push for a steady pace, good breathing and hopefully (fingers crossed) a dry run.
As for now, I have a total hair disaster to deal with, so if you will excuse me…
1st November 2010
OK, back to my training regime. I decided to consolidate the 5km run that I achieved at the end of my 6 weeks, and ease myself back into it gently.
I have had a chat with my running guru – Marion – and we have decided to push on and achieve a bit of distance. She has given me a Training Programme that will take me up to 10km over the next 5 to 6 weeks.
Petra is then keen for me to consolidate what I have done, improve my pace and then start to add weight (by way of a rucksack) – are you getting the idea now about my Personal Trainer?
So with all of that in mind I set off this morning to run a 2 miler. I chose the Camel Trail once again, knowing that the flatness of the track would be far better for me then the windy winding hills of Delabole.
After sitting in the car for 20 minutes waiting for the rain to pass (fair weather runner and all that) I went for it. 2 miles in 25.5 minutes – OK so not Roger Bannister, but happy with that one.
The rest of the week will be a 2.5 mile run and a 3 mile run, just to put me back on form to progress next week.
Training Session tomorrow with Petra … watch this space!!
23rd October 2010
The final run of the final week – finally!!
Up and ready for this run and buoyed with success from yesterday I was ready to go – and then I looked out of the window. As many of you know Delabole is famous for its weather – they don’t call it Old Misty for nothing!!
It was raining horizontally with a little bit of gusting wind as an added bonus.
Mark was running with me today – after the run we were heading off to the Falmouth Beer Festival so the sooner we did it the sooner we could go.
We struggled to walk up the high street in the wind. At this point it had actually stopped raining, but for how long? We took shelter behind a bit of hedge and set our run keepers up for 5km, that was a first for me!!
We set off reasonably well. My legs were not as good as yesterday and the windy conditions were ridiculous. Up into the centre of the village and then down the hill, all against the wind but keeping a steady pace we managed to keep a bit of momentum. And then we turned the corner and started the first of 2 hill climbs. My legs were tired and I felt completely disorientated. I was being buffeted around and completely lost my breathing rhythm.
Within a few minutes I was questioning my ability to complete the run. I had done this hill before, not once but twice. I knew the route and I knew I could run 5km. But all of that didn’t compute and very soon I stopped running. I was mortified. I had come all this way, yesterday I had cracked it – I could run, today I was in bits just 1.5km into my run.
I shouted at Mark to carry on, but he could see I was beating myself up about it all. He ran on but soon came back to see me walking along with my head down, sniffling to myself, giving myself a really hard time.
We walked together to the top of the hill. I was muttering and spluttering but decided that I could run home from the top of the hill. I wasn’t going to do a second loop; I was just going to run home.
I started to run and then the rain came. Great, fantastic, wind and rain, why am I doing this at all?
I ran on through the village and down towards our house. I could hardly see, the conditions were crazy. And once home I just sat in a wet heap and got extremely cross with myself. Why couldn’t I finish my run, why couldn’t I run for 5km, why was I so hopeless?
Luckily for me Mark is oh so good at talking sense. Explaining that Friday had taken it out of me, I hadn’t been well the previous week, I needed fuel (Mars Bars possibly??) and the mad weather conditions, clubbed together with a bit of a hill meant that yes I had had a bad run, but that didn’t mean I would never have a good run again.
And so there it is – the end of my 6 week Running Plan.
Did I achieve what I set out to achieve – yes.
Did I enjoy it – um yes and no.
Am I going to continue – absolutely, because the trek to Everest Base Camp is not flat and it might be windy and it might rain – so I had better talk to my running guru Marion about where my Running Plan is going from here. But right now I am off to the Falmouth Beer Festival for a very well deserved tipple.
22nd October 2010
I chose to run again along the Camel Trail and it was absolutely freezing. I had suffered with the cold on the Wednesday so had added a pair of shorts under my trackies to help my legs warm up and stay warm.
