Achieving the challenge

My goal for April was to run at least every other day and today I have reached that goal.

You'll forgive my final run not being a proper run, but as the pictures below show our lane is ankle deep in water! I did set out in wellies to see how bad it was but as our lane was once a river bed you'll understand that I couldn't possibly allow my Nike+ chip to get that wet!

Instead I ran up and down our steep drive 20 times in pouring rain and for the third time this week got soaked to the skin. I'm not usually capable of running up the drive as this feat is always at the end of a run and something I usually find physically impossible, but today I had no choice. I started thinking I would try 10 climbs, then decided I could manage another 10 but that was enough, mainly because I was so cold. This did equate to 2.2 km so that would have to do.

My 15 runs in April have amounted to 90.41 km, which is 56.17 miles and has burned 5,929 calories.  

Now for a new challenge...

 

12.17 km = 7.56 miles

My longest run ever.

Happy?

You bet 8)

Just like Schumacher

I'm better in the rain!

It's official, I knocked almost 4 minutes off my time for one of my 8K circular routes.

Not one to normally set out in rain, let alone pouring rain, I didn't have any choice today. My April goal is to run at least every other day and so far I'm on track. I duly arrived home from work determined to do the run whatever the weather threw at me, I took my time changing hoping the approaching slightly lighter patch of grey sky would be kind to me and between the deluges it was!

About a third of the way around I checked my ipod and was delighted with my time and pace. I was running at a steady pace having decided not to try and speed up as I had to concentrate extra hard on traffic whilst I ran around the puddles. Only one vehicle failed to slow down and they didn't avoid heading through the middle of a puddle either. I felt my shake of the fist was a fair exchange for the shower I received.

During the second third I was soaked through and the wind picked up, I was cold and my jacket was sticking to my arms. The home third was incredibly difficult. There was such a strong headwind which made me wonder if that was why when I was going the other way my time was so good, had it been pushing me along? I hadn't been aware of it if it had. I didn't walk, I kept my head down and willed my feet to keep moving. I was very happy to see home and thought of the lovely long hot shower I would soon be in.

Checking my stats I was delighted at my time and I am now wondering just how much more time I could have taken off had that headwind not been present.

So next time it's pouring with rain and my run is due, will I postpone?

Not on your nelly!

Inspiration

Today I have been watching the London Marathon. As usual I am full of intention to take part. As usual I am full of reasons why I can't. As usual I fully intend to break down these barriers and perhaps the time has come to actually put my fear s to rest.

So many people overcome their barriers and achieve this dream of mine, hopefully one day soon I will too.

One of my reasons for not taking part is that I really do not think that I could run that far. The furthest I have ever run is 11 km, which is 6.83 miles and I haven't done that for a long time. I do keep trying to go further but Meniere's usually gets in the way of my training, so maybe since Meniere's appears to be in a new phase and has been less intrusive on my life this year maybe this barrier has already been crossed.

I also have a fear of being on my own at the finish line. I actually don't mind how long it would take me to complete, but I would mind if all the crowd had gone home and the traffic had started to join me, that must happen at some point? Of course I would like to do it in a reasonable time. My current running schedule is focussing on trying to improve my times, I am managing to knock some seconds off and indeed this morning's run saw a route completed with a 1 minute and 6 second improvement. If I can just get over the intense nausea that occurs with this extra effort then perhaps this barrier is also being overcome.

A third fear is just how on earth do you get to the right place at the right time and how do you find your partner at the end and what happens if something happens to you along the way, how do you let people know where you are, where are the loos? See problems, problems! I suspect a look on the internet would help with sorting out all of these questions.

I'm going to break this huge conundrum down; I will not be taking part in the London marathon, nor any other marathon next year, but I am aiming to take part in the Taunton Marathon, I wonder if I need to apply yet? I wonder if my dream will come true before I hit 50...

A very big congratulations to each and every competitor in today's Marathon, I take my hat off to you all.

Today...

...was possibly not going to be a good day.

