2013? Thank you! 2014? I am so ready for you!

I promise this won't be a 'This is your life' length blog, as so many of my entries tend to be (I just can't help myself, sorry!) but it's been a helluva year and I need to take stock of what I have done & what I can do more of in 2014. 

I originally started off with a plan to review the races and events I had taken part in this year, how the event went, what I learnt, what went right or wrong etc etc but you know, I've covered most of it my previous blog entries so where's the fun in that for you guys? (I'm all heart, I know) so I'll try and keep it brief. 

On reflection, 2013 has been a good year for running and I have learnt a hell of a lot about myself and what I can achieve physically and mentally - and I know there is more I can do to continue to improve on both those fronts. Compared to 2012, I have made great gains on my fitness, aided by over 3 stone of weight loss (amazing how much lighter I feel on my feet, literally!) and completing so many events with great times, all of which I am proud of (if a little frustrated when it didn't quite go my way!) I said no long reviews so here's my 2013 achievements in brief:

Reading Half Marathon, March - 2:10 PB (by 21 minutes!)
Zest 10K Obstacle Trail, June - 1:40 (with an injured ankle!)
Runners Knees Virtual 10 Miler, June - 1:42
Dublin Rock & Roll Half Marathon, August - 2:14
Costwold Classic 10 miler, September - 1:37 PB (by 3 minutes!)
Swallowfield 10K, September - 57:21 PB (by 3 minutes!)
Blenheim Palace BHF 10K, October - 58:00
Oxford Half Marathon, October - 2:03 PB (by 7 minutes!)
Crazy Christmas Cracker Run 10K Trail - 1:18
Gut Buster 10K Trail - 58:57 (technically a trail 10K!)

Writing it all down makes me incredibly, incredibly pleased and proud of my achievements, both on the day and the training miles & hours that I put in to get there. Mid-summer I had decided to take part in as many events as I could for Ovacome, the ovarian cancer charity, to do something supportive for my friend Teresa who was battling this disease & make other women aware of the cancer and the symptoms. And for me, chucking on a pair of trainers and my Ovacome vest and challenging myself to certain events was a way in which I could help to get the message out there about ovarian cancer. The flip side is that the happy side of completing these events is tinged with a sad side as, at the end of September my lovely friend Teresa lost her brave and courageous battle against ovarian cancer. As you can imagine and would expect, it was an incredibly sad time, and continues to be so, for her family, close friends and all who knew her. But the strength that Teresa showed all the way throughout her treatment has done nothing but strengthen my resolve to do more for the charity and continue to raise money and awareness for them. The new year holds a lot of miles, challenges and the odd blister and aching muscles but with that comes a huge sense of pride that I am able to indulge in my new found passion of running whilst doing something for others. 

The new year brings huge challenges for me - 5K, 10K and half marathon PBs are definitely targets. Hell Down South is the first on the list in 4 days time (dear God, what am I doing?!), followed  by Wokingham Half Marathon in February and Reading Half Marathon in March. But all of these, big challenges in their own right, are building towards the big one - Brighton Marathon on April 6th. A marathon remains the ultimate challenge for me after pulling out of London at mile 8 a few years ago. But I am 100% committed to completing the 26.2 miles and crossing that line, however long it takes me. Of course I have a target time in mind but I'm not willing to share that with anyone yet, if at all; that's between the three of us - me, myself and I. 

It's been an incredible year of running, physically and emotionally, all of which I would not have been able to do without the support and encouragement of Teresa's partner, Richard, my family, great friends, all at Ovacome and the people of Twitter. Your fantastically generous support is greatly appreciated and has been invaluable to me, keeping me going when the going has gotten tough. I hope you will continue to be there for me and keep me going through 2014 as I take on and tackle more events throughout the year. And blog about them when I remember to!

To everyone who has supported me with calls, texts, Facebook messages, Tweets, being there at races and those fantastic donations, I can't thank you enough but hope these go a little of the way to showing you my gratitude - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

2014? I am so ready for you! 

Busting a gut!

Today saw me complete my last event of 2013 and my 8th race for Ovacome, the 10K Gut Buster in Mortimer. And what a great way to end the year! The event was well organised, well turned out (sold out in fact) and a fab turn out of a friendly bunch of runners, organisers and marshalls.

I originally signed up for the race to help as part of my training for the first event of 2014, Hell Down South on Jan 4th, and it would be my second trail event having only completed my first two weeks ago (christmasrun.co.uk). The reviews online for Gut Buster were good and it is fairly local to me so why not! There were two courses on offer, 10K or 10mile, but will Hell only a week away, I thought that the 10K would be the better choice (note I didn't say easier choice!) 

Now, I am not a fair weather runner by any means - I am a fan of running in the rain afterall - but the forecast looked a tad chilly which posed the question of running attire. Layers yes, but how many? Hat or not to hat? Gloves? Headband? Long or short tights? The only certainty was that my trusty Ovacome vest would be worn but the rest, well, that was a tougher choice. The weather didn't improve and as I set off early-doors, layered up to the hilt, it was a nippy -2 with a hard frost. On arriving at Butlers Lands Farm, it was a balmy 0. Positively tropical. I was lucky enough to have a low run number and be able to park on the farm site itself whilst later numbers used the nearby Wokefield Park Hotel where a shuttle bus was provided for the 5 min journey to the start. Run number & timing chip collection was easy enough (I did feel for the volunteers looking rather blue despite the numerous layers!) and the area also doubled as the baggage store. After retreating to the car for a much needed pre-start heat, and final running attire choice (long tights, long sleeved top, vest, jacket and gloves; jacket discarded half a mile in!), it wasn't long before I was back in the farm's courtyard to join the loo queue & hear the pre-race brief. The brief was clear and littered with cheers, laughs & claps at the appropriate moments - everyone was in good spirits & ready for the off. The start is a few mins walk from the courtyard and thankfully, we weren't held for long before the countdown was over & the starter hooter blared. I say thankfully as I couldn't actually feel my toes so I was glad to be moving!

The initial stretch was tarmac and a tad on the icy side as we approached the first bend to take us onto a muddy track.....and onto the first hill. Gut Buster? More like like Lung Buster! No sooner had my toes started to warm up during the first 1.5 miles then we hit upon the ford. Earlier in the week, it was a metre high due to the atrocious weather but thankfully it had subsided to a manageable foot or so high today. There is the option to go around it via a path but with Hell next week going to throw chest-height muddy swamps at me, I thought it best to go through it. It was somewhat refreshing, that's for sure! The rest of the course remained a mixture of somewhat slippy roads, hills, and muddy off road routes, with the odd fallen tree as a hurdle and there was a smattering of welcome-cheerers en route too - encouragement and support is always good to see & hear. There were times when I felt like my legs were filled with the monstrous amount of pastry & mincemeat that has been consumed over the past week or so but encouragement from fellow Busters, and number 84 in particular (thank you, Natasha!), I kept on keeping on. The last 2-3K is very much off road and across fields which was hard on the feet & ankles due to the hard frost, making tractor tyre tracks quite a feat to overcome! With one last push, it was up an incline to the approaching finish line, where you were greeted with claps & cheers of 'well done', a cracking medal and directions to your cup of mulled wine & mince pie; well worth crossing the finish line for, let me tell you! (It was soon followed by a very welcome cuppa & bacon roll too, courtesy of The Coffee Hub). 