I set off at a good pace and soon settled in to my run. The trail wasn’t that busy and my iPod was choosing some decent music for once. I was nearing the end of my first 10 minute session and thought that it was all going well and I should perhaps carry on and see how I went.
I was happy with my pace and happy with the way it was going and made the decision to go for it, run for the full 30 minutes. I know I was a session early but I seemed to be running with someone else’s legs!!
As you can imagine the last 10 minutes were a bit of a countdown. Reality set in that even if I was going to complete my 30 minutes I was not going to have run 5 km which was my mine objective for the 6 week training plan.
I had a bit of a mind game going on – do I stop at 30 minutes, take the gain and then build on my distance / pace, or do I run on and complete the 5km?
At the 30 minute point I was tired, but I knew I had a bit more to give. The only issue was I had turned on the Trail too early and was almost back to my start point. Unless I continued to run on and through the centre of Wadebridge I would have to turn around and go back up the track.
And so I turned around and set off again. I was trying to gauge where I was, but my Runkeeper app had stopped my training session after the 30 minutes. It was giving me time / distance after every 2 minutes, but I was tired and it wasn’t fun anymore.
After running up and down the beginning of the Camel Trail and looking like a complete loon I eventually ground to an undignified stop at 5.43km. I had started the programme with a 5 minute warm up which took me approx. 0.33km down the track so I had completed my first 5km!!!! My final time for this was somewhere between 36 and 37 minutes. Not a great time, but a time nonetheless. I now had something to build on.
Tomorrow was the final day of the 6 week Training Programme – Bring It On!!!
20th October 2010
Yesterday was my first day of Week 6. Having just started to recover from a stomach bug a run was well and truly out of the question. Instead I settled for a brisk 3.3km walk with the dogs. I say brisk, but taking a 17 stone Mastiff for a walk is a little more sedentary with a lot of sniff stops. He pulls on the way out and I pull him on the way back – lazy monster that he is.
And so this morning I have been out for the first run of Week 6, run 15 minutes, walk 1 and repeat. I have definitely lost a bit of fitness with this bug and my pace wasn’t great, but I managed it. Not great when my Run keeper App on my iPhone kept stalling and insisting that after the run had finished I had managed 1.23km with an average pace of 27 minutes per kilometre – a bug in the system somewhere!!
I will probably have a rest day tomorrow, or maybe a swim depending on how my tummy is. Off with the dogs now for their daily walk/ trek/marathon!
Darcy in the Snow - Not Built for Speed!
Training – From Zero to Hero!!
As a generally unfit mother of two this is certainly going to be a huge challenge for me. To get fit for this Event I have decided to start my running programme again and also train with a Personal Trainer to prepare myself fully. More about my Personal Trainer later – but for now here is my running progress.
I am 5 weeks into my Programme now as it has taken this long to put everything in place to book the event, but for my first 5 weeks of running I followed a Training Plan from the website The Running Bug – www.therunningbug.co.uk, a fantastic website for runners of all ages and abilities which is full of really useable advice. A copy of my programme can be found at this link http://www.therunningbug.co.uk/articles/beginners/b/weblog/archive/2010/09/23/run-your-first-race-in-six-weeks.aspx, and is an extract from Anyone Can Run author, Joan Geraghty's plan to take you from total beginner to 5K runner in just six weeks, and basically went like this:
Our Goal: To run for 30 minutes (5k) after 6 weeks.
Week 1
Week 1
Session 1: Walk for one minute, run for one minute, as many times as you can. Take it at a steady jogging pace and if you need more than a minute to recover, that’s fine. Just start running again as soon as you can at intervals throughout the half-hour.
Session 2: The same run/walk routine, but try to extend the running periods for a little longer.
Session 3: If you’ve been taking walking breaks longer than your running bursts, stop it now. You’re no longer a beginner.