But it did start well, I took 3 minutes off my time for a 7K route I did last week. What I don't understand is how can a route be shorter when done anti-clockwise as against run clockwise? Because of the side of the road you run, facing oncoming traffic, the anti-clockwise route must be further? Not according to my ipod and not by much but this is something that does baffle me!

Happy Easter

Cheese, ham, beef, crusty bread, butter, G & T, trio of pork, croquet potatoes, merlot, chocolate ice cream, bacon, poached egg, baked beans, mushrooms, toast, butter, marmalade, cheese, ham, chips, pinot grigio, chocolate ice cream, pinot grigio, trio of duck, strawberry ice cream, pinot grigio, bacon, poached egg, baked beans, mushrooms, toast, butter, marmalade, fish and chips, Easter egg = far too many calories during a lovely weekend spent with my better half at Brixham in Devon.

ipod, trainers, running kit, nike+ chip, music, lane, hill, lane, hill, woodland track, stream jump, lane, sprint finish, home, lots of water = the first of many runs taken this week in order to remove the excesses of the weekend!  

Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow

I did not want to get out of bed this morning, I wanted to finish the book I am reading. It was cold and wet and I felt tired. However, my current goal is to run every other day throughout April, so I gradually got myself ready until I could no longer delay going out of the door.

Last night I was thinking about how I am going to increase my running speed. I really do want to take part in the Taunton half marathon next year, or at least before I hit 50. I don't mind at all that if I find it possible to run the distance it will be in a fairly slow time, but I don't want to be so far at the back that all spectators have given up on waiting for me to cross the line and gone home.

Ali and I have discussed how we can achieve this and are open to suggestions. Obviously at some point you just have to push yourself and put more effort in but surely with the correct training you can build stamina and sustain the faster speed over distance? Whilst thinking about all this the phrase slow, slow, quick, quick, slow popped into my head therefore today's run was going to follow this pattern.

Lana Del Rey was very obliging and she picked up the tempo perfectly for track 3 and my pace quickened to a very pleasing 5:53 per km, I've no if that's good, it is for me. A slight downhill section helped keep me going through track 4 but I was delighted when track 5 started and I could return to my normal and much slower pace. Unfortunately all the effort for the resulting speed left me feeling very sick and I spent the rest of the 7k round trip feeling dreadfully sick. Unwell to the point of thinking oh heck I feel so bad I don't think I shall be able to make my lunch date today. I soldiered on and managed once more to pick up a little speed for the next 2 faster tracks, although nowhere near my original spurt. I ended up walking 2 very short barely uphill sections and am delighted to say I managed a sprint finish.

I eagerly fired up my Mac, plugged in my ipod and logged into Nike+ to upload the data. I also keep a chart myself and looked back at my times for this given route and was bitterly disappointed to discover that I had taken an extra three minutes to complete the route.

I will try again. I hope that eventually the faster running sections will get longer. Most of all I hope that I don't feel sick.  

Calculations, calibrations and counting calories

I had an acceptable ipod, it worked fine, it was getting a bit tricky to switch off but even though it was about 7 years old I didn't have any plans to upgrade it. Then it was brought to my attention (thank you Ali) that Apple were recalling certain ipods as some of the batteries were overheating. Luckily for me my serial number was accepted and after an uncertain wait of a few weeks I took delivery of a brand new and very pretty ipod.

This one is smaller and has a touch screen and I immediately went online to find myself a wrist strap to clip it onto. I had never manage to calibrate my old ipod and was determined this time to do so. Yesterday I measured one mile exactly in my car and treated myself to a very short run this morning. I have a new start/finish line at the bottom of my very steep drive and although I didn't want to run too hard I set off in beautiful sunshine and was soon at my stopping point where I discovered that I had done it wrong! Never mind I had to get home again and that would mean another mile.

My next run will be Wednesday morning, I haven't decided on my route yet but it will be interesting to see how far out my recordings pre calibration were.

I also decided that today is the first day of my get back on track diet. I have put on a solid stone, or maybe a wobbly one over the last couple of years and although I've always been a curvy girl I want to get back to how my size 10s were feeling then rather than how they feel now! I'm going to haver to keep myself busy, busy, busy!