Number 84 was right behind me and without Natasha's support, I wouldn't have gotten around those last stages of the course in a very-nearly-almost-10K-PB of 58:57 (10K Road PB is 57:21) Thank you Natasha - and hopefully see you at Brighton in April!

And then it was time for a 'tweet up' as the birthday boy @Runnersknees crossed the line a few mins later! I had taken part on the 'Virtual 10 miler' set up by Darren earlier in the year, so it was nice to put a face to the name and tweets - great to meet you!

Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was icy & slippy. Yes, it was muddy. Yes, it was tough going and yes, above all, it was fun. It was good to get out in the lovely countryside (it really was lovely and a nice place to run) with like minded people and shake off some of the Christmas excess. For me, it was another opportunity to do more to raise awareness and funds for Ovacome, in memory of Teresa, and proudly cross another finishing line as I did so. 

The Gut Buster is an event I would definitely recommend partaking in but you best be quick as entries are already open for the 4th staging of this in December 2014 and if this year's numbers are anything to go by, it will fill up quick! Me? I 'm busting a gut to try the 10 miler next year! 

Doing what I can

As some of you may know, I have taken it upon myself to take part in as many running and/or challenging events as I can to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer as well as funds for the charity, Ovacome. The catalyst to this was my friend Teresa who was bravely fighting the disease for a second time and  I wanted to do all I could to help make sure women were aware of the symptoms and prevent them from going through what she has had to. Incredibly sadly, on 30th September 2013, brave, courageous and inspirational Teresa lost her fight. As you can imagine, and would expect, it's been an incredibly sad time, especially for her family and close friends; in fact all who knew her and her wonderful smile. It is often that I feel most helpless at times like this, when I want to be able to help, comfort and support those closest to Teresa but can't find the words or don't want to intrude. So, I will continue to do what I set out to do - and that is run to raise awareness of this disease and the ovarian cancer support charity, Ovacome. 

Tomorrow, Sunday 13th Oct, I'm running (or swimming, if the forecast is anything to go by) Oxford Half Marathon and this will be my fifth event for Ovacome. I am under no illusion that it's going to be a tough day, physically and emotionally, but I will get across that line, no matter what it takes. And I know that Teresa will be with me, every step of those 13.1 miles. 

If you would like to support me, you can by visiting my JustGiving page by clicking here or you can text EMLA99 followed by your donation amount to 70070 i.e. EMLA99 £1/ £5/£10 to 70070. Any amount is greatly appreciated. 

Thank you xx

Doing the splits

Today was my 3rd of 'many' events for Ovacome, the Ovarian Cancer charity. I say many as I have not set myself a limit on how many there will be. I am committed to trying to spread the key message regarding ovarian cancer - know the symptoms and get them checked out early. I'm not meaning to scare anyone but the symptoms are surprisingly 'normal' and very worthwhile checking out with your GP; for more information, visit the Ovacome website (click here). I am also raising money for them but more about that later....!

So, race number 3 was a local-ish 10k run in the form of the Swallowfield 10+3 in erm, Swallowfield, Berkshire. The 10k was part of a multitude of events taking place - 10K road race, Duathlon, Grass 5K & 3K fun run. It's all go in Swallowfield, dontcha know! I was strangely more nervous about this than any of the other races I have done so far; I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason as to why but nerves at least show I care and I'm not remotely complacent about my running; the way it should be really.

The Parish Hall was the hub of the day with the information centre & finish line being here. As it had just started to drizzle on my arrival, it was a welcome retreat to keep dry & warm before heading to the start. Lots of people were in attendance, all with different coloured race numbers depending on which event and they were a friendly bunch! It's always a tad daunting (for me!) attending a race on my own as many people tend to be in groups with their buddies or running clubs but not once did I feel excluded and got chatting to a lovely lady from Datchet Dashers in the queue for the ladies (Whom I would later have a great chat with about joining running clubs & their benefits whilst waiting for a well earned cuppa! Thanks Jacqui!). The baggage hold was managed by the local scouts group and it was a very painless process and before I knew it, I was heading to the start line which was a 5 min walk back towards the car park. After a quick briefing to the duathlon contenders, we were asked to take our positions at the start line which was sectioned depending on your finish time and I opted for the 'around 60 mins or over'. An announcement was made, reminding everyone that headphones were not permitted for safety reasons (although most roads were closed, not all were so it made perfect sense; good job I left mine at home then!), then the gun was fired and we were off. It it took about 1-1.30 min to get to the start line and I was into a pretty comfortable pace from the off, conscious of not going too fast too soon as I have tended to do in training and at previous races. 

Mile 1 was OK pace wise but mile 2 not so; too slow. I tucked in behind another run who had a good pace and I thought would keep me on track, but he slowed during the mile which threw me out a tad! I'm not sure how many times I have to remind myself but I should run my own race and trust in my training. So it was onwards and upwards. Literally. The first of a few inclines met me and I was comfortable with them having smashed some whoppers during the recent Cotswold Classic race; without sounding arrogant, these were bumps in the road compared to those monsters!! Before long, I had hit 3 miles and felt comfortable with my pace - only 3 and a bit to go. There were plenty of supporters out en route, albeit sporadically  but it's always nice to see people out supporting a local event, cheering on strangers, family and friends alike. My legs started to feel heavy about 4 miles but I reminded them why I was doing these events in the first place & that all that was left to do was a 'trot around the block' and cracked on. In fact, I did more than crack on; I kicked it up a notch somewhat! The next thing I knew, a welcome sign told me I had '500m to go', then as I entered to finishing funnel I heard Frimley Park Radio announce '442, Emma from Wantage' which made me throw my hands in the air in delight, saw me sprint to the finish line with a PB of 57:21 - fan-ruddy-tastic! I was elated, a tad wiped out, but elated! After collecting my medal, Sweatshop goody bag, and a well earned bacon butty & cuppa (tasted like nectar, I tell you!) I had time to review my splits. And I grinned from ear to ear - a negative split. Yes, you heard me - a negative split! 

Let me tell you, it made my PB all the sweeter. Despite a blip in mile 2, I am really, really pleased with my efforts today. It has given me some confidence in my training and, more importantly, my ability to run. Dare I say it, but I might just have found something that I am getting a teeny bit better at (Not quite good at, but getting there!) And I enjoy it. I really enjoy it. And I am proud for being able to do something I am 'getting better at doing and enjoying' if it helps raise the profile of a great charity and dreadful disease. (Sorry to bring it down a notch there, but reality bites!).