Tip
For somebody new to exercise running for a whole minute can prove exhausting. But with consistent practice, it does become easier. The more you do, the more you can do.
For somebody new to exercise running for a whole minute can prove exhausting. But with consistent practice, it does become easier. The more you do, the more you can do.
I was happy with this week, not too bad at all. My legs worked for me and near the end of the week seemed to remember that I had been running earlier in the year
Week 2
Week 2
Session 1: Run/walk at two minute intervals.
Session 2: Run a bit longer than you walk at each interval. (E.g. run for three minutes and walk for two minutes.)
Session 3: As session 2.
Tip
Remind yourself of your goal. Six weeks is not a very long time – you can stick with this programme and you will soon run for 30-minutes nonstop. Keep going!
Again, this went quite well – I was keeping a steady pace through my running. The weather turned against me on my last session – running in the rain with big hair and hairspray running down into your eyes is not recommended!!
Week 3
Session 1: Run for as long as you can without a break. Keep going past two minutes, then three, up to four and five minutes if possible. Walk for two minutes after you run. By the end of the session try to have achieved an eight-minute run.
Session 2: Try at least two eight-minute runs. You can do it.
Session 3: Go all out for this last session of the week. If you need to stop after five minutes, just walk for two minutes then start again. Aim to run for more than ten minutes in one go. Ideally, you should finish week 3 having completed a 15 minute run.
Tip
Add a motivational treat such as running to music or time your treadmill session to coincide with a TV programme you can watch on the gym monitor.
You’re half-way there!
Add a motivational treat such as running to music or time your treadmill session to coincide with a TV programme you can watch on the gym monitor.
You’re half-way there!
Hmm, halfway to where – A & E perhaps!!! Ok, so now the strain was really beginning to show, going from such short intervals to a 15 minute all out run was tough. I managed it, and gave myself a huge pat on the back for it – but that was hard (and I know that it is going to get a lot, lot worse).
Week 4
Week 4
Session 1: Run as long as you can without stopping, at least 15 minutes. Then keep going some more, up to 20 minutes if you can. Rest and then run for a few minutes more. Really push yourself.
Session 2: Repeat the performance of session 1. This may seem challenging, but your body will be adapting to the exertion. You can do this. Keep running for at least 20 minutes.
Session 3: As Session 2.
Tip
Notice benefits that come with regular exercise. The scales may have dropped or your clothes might fit better. Your mood may have lifted as you feel better about yourself after pushing yourself physically and mentally.
OK, so this was tough, but in many ways it felt better. My body is starting to accept that I am going to be brutal with it at least 3 times a week and has decided to just get on with it. It is not any easy thing to do, and I am certainly pushing myself – but I am beginning to “get it.”
Notice benefits that come with regular exercise. The scales may have dropped or your clothes might fit better. Your mood may have lifted as you feel better about yourself after pushing yourself physically and mentally.
OK, so this was tough, but in many ways it felt better. My body is starting to accept that I am going to be brutal with it at least 3 times a week and has decided to just get on with it. It is not any easy thing to do, and I am certainly pushing myself – but I am beginning to “get it.”
Week 5
- Session 1: Run for 10 minutes, walk for one. Repeat twice.
- Session 2: Run for as long as you can, up to 20 minutes. Walk for up to five minutes, run the last five minutes.
- Session 3: As for session 1.
Tip
You’re nearly there - just two weeks to go. You’re now someone who can keep running non-stop for at least 20 minutes - a runner! Your goal this week is to maintain progress. You should feel proud.
This felt as though I was maybe going backwards in my first session. After achieving a running time of 20 minutes it felt a little odd to return to running for 10 minutes at a time. The second session felt fine, but again the first one didn’t seem at all natural.
And so here I am – at week 6. This week should consist of:
Week 6
- Session 1: Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute. Repeat.
- Session 2: Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute. Repeat twice.
- Session 3: Keep running for 30 minutes.
We Shall See – I will Keep You Posted…
