24thJanuary - 3rd February - Ticking off the sessions 

It has been a while since my last blog, so make yourself a cuppa and pull up a comfy chair! 

Monday 24th Jan – work and rest

Tuesday – Lost bananas and chicken nuggets

I went for a pre work swim before going on my ILM course today.  The topic today was Project management, I already have my PRINCE2 project management certificate but there is something about flowcharts and feedback circles that appeals to me, always have!  Being the end of the month I am skin so took the only thing i had left in my cupboards for lunch, two bananas but somehow i lost them between the car and the class room!  However my bestest boymate came to my rescue by sharing his chicken nuggets and his “diet biscuits” that his wife packs for him not realising that he sneaks out and buys chicken nuggets!  As much as I enjoy the topic of project management by the afternoon my concentration had truly gone and I returned to being a school girl passing notes in class, but only by the modern form of text messages with my bestest boymate! Thank you Peter for feeding and entertaining me today!

After the course I dashed to Run Club for a quick committee meeting and then lead group 2.  Now im not sure if it was the nutritional value of chicken nuggets and Diet biscuits or the after effects of my efforts at the Brass monkey but i was soon leading my group from the back!!

Wednesday – Interval session, I thought I would struggle with longer bursts today so opted for my two min run two min walk session and somehow managed to push it to 13 on the tread which is equivalent to (i think) 7.30 minute mile – shame i cant keep that going for a whole mile!  I followed this by Body Pump but have to say I found myself unusually thinking about work.  Back home bit more work bed

Thursday –  Run - Work –Swim-  Sleep

My Early Morning Run

Friday – spin – work – a lunchtime cappuccino (served in what appeared to be a bowl) with TSR-work- housework - sleep

Saturday -  long run day, this week 14 miles, I had a really bad night sleep with 3 hours at most I woke at 6 had porridge and took a while to persuade myself to get out of the door at 7.  I wanted to run 10ish mile and do the last 3 – 4 at parkrun  I had arranged to meet Nicky and Liz (also long running) at Lawnswood roundabout at 8.10ish  and then run through Headingly together.  We had agreed that we would not wait for one another but catch up somewhere on Otley Road. I stopped to take a few photos, Leeds just looks different when running at this time of day but other than that I tried not to do dawdle too much but as I passed the MacDonald on the ring road  I decided to stop for the loo, this delayed me and I reached the roundabout at about 8.17, I looked up Otley Road towards Adele to check that they were not still on their way, I thought for a moment I had seen the bright yellow of Liz high viz jacket and what i thought was Nicky in her black running coat, but as I waited and peered I realised that these figures were in fact not moving and were in fact a yellow rubbish bin on a lamppost (woops sorry) so believing I was about 10mins behind them I turned and thought I would try running a few miles at marathon pace as all the good training schedules suggest you do this.  However I ‘m still not sure what MY marathon pace will be and so I just ran as fast as I could for the next two miles (all down hill) but still no sign of Liz and Nicky! I ran my fastest ever mile within a long run and arrived about 20 mins early for parkrun, still no sign of Liz and Nicky, I ran round the edge of the park and still no Liz and Nicky, then round  and round wellington waiting for the start, Nicky and Liz arrived with a few minutes to spare they had been behind me after all and I had run so hard to catch them up my legs had felt on fire!  parkrun started, again a slow time for me but as I crossed the line I only  had another half mile to do before reaching my 14 miles. Once done i went back to the finish and collapsed on john/ned massage table. Ned who normally has me climbing the walls, stretched my legs and did a min massage but my legs were so tired I hardly felt a thing! 

River Aire

Kirkstall Abbey early in the morning

The plan for the rest of sat was home, bath, town to spend my Christmas vouchers at up and running, chilling with TSR then swimming with Adele. However the reality was home –toilet-bath-toilet-bath-toilet-toilet-bed-toilet-bed-alkaseltzer-bed-toilet-sofa-shivershivershiver-hug with TSR-macd’s drive through for kids tea, sofa, bed. By the end of the day I was some 5lb lighter!

Sunday  morning came and feeling a little better and still in possession of the tea I had eaten last night I got ready to go to the Cross Country at John Smeaton, telling myself on one hand that I wouldn’t run if i didn’t feel well, but knowing that I would! As it turned out I was soon bringing up the rear for team HPH.  I have no problem being at the rear and am proud to follow all my HPH team mates in particular on Sunday I proudly following Sue S back.  I have known Sue since our sons were born and for years she has told me I was mad  but now understands the hold this mad passion has over you, in less than half a year Sue has gone from a non runner to a regular parkrunner and HPH and is about to do her first 10k at Dewsbury! Liz who was marshalling also commented something about she was disappointed that she hadn’t run as she felt she would have whooped my arse today and I know she would! The marshals gave encouragement to those of us at the back of the field with shouts of “great work” “your running well” etc etc I found myself compelled to explain my below par performance by telling each and everyone of them “thanks but I ran  14 miles yesterday and I have had the S!^ts!” They probably just thought crazy woman!

Now I should have gone for a swim Sunday afternoon to loosen my legs off but I didn’t feel up to it and was worried i might have a re run of the runs!.

Monday morning arrived but my body would not work, I felt ill and decided to take the day of work, Tuesday arrived and still I lacked energy and enthusiasm  my head hurt and I still felt somewhat queasy and so another day off work and an unplanned 2^nd rest day.

Wednesday am arrived I knew I had to go back to work and needed to get back on my training plan (a whole day missed seems such a disaster in my mind) and so I dragged myself out of bed and out the door for a 6 mile run!  Only after two rest days my legs seemed to have forgotten how to run, I had an ache in my left calf which I’m sure given a few more miles to warm up would have gone away but Ii also had a strange ache/pain sensation in my right lower leg/foot. I couldn’t pinpoint its source but i knew it hurt and my 6 miles turned into a two mile run,walk,hobble,run,walk,hobble.

I dragged myself unenthusiastic to work to discover that the builders that are knocking down walls of my old office had started the “noisy work” as this is directly below my new office I had a constant, drill, hammer, vibrating, shaking to contend with which did nothing for either my mood or my head ache!

I was grumpy and I knew I was grumpy and nothing was going to change that, I spent the day looking forward to doing bodypump with TSR, but unfortunately he was held up at work and so I did a very grumpy bodypump, complaining about everything in my head!

 Thursday – After yesterdays really bad run I wasn’t sure what to expect this morning but I got up and was out by 6.10am, I ran 5 miles at a steady pace and didn’t walk once.  A swim with Adele after work followed by my favourite running tea, pasta veg and chicken. And now I’m laid in bed hoping /praying that the rain and wind will have eased off by tomorrow for team ageuk can do their 16 mile runs.