I shan't be doing to the splits to celebrate what I class as a 'great day at the office' - I have just had a whopping serving of the most delicious homemade Thai curry & a well-savoured large glass of lager (never let it be said I am nowt but classy!) so not the best idea - but I promise to continue to strive to keep doing my best. 

Cheers! 

PS: I mentioned about raising money for Ovacome - you can support me here via this justgiving.com link or text EMLA99 with your amount to 70070 i.e. EMLA99 £5 to 70070 - thank you! 

A day of firsts....

It's been a while since I have blogged and genuinely can't believe where the time has gone! (I think I say this every time I have a bit of a break from blogging but it's true!)

Since my last entry back in June (!) I have taken it upon myself to take part in as many events as I can over the next year or so to raise funds & awareness for Ovacome, the Ovarian cancer charity. 

August saw me take part in the inaugural Dublin Rock & Roll Half marathon in, erm, Dublin funnily enough! It was my first non-UK race and I was ready in terms of training etc but I did find it difficult running on my own. What helped to get me through was the charity I was running for and also imagining my friends husband next to me as I ran (Not as inappropriate as it sounds, I promise! With Chris by my side in March of this year, I managed to complete Reading half marathon with a new PB!) The turnout and course was great, seeing sights of Dublin I hadn't seen before (I am a regular-ish visitor as my sister and her family live there) and the bands playing every mile or so were fantastic too. Until about halfway, I was feeling good, not on fire but good. But that feeling didn't last long, for whatever reason; fuelling, I think although I can't be sure. I trooped on regardless. I really did struggle during the last four miles, despite the support & encouragement of fellow runners literally making me run with them, and I regrettably ended up walking/running the last few miles and subsequently missing my HM PB by 3 mins. A shame but nevertheless, a super proud moment crossing that line in 2:14. A nice bit of bling helped ease the pain and slight disappointment....as did the post run hugs & kisses from my family & the Guinness!  

My second event was today and not so far afield, only about 30mins from home - the Costwold Classic held by Witney Road Runners. I had toyed with the idea of another half but with Oxford only a few weeks away, I thought it best not to push my luck so opted for my first local race and it's 10 miler. And I am glad I did. Prior to the day, the communication was great and the run number packs sent our about 2 weeks before the big day. At £13 for a local, 10 mile race, I thought it was great value for money too. 

I knew the course would be hilly, as I know the area but a few cheeky tweets from athletic clubs the day before the race put the fear of God in me......"Not a bit of flat, 1 v long hill, 2 lung busters, 4 others, 1 field at end" Great! Maybe time to revise my time expectations! The usual 'night before a race day' routine ensued and I was up with the larks shoveling down the usual pre-race fuel of porridge & coffee. Thankfully, I read the rules a few days before the race so there was no need to pack my iPod & headphones, wearers of such would be disqualified. Gulp. I had never ran a training run let alone a race without my beloved tunes! Another first; a race with no banging beats to help me through. A little added pressure as I wasn't sure how I would fare when the going got tough (this is not a reference to my taste in music although Billy Ocean was a king in his day!) But if you never try, then you'll never know!

The event was well sign posted and directions clear; the car park was a 5-10 min walk from the race HQ which was Witney Community Primary School. Three of the ladies I was with were registering on the day and this was a well-run & easy process. There was a secure baggage area and changing facilities in some of the classrooms and plenty of toilets in the school available for use (and not as small, height wise, as expected!). About 15 mins before the race start time, we were asked to make our way to the start line, which was back up towards the car park and a good warm up! It was hard to hear if any announcements were made as only a loudhailer was available but it wasn't long before we were off! A slight incline was first on the list as I was trying to get into my stride. What was slightly disheartening though was the number of people overtaking me as soon as we set off. I did start to wonder what I had gotten myself into when so many club runners were whizzing past me but I kept repeating to myself 'run my own race' and 'I am a tortoise, not a hare'! There were a few steady inclines & declines throughout the first 2 miles as I tried to settle into my pace. So far, despite having to listen to the sound of my somewhat heavy breathing, I wasn't missing the cheery tunes too much - concentrating on them hills was a distraction! The views were amazing and were an additional welcome distraction as the miles ticked by. Mile 4 bought the arrival of a bit of flat and a water station, as well as a group of cheerers with banners & posters; even when they are not for you, they lift the spirits! 

By mile 4, I felt comfortable and into a good pace; don't get me wrong, the route was still a toughie but for the first time in the race, I felt I could finish and in a time I could be proud of. Before too long, we were more than halfway with only 4 miles left to go. The marshalls en route were really encouraging and there were smatterings of locals out cheering the runners on too - very much appreciated, let me tell you! Mile 8 brought a few little hilly surprises, short and steep, but I actually really love hills (odd I know, but I really do!) and relished a little in them, especially when they were conquered! Before we knew it, we were passing the mile 9 marker and on the road heading back towards the school. Knowing there was less than a mile to go is a big mental challenge for me, made even more so with finished runners jogging & walking past you in the other direction to the car park! But there were shouts and claps of encouragement too. With one lap of the school field to go, the rain started and I hoped it would chuck it down to help cool me down but it remained a drizzle. Glancing at my Garmin, I was pleased to see that I was on to beat my PB, not by much but better it nonetheless. The last straight saw me marginally kick it up a gear and I crossed the line in 1:37, a new PB by 3 mins! I whooped & hollered across the finish line and jumped for joy! I was super pleased with my race - the pace, the time and my effort to finish it! And there were indeed smiles with my miles, although at times, through gritted teeth!

Rather than a medal, a tech t-shirt was the memento of the day and I am writing this proudly wearing mine (post bath and celebratory curry & beer!)

 

I would thoroughly recommend the Cotswold Classic to anyone. Yes, it is hilly. Yes, it is popular with running clubs but exclusive to them it is not. And yes, a warm welcome from all and great support from marshalls await you!

All in all, my day of firsts was a great success: running my first local race without headphones for the first time, resulted in a PB. But hopefully, it won't be my last.

Day 30 #Juneathon - Thank you

30 Days of Juneathon. What can I say? It's been fun! Admittedly, not every one of the 30 days has involved some form of activity (that would be like today then!), as planned or as per the essence of Juneathon but nonetheless it's been a blast! I've loved the camaraderie, banter, support, comments and general coming together of like minded people taking part in the fun event. I've loved reading the blog entries of lots of different people who I would likely have never stumbled across on the t'interweb and I did because Juneathon brought us all together (Is that a tear in your eye, dear reader?). I now follow some fabulously-fab & fun people on Twitter and I look forward to taking part in Janathon in, erm, that's right, January! So thank you to Cathy White for putting on Juneathon, as I say, it's been fun. 

And a big thank you to everyone who has read my blog, commented on my blog, retweeted my blog, supported me with tweets of encouragement & general advice or followed me on the back of Juneathon; it really is appreciated and I hope you've enjoyed my random and, often very long-winded & expansive, ramblings. I know I've enjoyed writing them. 

Thanks again. And don't be a stranger :o) 

Day 29 #Juneathon - Positive & Proud

The penultimate day of Juneathon. I'm sure I'll cover this off in the finale entry but I've loved it, really loved it. All the camaraderie, support & banter has been fab. And it's rekindled my love of blog writing.....enough gushing, back to the matter in hand. 

Day 29 was the day I took part in the inaugural #Virtual10Miler as set up by @runnerskness. (Sadly, it wasn't as virtual as I had originally thought and I had to actually get out there and run the distance! I jest!) I was part of 25 runners across the world, the actual world!, running 10 miles just for fun....and a fabby bit of hand-personalised bling. I was a late entry to the team following a previous participant dropping out on Thursday; I was due to run 9 miles this weekend anyway so what's another mile between twitter buddies! Before I knew it, I was on the list.  The only 'rules' were that you had to run the distance today, take pics before, during & after and submit these to Mr. Runnerskness. So, before I knew it, I was all geared up, P20 suncream applied (ever the optimist!), Garmin on, Help For Heroes and Summit for Heroes wristbands on (support for Armed Forces Day) taking a snap of myself and I was out of the door. 

I won't go into mile by mile detail but for the first 3 miles, I felt OK; a comfortable pace and trying to enjoy the scenery. I had a route planned out that would see me cover a regular route, back into town and then out the other side for a little additional countryside loop. However, a little after mile 2, I changed my mind and ran a different route, and I'm glad I did. It was countryside all the way, albeit hilly. Quite hilly indeed. More hilly than I thought it would be. Just to clarify, it was hilly. 

As per the rules, I took a few pics en route as proof I was doing it. This is approx 4 miles....the view and me! 

My pace was far from perfect but OK for me, bearing in mind the afore mentioned hills. However, a little over halfway, I felt the pace really change and I admit that I was struggling a tad with the heat and the run overall. Fuelling when moving is also a struggle for me and an area that I've never mastered. I took with me a High 5 gel and had this about 5-6 miles as well has having a High 5 zero tablet in my water which I was sipping as I went. Nothing sat right and from about halfway I felt a bit icky. Not using this as an excuse at all, as I didn't stop me running just made me feel a tad queasy.

Anywhooo, I trundled on and the time and miles were ticking by. I am really am lucky to live where I do and have such beautiful countryside on my doorstep. Even with heavy legs, before I knew it, I was just a mile from home. With a last push, at keeping upright and not grinding to a halt, I made it. Home. And in not too bad a time at all. My Great South Run time in October, for the same distance, was 1:40 (PB) and today's effort was 1:42. 

Happy to be done

Not bad at all. Not bad at all considering the dire mile times that slowly got slower and slower as the mileage ticked by. No negative split for me but one whopping great big positive split!! 

Regardless of my heavily positive split, I am proud of myself for getting out there and doing it. I am also super proud of myself for only having one mini 'nanny nap' consisting of 20 mins of zzzz's for the whole day. A day of proud moments for me! 

Day 27 & 28 #Juneathon - Give it a rest.....

Day 27 was a bit uneventful. As you know, my rest days are normally Wednesdays (what do you mean, you didn't know that?! Did you not read day 26's entry? Tsk!) but after a little bit of an exercise streak this week, my foot started to twinge and I thought that a rest would be the best thing to do. Especially with some above average mileage planned for Day 29. 

Day 28 echoed Day 27. What do you mean you didn't know that Wednesdays are normally my rest days? Did you not read day 26's entry? Tsk! Etc etc. But seriously, it echoed it in the sense of a rest. Too much work and not making enough time to do any form of exercise, not even a little arms workout. But it's all for the best as Day 29 is awaiting with some above average mileage, well, for me anyway, and I wouldn't want to overdo it.  

I think that's enough carrot dangling for one evening, so I'll give it a rest (for now!). Hopefully, I'll be in some form of fit state to write up about it later in the day. 

Day 26 #Juneathon - Ignorance

Wow. Only 4 days left of Juneathon, where have the past 26 days gone?! 

Day 26 has fallen on what would normally be a rest day for me. Wednesdays are generally too hectic to fit anything in due to working at the Head Office in Wales every week and it is my catch-up-over-dinner evening with my pal, Jolene. I had planned in, what I felt to be, a deserved rest day too as I ran Sunday & Monday and did a pretty hard cardio & abs workout yesterday (my abs are soooo sore today!) However, the temptation to get out and cram in even a little mile on such a lovely evening was growing and, after working out if I could fit it in before Jolene arrived, I was back out the front door 10 minutes after getting home!

I decided that I would only use my (brand spanking new!) Garmin to record my run as I have been so used to using Nike+ on my iPhone that, until now, I have been using both. Weird, I know and I'm not entirely sure why! So I decided to just have the tunes playing on the iPhone & use my Garmin for the stats. Admittedly, it was a bit odd not hearing the mileage milestones spoken to me and I was finding it hard not to check my watch every few mins but I cracked on regardless. It wasn't the best of runs, yet again - I seem to be having an off week - but on a positive, I have managed to shave 20 seconds off of my minute miles since Sunday. I'll take that, thank you! And another 4 miles banked this week. Not bad for a comeback week. 

So, it turns out that ignorance (of mileage whilst running) was not as blissful as expected; not knowing my distance as I run will clearly take a bit of getting used to. Good job I've got a good few events booked in for the coming months, plenty of time to get used to it! 

Day 25 #Juneathon - JFDI

Day 25 finds me away from home for the evening once more and, sadly, for business rather than pleasure. So, as usual, the workout kit was packed and after an early start, a long-ish drive and a loooooong & busy day in the office, I found myself debating what to do - to run or not to run? The evenings are still light and although I am pretty sure that the area I am staying in is perfectly safe, I would really want a 'quality run' rather than a 'where does this road go and how am I gonna get back' kinda run. I was also feeling a tad worn out from a shockingly bad night's sleep (always the way when you have early start though, right!) and feeling a little jaded. It would be oh so easy just to have a little nanny nap in the hotel room before heading down to dinner, then cracking on with some work before heading back to the office tomorrow. Oh yes, it would be oh so easy and oh so very nice indeed. And oh so sloth like too. I just needed to crack on!

So there was nowt for it than to perch the laptop on the windowsill, move the chairs, push the bed back and crack on with Davina's 'Fabulous Fat Burner' followed by 'Target Abs'. And I worked hard too as the lure of the Caramel Apple Pie on the menu was proving a little on the strong side! 

Although I do feel tired, it's tinged with a little 'I feel good for doing something' feeling of tiredness. And I am pleased that, when it came to the debating of whether to do it or not, I adopted a colleague's popular phrase, JFDI - Just Flippin'* Do It! I am also pleased that I chose to ignore this phrase & advice when it came to that every so tasty & calorie laden Carmael Apple Pie though.......I didn't JFDI and had a green tea instead. Gotta dash, I've got a halo to polish!!


*Often replaced with a slightly stronger word!!

Day 24 #Juneathon - Short & sweet

After yesterday's tentative trot, I was adamant that I would have a little rest day today and not do too much too soon. However, the post run endorphins were still at a suitably influential level that, after being out on the road & in meetings for the entire day, I was itching to get out and run off the days work worries. I really should have listened to myself as it was not the best of runs and a bit too stop-starty. You know when you first learn to drive and you are getting used to clutch control and it can go a bit kangaroo-hoppy? Well, tonight's pace was a little like that! And if it wasn't the pace, it was my breathing that was like it. Ironically enough, my foot was bearing up OK with only a few twinges....it would appear that the rest of me was falling apart. Still, 3.8 miles in 37 mins is OK for a comeback run and I'll chalk it up for what it was, a run but not my best.   

Day 21, 22 & 23 #Juneathon - 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

Hello you, long time no blog! Well, three days so not that long to be fair but hope you've not missed me too much! 

Day 21 was yet another non-eventful day exercise wise. I would love to say that, non-exercise wise, it was an amazing day but alas, no; another busy working day and nothing major to report other than my foot is getting slightly better; the hobble-limp is subsiding & the bruising coming out in that lovely hue of yellow. I did, however, finally gave in and purchased a Garmin Forerunner 410. Whoohoooo! I was quite pleased with my foot getting better and I think I got a little carried away and 'rewarded' myself with a little running gadget. It has been on the cards for a while as I want to get more serious & structured with my training & work on likes of my splits & intervals, and my Nike+ app on my iPhone doesn't allow to track this. Not sure if I am trying to convince you or myself more that my purchase was justified! 

Day 22 was a busy day with lots to be getting on with at home. The weather was shockingly autumnal and perfect for cracking on and getting things done so that it exactly what I did. A productive day. As the day went on, I felt that I should try and get more mobile on my foot and see how it would bear up with some exercise. It will come as no surprise to you that it was in the form of my ever-trusty Davina DVD & the Bootcamp session. My foot held up OK with some slightly concerning cracking & clicking at some points although I did keep it fairly low impact on jumping etc (maximum effort on the weights though!). Overall though, it felt good to be doing something energetic and I'm glad I made the effort to give it a go, even if tentatively. I'm also glad I made the effort to move as it made some room on the calorie allowance for sharing a bottle of wine whilst watching a DVD with a friend in the evening ("I Give It A Year" - low key funny film, worth a watch, chuckled throughout and LOVED Minnie Driver but not enough Stephen Merchant in it! Barry Norman-esque review there for you!)

Day 23 I ran today!! I actually ran!! Whoop whoop! It was again tentatively and I was debating whether I should really be trying to run at all yet - Is it too soon? Have I rested enough? Should I have eaten that second sausage or had that slice of cheesecake at Liam's 4th Birthday BBQ this afternoon? - all these questions running through my mind. But sod it! I was getting itchy feet and restless at not running for a week and the only way I would find out is to get out there and run. I felt like I needed to support my foot in someway so pulled on a tubagrip & my shiny new Garmin and headed out the door (I did have the rest of running kit on! I'm not that cruel!!) The first mile was slow (10:18) as I was really cautious of my impact & landing but by mile 2, I had loosened up and was a little less cautious as my mile time will confirm, 8:48. Sure, it was still niggling and the odd shooting pain was there but nothing to make me want to pull up and stop. It felt good to be out. Just as I was cruising along I had a sharp shooting pain so did have to pull up and walk for a bit but I wasn't too concerned that it was anything serious. After a short while, I was back trotting onwards and back into a rhythm. Before I knew it, I was home after running 3.7 miles in 36 mins. Not setting the world on fire by any means but I'm pleased to be back out there. And my foot? Well, it's a bit sore and currently my frozen sweetcorn is in action but overall, it's OK. 

So, there you are, a quick round up of the past 3 days and my Juneathon activities and 2 days out of 3 ain't bad (for a peg leg like me!) Let's see what day 24 and the last week of Juneathon has to offer. 

PS: Well done to all runners who took part in Longest Day Run (@longestdayrun) and The Wall Ultra (@ratraceHQ) as well as all other races & tri's! 

Day 20 #Juneathon - Virtues

Day 20 and still no running for me. I was planning on another arms weight session this evening but the DOMs have gradually set in throughout the day from last night's effort so I think it best I leave them until tomorrow. My foot is improving, getting better & I am more mobile every day. Although as I am typing this, I am regretting not applying my trusty frozen sweetcorn throughout the day. The fruit salad can wait, it's painkillers for dessert for me tonight! 

It's really frustrating me that I am not able to run. More so with the fact that I have a race in 7 weeks time (not sure if I've mentioned that much, haha!). I know I am no honed athlete, out training day and night or even every day for that matter, but when you reeeeeally want to be doing something and you can't, it makes you want to do it more than ever! A bit like dieting; say you can't have that cake or choc and all you can think about is cake and/or choc! I know they say patience is a virtue but this is not something that I possess right now. 

I am, however, feeling very virtuous with my healthier eating in lieu of any real exercise. I have so far avoided deviating from my eating plan and have finished each day a little under my calorie allowance for the day. Get in! It's been quite a 'cleanish & leanish' week with lots of fresh fruit (raspberries & blueberries are my new best friends!), salads, veg & protein. I've also cut back on the number of cups of coffee I have a day by a) making sure that I drink a pint of water for every mug I have and b) switching to green tea with jasmine. I am no angel and my halo is far from gleaming but it's shining a bit brighter than it was a few weeks ago, that's for sure! 

Day 19 #Juneathon - A call to arms

Day 19, already?! Cuuurraazzzy where the time has gone!

No running for me still and I am kinda glad of that fact. Not glad that I am still sporting a slightly pathetic, 'look at her trying to be cool & down wit da kidz' limp when I walk or that I am still applying a bag of frozen sweetcorn to my foot throughout the day. Nope, just glad I am not running in this humidity! Much respect to you all out there donning your running kit and heading out there. 

I have actually managed to do some exercise today. In fact, two lots. I managed a limpy-walk to the post office at lunchtime and I have just completed an arms workout with my new weights. Sorry, that should say, with my new 'wow-how-much-heavier-they-are-than-my-old-weights' weights. I am having to type this with one hand as my left arm is trying to stop the uncontrollable shaking of my right hand as I type. I kid you not. I (just about) managed to complete the following routine (posted by Shock Absorber via Twitter) using 2 x 5kg weights: 

• 10 pushups
• 24 bicep burners (8 full curls, 8 half curls, 8 full curls)
• 10 shoulder presses
• 10 push ups
• 15 tricep dips
• 15 back rows
• 15 lat raises
• 10 push ups
• 15 tricep kickbacks
• 20 tricep pulse backs

It took me a while as I wanted to keep to form, especially as I have increased my weights from 2 x 2.3kg dumbbells, and I did feel a little bit ick when finished, but it was good to do something different and to do some 'proper' exercise. I'm looking forward to being able to incorporate the weights into my running schedule soon but I will maybe drop a kg to make sure I don't push myself too far too soon. Slow and steady. 

In other news, I'm excited that some new reading (and eating!) material has arrived today and I can't wait to get started: 

Here's hoping it does exactly what it says it will!

I'm hoping that I won't have to take any action against the lovely Kate Percy regarding trade descriptions! I am also hoping that after doing my 'call to arms' exercises that I will actually be able to a) hold the book and b) turn the pages! 

Day 18 #Juneathon - Working it out

Another day of non-exercise. Boooo. 

Here is a gratuitous picture of my bruised foot - the very reason why I'm currently out of action: 

My bruised foot

It's more painful today but I think it is just things settling down and probably not helped by my hobble to the shops yesterday. Today has therefore been pure rest. On a plus side though, I have stuck to my food diary for the day and I'm pretty chuffed with that. You've got to celebrate these little victories so I shall have some fruit salad & soya yoghurt. Yes, I know, steady on! 

With some (exercise) down time, I've been trying to work out my 'come back' plan. I've been reading a lot of comments via blogs and general Twitter comments with regards to diet and exercise plans, which is always an interesting read. Sometimes, I wholeheartedly agree with some suggestions and other times I am shaking my head at the screen (Tracey Anderson and her 'women shouldn't lift heavy', for instance!) but I love that Twitter is there to impart & share plans, ways, methods, ideas and the like, and you take from it what you want and feel is right for you. 

Obviously, running is a priority for me but I will also be looking to incorporate a good weights programme as well as a better stretching programme into my training schedule. Nothing too drastic though as I don't want to risk injury ahead of my planned races (oh, the irony!) but something to compliment my running. I do also recognise though that running alone will not help me to reduce my body fat which is something I am keen to do. Not to be skinny but to be strong, lean & healthy. I know that these are the 'buzz words' in fitness right now but they fit with a healthy lifestyle and that it something that I want to adopt and maintain. 

The finer detail will follow, as I'm still working it out, but in the meantime, I have a celebratory fruit salad to devour. 

Day 17 #Juneathon - A 'weighting' game

With a self-inflicted period of rest enforced up on me, I've had to look at other ways to move during Juneathon to ensure that I don't become a member of the Chub Club and so that I can continue to blog about my activities. I bet you thought you had gotten away with me not forcing my ramblings upon you but alas, you poor buggers, I shall continue henceforth, sorry! ;o)

Not being able to put too much weight on my ankle is quite a hindrance to doing any other form of activity - not owning a bike means that there is not a lot else that doesn't involve weight bearing of sorts. I walked/limped/pathetically hobbled to the post office & supermarket today and it was a bit too hurty still. It is only a day & a bit after the incident so no real surprise that it was back to the freezer to reclaim the trusty bag of frozen sweetcorn and apply it whilst elevating ones leg when I returned home. Ouch. 

I have been looking to invest in some decent weight equipment for a while as I feel that I have 'outgrown' the dumbbells that I currently use. Don't get the wrong impression, I am nowhere near 'ripped', 'shredded' or 'hench' or whatever else the kids are calling it these days, but I can feel a difference in my slightly-just-about-getting-there-toned arms when using my heaviest (a modest 2.3kg, gotta start somewhere!) so time to upgrade. I've followed the progress of Becca Jones (@jbeccx) as she completed Julia Buckley's (@julia_B) Fat Loss Programme and was really impressed with the results (NB: I'll be pre-ordering Julia's book, which is due out early next year, as soon as I can!). Becca posted a picture on Twitter of her home weights kit and, after asking where they were from, I am now the proud owner for a 35kg dumbbell & barbell set. So whilst I am resting my ankle/foot, I will be trying out some upper body weight exercises. However, I don't think that the 'muscles from Brussels' has anything to worry about......for now, anyway!

As I alluded to at the start of this entry, I don't want to become a member of the Chub Club as I rest. A week off may not sound like it would do much damage but knowing me, as I do!, I can see how it could do if I let it. I don't cope well when things don't go my way and can tend to be a bit of an emotional eater. Running fits into my lifestyle pretty well and although I don't use it  (solely) to allow me to eat what I want, this is a welcome additional benefit. I'm frustrated & annoyed that I've got to rest for a week with only 7 weeks to go until Dublin half marathon and although I recognise & accept this, it is the very reason I do not have crisps, chocs or biccies in the house. It would be too easy to raid the cupboards and I just can't have that. Instead, I stocked up on fresh fruit & veg during my hobble to the supermarket today and have enjoyed a mixed berry with Alpro natural yoghurt for dessert tonight, yummy! I've also made a point of planning my meals for the week and have no intention of deviating from the plan. I'm by no means virtuous with my diet and slip up occasionally (refer to Day 14's consumption of an ENTIRE CDM Oreo bar!!) but being unable to exert oneself this week has definitely given me food for thought and the motivation to manage my food intake, and hopefully, my weight. 

So, I guess it's a bit of a 'waiting & weighting' game for the rest of the week: waiting until I can put weight on my ankle & get back running, weighting to try out my new weights and watching my weight! 

Gotta dash, it's sweetcorn time! 

Day 14, 15 &16 #Juneathon - Halfway

Despite my vow to move more on day 14 than I did on day 13, it didn't quite materialise. Yet again, a late finish with work and a rather late food shop (FYI!) meant that time was once again against me. I did console myself with several pieces i.e. the whole bar, of Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo and the knowledge that I would be putting some serious effort into my first obstacle/assault course. Not the best way to prepare but the chocolate endorphins were rather lovely all the same. Glaringly obvious lack of exercise but that choc with a cuppa was very welcome!

Saturday and day 15. Halfway. Whoop! OK, I probably really don't deserve a huge whoop as I have been a tad sporadic the past week but I'm still here, still moving & still blogging. Albeit a few days late! 

Day 15 heralded my first ever obstacle/assault course race, in the form of the Zest 10k challenge. I had signed up, under duress, after being persuaded/hounded by my bestie Lorain and I also roped in another bestie, Sammy, to keep me company en route. The event was held near Henley in the grounds of the beautiful Hambledon estate; lovely countryside and lots of rolling hills. Wait, rolling hills? This could be interesting! At our wave call time, we headed to the warm up area and were put through our paces by the very fit & lively bunch of guys and gals from Gym Cube. And before we knew it, we were off.....a group of ladies chasing after a chappy on a quad bike (he was making sure we were going the right way!) 

That's me in the black, in case you weren't sure! 

Lorain (waving in the pink top) was running with two friends, Elaine & Leanne, and Sammy (in the green tee next to moi) were together and we had agreed to do our own thing but it was nice to all start together. The first 1km or so was a bit up & down, incline wise and then we hit the first obstacle, the tyre run. We whizzed through them tyres like prancing ponies and then it was onwards ho! A bit hilly again and the first water stop was a welcome sight....just at the bottom of a MASSIVE hill! On reaching the summit, we were greeted by the only way to get down, the water slide (2 sheets of tarpaulin & a hose!) It was ace! I skidded right off the bottom into a load of grass & mud, loved it, and it got me a little psyched for the rest of the course. I believe the words I was chanting as we tackled the next steep incline was 'C'mon ladies, we are WARRIORS!!' Sammy, however, was not feeling the warrior love and I had visions of her tripping me up, bundling me into the woods and leaving me there just so she could get some peace & quiet from my inane chat! I don't think us bickering about one of us going on ahead without the other helped but we got over that and I remained out of the woods! The tunnel crawl was next, a little tough on the knees but through in no time and we headed on. The scenery through the woods really was lovely and the forecasted rain held off. The next part was pretty tough going with a fairly steep descent which was quite hard on the legs and required a lot of concentration to prevent an 'A over T' moment! A ditch jump, a down hill run and we were met with the hay bales to tackle! Attacking them with gusto, Sammy & I were soon up and over them and on our way back into the woods. Trotting through the woods, we reflected on how the course was harder than we thought it would be (not in a cocky way but more in the way of there being way more hills than we thought there would be!) and how hot it was despite the cover of trees. We finally stopped gassing enough to get over another obstacle, which I can only describe as a raised flower bed without the flowers and just mud, a quick trot and we were queuing to tackle the next obstacle - the slippery wall. And this is where it all fell apart for me. At the halfway point. Waiting for our turn, a whopping great big old farm gate, which was not part of the course, got knocked and decided to make friends with my right leg and took a big liking to my ankle. Ooooouchie!! The marshalls checked if I was OK and I said I was fine to carry on. I tackled the slippery wall with no trouble at all and made it over in one go (and piece!), yay, go me!! And then the pain started. Looking at my ankle, a massive vein had popped (sorry if you are eating!) and on lifting my running tights, I had a few deep-ish grazes down my leg. Great! And just as I was enjoying it all too, damn it! It was pretty painful to walk on but I wasn't giving up, even if I had to walk the rest of the course. A quitter I will not be. So that is exactly what we did! Sammy did offer me a piggy back and when 'on board', we lasted about 30 secs before deciding that walking on our own was just fine, frustrating but fine. Because of my cuts, I decided against entering the muddy pontoon maze, rather begrudgingly, and became quite envious of Sammy as she waded through the muddy waters. So in an attempt to feel included, I submerged my left foot in it; my token gesture of being 'adventurous'!! At a fast paced walk, we soon hit upon the balance beams, another pontoon style crossing and then we were back in the main arena area to tackle the last three obstacles; over the horse jumps, up and across the mound of grass via beams and then it was going to be my much anticipated fave obstacle of the day, the inflatable assault course! Whoop! Despite the limp, bring it on!!  However, the weather had other ideas and a torrential downpour meant that it wasn't safe for us to go on it. fBooo but Fair do's. So we skirted around it and across the finishing line in a fairly-respectable-considering-we-walked-the-last-5km time of 1:40. 

Lovely Lorain and her friends were waiting for us, in the rain, despite finishing some 15-20 mins before us - how bloody lovely of them! A quick hug & checking we were OK, they were off and left Sammy & I to collect our medals and one of THE best goody bags I have ever had! 

 

Me & Sammy; Our stinky trainers; Me & my medal

And then it was to the ambulance station for a well-earned sit down and some help and assistance with my gammy ankle & leg! The ambulance staff were fab & very helpful and the organisers came to see me too to check all was OK and talk about what happened (which was really reassuring and the sign of a great event organising team). I loved the event and will be back next year to finish it off properly: I will not be beaten!

Gratuitous shot of my injured ankle/foot 1 day on

Day 16 was, as you might have gathered, non-eventful exercise wise other than hobbling to the freezer for the frozen peas & the medicine cabinet for ibuprofen! Oh, the wild & crazy life I lead!

So, the halfway point for me is bittersweet; great that we are halfway through Juneathon and I am fairly happy with my efforts. The flipside being that I am obviously out of action for a little while as I rest my ankle. Not ideal with 7 weeks to Dublin half marathon but with a bit of rest and being sensible, I'll be fit & ready for it. So my challenge this week is to do something everyday without compromising resting my ankle. Hmm, should be interesting! 

Day 13 #Juneathon - Life gets in the way

Hello? Anybody there? Have you missed me? No? Oh, right.....charming!

It's been a tough, busy week at work and I've been a bit flaky with Juneathon since Monday and my triumphant negativity. Not an excuse, not looking for sympathy (not that I would get any from you crowd anyway!), but I'm just saying how it is. 

Being away overnight with work on Day 11 was always going to pose a bit of a challenge to fit some sort of activity into my day. A very early start, long meeting and an overnight hotel stay with colleagues. I am fairly used to being away with work and always like the idea of exploring somewhere new with a little run. My running & exercise kit always travels with me. Sometimes the idea is better than the reality as the location of some of the hotels can leave a lot to be desired & lone running isn't the ideal thing to do. So what do I do? I rely on my well-talked-about trusty Davina DVD of course! Thankfully, I weigh a lot less than I did this time last year and I'm no longer paranoid that I will descend onto my neighbour in the room below me as I finish off my spotty dogs or high knees! Space can be a bit of an issue but the bed gets pushed back, chairs and desks re-arranged and I make the most of what space I've got. And that goes for intensity too. It's only a short 45 min workout but I only had 30 mins before I had to meet the team for dinner. So it was a 45 min effort squeezed into 30 mins. Needless to say my face was still cherry red post shower as I headed down to dinner! My colleagues still find it amusing that I actually do a workout in my room. I find it odd that they don't! Overall I was pleased that a) I had managed to squeeze in some activity and b) had refused my fave dessert of caramel apple crumble. Go me, on both efforts!

The best I could do for Day 12 was clamber up the stairs to my flat (two flights) armed with my laptop, work bag, handbag, suitcase, shopping and I am pretty sure there was some other bagged item, in a bit of a rush before a friend came round for dinner 30 mins later. I will log this as some form of HIIT and be done with it. 

Day 13 is embarrassingly absent of any form of activity. Workload is heavy & I only left my desk twice today to venture into the kitchen to make coffee and lunch. The only fresh air I have had is opening the balcony door.....and the wind quickly slammed it shut again. Dontcha love the British summer?! Rooted to my desk for the rest of the afternoon and early evening scuppered my plans for a run (again) and I am yet again sat in front of a laptop for the evening. Thankfully, the task I am doing is enjoyable, as I am editing the photographs I took at Paula & Stuart's wedding over the weekend. 

And that's what happens. In real life. Life does get in the way. You can either beat yourself up over it or accept that, you know what, it happens. Yes, it would be ideal if I could make sure that I run or do some form of exercise as I had planned. But every now and again, you've got to accept that priorities change and I am fairly (!) disciplined with my diet and exercise most of the time and a few days of slippage are seriously not the end of the world. 

Tomorrow is another day and I vow to move more than I did today. 

Day 10 #Juneathon - Negativity

Day 10 of Juneathon...already, really?! Time flies when you're having fun!

I had already put in my advanced absence notification for Day 8 (Saturday) as I was photographing a wedding. I can confirm though that sufficient energy was put into the shape throwing during the reception and I am sure a fair few miles were clocked up walking to the bar to refill ones refreshment levels. A fair few calories consumed and the odd one or two burned with over-zealous dance moves. A great day & night and a tiny tick on Day 8 of Juneathon. 

Day 9 was an AWOL day. Sorry! Too shattered from Saturday's events and not hydrated or remotely energised enough to do owt. Let's not dwell on it. I had failed to do anything remotely active. Accept it and move on. 

And here we are, Day 10. I must admit, in a fairly short period of time, I have gotten quite used to doing something every day, albeit under some form of self-imposed duress. In the end, it always comes good and I feel better for moving and doing something.Today was a bit of a struggle. A long working day at my desk and time was suddenly running away from me and leaving me wondering if I would be able to get in a run or a workout of sorts. A bit of debating ensued about what to actually do that would allow me to still get on with my busy evening; I decided on a gentle 3 miler to ease myself into the week. A new route took my fancy and even though I had no idea of the distance, I was sure it would be around the 3 miles. My pace felt good and I quickly got into my stride, whizzing through the country lane, whilst desperately trying not to consume my body weight in flies, gnats and other flying mini-vermin! I knew I was onto a fairly quick pace but felt good. And then it got me thinking, when would I ever be able to run a negative split? Pace is something I have struggled with for a while now. I tend to head off fairly quickly and slowly but surely fade away. Despite trying to really slow my first few miles down, it never really works for me. A few months back, I found myself trying to run a slow warm up mile, only to find I ran one of my quickest miles ever as I became a bit competitive with the local bus and wanted to beat it to it's next stop! I think I just get a bit excited about being outside with my kit on and wanting to run and run and run, forgetting I am no Zola Budd (ask you folks, kids!) and burning out. It is something that I really need to work on especially as I have just signed up for my first ever, full blown, whopping, great big, juicy 26.2 mile marathon! I would love to crack it before my next half in August so will be trying really hard to get my head around it. As my mind wandered about how, when, plans on how, fuelling plans and the like for tackling this, I realised that I had no idea where I was, where I was running to and how far I had to go to get back home. Lovely countryside though. My friends will testify that I am a bit of a homing pigeon and have a pretty good sense of direction (I don't own a sat nav, preferring a map. Old school!) so soon found myself heading back towards home via rolling hills & minimal traffic.  

Imagine my surprise when the lovely Ellie Goulding declared to me (via Nike+, we aren't running pals!) that I had a) ran 5 miles in 44mins and b) I had just ran my fastest 5k ever - 27:26. Yeeesss!! Chuffed am I. And more so because of the following......

Only just but it is what it is - A NEGATIVE SPLIT!! I have never been so pleased to be so negative!! Now I just need to turn that negativity into a positive to make sure that I positively ensure that the negativity remains. Wish me luck! 

Day 7 #Juneathon - Up & Down

Day 7 of Juneathon. Still moving & still blogging. Get in!

Fret not though followers, today's entry is slightly more buoyant than yesterdays! 

I will keep it simple (well, I will try to!). Today I had a better day. And today, I got out & ran. And I was so pleased that I got out and ran! After being forced to stay inside all day awaiting a delivery of my new work mobile phone, I was itching to get outside. I had a good, hard word with myself after yesterday's blip and promised myself I would get out and run today, regardless of mileage & time. With this on my mind, a lot of clock watching and hovering by the window ensued for most of the day (and work, obviously! Just in case colleagues are reading this....very busy, ploughing on, trudging through etc, etc) As is standard when waiting in all day, the delivery arrived at 5.30pm and by the time I excitedly opened the packaged, ooh-ed and aah-ed at the lovely colour of it, I finally made it out the door a little after under an hour later. I know, that's a hell of a lot of faffing over a phone, and a work one at that!  

I chose to try and run the 6-odd miler that I've been frequenting for the last few weeks, just to get away from the streets and into the countryside for a bit. Not to be too bothered about time but to try and enjoy the lovely route and villages that it takes me through. But this time, I reversed the route for a bit of variety. It was all good until mile 3 and then it caught my eye, just a little up ahead after crossing the picturesque and idyllic tiny bridge.....the mammoth hill. The hill that I normally re-charge my legs and gather my thoughts on as I am descending it, ready for the next 2-3 miles home. The only thoughts I was gathering this time though was 'how the hell am I gonna get up there without stopping?'. And I almost, really almost, made it all the way. But the legs were burning so, so much that I power walked for about 20 seconds, had a word with myself (again!) and got back to tackling it. Such a relief to reach the summit, knowing that there was only two more tiny inclines to come before I reached home. The ups and downs of the route had somehow energised me and I didn't stop until I got through the front door. 6.6 miles in 1 hour 1 minute. Not too shabby. Pacing still needs work and leaves a lot to be desired, ranging from 8:48 to 9:40 (can you guess which one was the 'hilly' mile?!) but I was so pleased to get out and get some fairly good, quality mileage done before the week is out. 

The ups and downs of this week have just highlighted further to me how much I love running. As well as keeping me fit, keeping the little-over-3 stone I lost last year off, it keeps me sane and let's me switch off for 'normal life' for a bit. I love it! 

Now, I will be AWOL on Saturday as I'm doing the photography for a wedding. Don't get any ideas, David Bailey I am not. Therefore, the best I will be able to do for Juneathon Day 8 is throw some rather, fantastic shapes on the dance floor in the evening. I promise to put a lot of effort in though! And I might add an extra mile to Sunday's long run to compensate. Hangover dependent. 

Have a good Day 8, y'all and I'll see you all on Day 9!!

Day 6 #Juneathon - Such is life

Not the best of days; you know, just one of those ones that doesn't feel right from the off and, despite willing it, it never really gets any better? Like you're walking through treacle? Yep, that. 

I had planned my second early morning run of the week but due to a very disruptive night's shut-eye, that was panned by the incessant walloping of the snooze button. Therefore some post work activity would have to suffice. When it came to it, there was no energy. Nowt. Not a smidge. And even though I knew that I was likely to feel so much better by getting outside in the beautiful evening and fresh air, putting in just a few miles, I just couldn't muster the energy from anywhere. I also knew that I couldn't not do anything as I knew I would only feel worse. So, yet again, I relied on my trusty friends, Davina et al, and put myself through completing the Ultimate Fat Burner, Summer Shoulders and Target Abs section. Admittedly, I did struggle more than I ever have done but I tried to keep good form throughout and make it a quality workout rather than just going through the motions. I would say that completing it was probably my biggest accomplishment of the day. 

It's OK when things don't go to plan; frustrating but really not the end of the world. It's how you deal with it and what you learn from it. Not rocket science, eh, but easier said than done sometimes! I know that tomorrow is another day and it will include a run of sorts although I will not commit to whether it is pre or post work! All I know is that I will get out there and get some miles under my belt, enjoy the scenery & fresh air and shake off the working week - all the components that are needed for a good, quality run.  

Not my cheeriest of blogs but hey, such is life! :o)