Stripping

It has been a wee while since my last post. Well, technically the definition of 'wee' is "little; very small; tiny; minuscule" so if 18 months is your definition of wee, then we are all good to proceed! (If not, just go with it!) The timing of my last post was to herald the countdown to one of the biggest adventures of my life, climbing the 'roof of Africa' Mount Kilimanjaro. It was all about the prep, the packing, what to take, what not to take, advice, training and all the other key things you would expect to follow on the lead up to this awesome challenge. Don't fret reader, this isn't a doom & gloom post, I did make it to the roof of Africa and I am incredibly proud that, along with my two best friends, we made it there and back in one piece with very little drama - but lots of tears, laughter, memories, newly forged friendships and an abundance of pride! But life got in the way of keeping a blog up to date with all of the training, the purchases, the packing, what I decided to take, what I left behind and all that jazz. Everyday life continues during this time of preparation and one of the casualties of this was blogging. It's a shame, as I found it a great outlet to share my random ramblings, babble and general witterings that crowd my grey matter throughout the day. It's a bit like therapy. Without the expensive therapist and leather chaise lounge. And you dear reader, don't charge me. Awesome! 

Everyday life often does get in the way of things that you were once passionate about. Somethings we can control, other things we can't. We can try to hang onto these 'things', be they habits or hobbies, but sometimes we lose our grip and let it go. With all the will in the world, you want to hold onto it but it slips from your grasp. Some may say that if you were truly passionate about it then you would hold on with both hands, tie a brick to it, wrap a rope around it, do all you can to make sure that it wouldn't slip away from you but it's not always that easy. I have been the culprit of having a slightly weak grip on a few things that I haven't been able to maintain my grasp on and, unbeknown to me, they have had a concertina effect on other things that have subsequently been let go of. It's snowballed and gathered momentum but I feel it's now time to put the brakes on the momentum, chuck it in reverse and re-establish a mighty grip on a few 'things'. 

A lot of the posts on my blog have been running related. I started running properly i.e. Frequently training & entering races, a few years back, and it was awesome! It became a huge part of my life and I'm sure I bored everyone around me to tears with my constant chitchat about training runs, miles I had run, events I had entered, my thresholds or hill sessions, how my Garmin wouldn't get satellite signal until a few minutes into my run. Damn, I'm yawning just writing this! But I didn't care because I LOVED running. I loved how it made me feel, physically and mentally and I couldn't wait to don my trainers and head out the door for another run pretty much as soon as got back from one. I took on some brilliant challenges and was very proud of all my achievements. It culminated with me completing my first ultra in January of his year, Country to Capital - 45 miles from Wendover to Paddington. It was a hard slog, both the training and on the day itself, but again, I was so proud of my achievement of completing it, and thankful for all the amazing support from family & friends on the run up to and on the day itself (spare a thought for Sam & Lucy having to take public transport to meet me at a checkpoint #BusWankers, my Mum who 2weeks before had a transplant but still came to meet me at the finish line and also for poor @UltraBoyRuns for having to listen to me moan & waffle on for 10 hours; you guys deserve a special medal for that alone!) The post event pride and sense of achievement remained for a while but I soon found that I had floundered with my running. Whether I took too much  time off to recover or the post event blues got a tighter grip on me than I realised or if for another reason I can't pinpoint was to blame I don't know but I found I literally couldn't be arsed to run. Nothing seemed to make me want to get the ol' trusty trainers back on and    clock up some miles. Not even my expanding waistline was motivation. Nor was thinking back to how good running made me feel. Those once addictive endorphins or skinny jeans were not a big enough dangled carrot to tempt me out to pound the pavements or trails. This 'thing' had slipped from my grasp. 

In the months that followed, I had a fleeting return to running & exercise and a brief resurgence of the buzz of endorphins. I signed up to a 90 day online diet & exercise plan in an attempt to give me focus and reinvigorate the discipline I once had. But again, I allowed my grip on these things to loosen and my enthusiasm waned. Work got incredibly busy. Family illness. My heart got broken (as did my toe in a totally unrelated incident!!) Did I mention that work got busy!? Excuses? Probably. People going through worse things? Absolutely. But we all cope differently under pressure and something has to give. Turns out, I gave up a few things. The things that I previously prioritised high up the list slipped down the rankings and pretty much off the page. I tried on various occasions to reestablish a few good habits but they never lasted long.  This isn't a woe is me post and please don't think that I've been a miserable mardy arse since January wallowing & skulking about in my own self pity with my face tripping me. I haven't. I've been active, I've done some awesome fun things, got outside, climbed some mountains, binged watched Netflix, been on a family holiday of a lifetime, met awesome people, laughed until I cried and made some brilliant memories. But all with my spark shining a little duller than before. So, "great", I hear you say (if you're still with me & haven't stopped reading) "you've told us that you used to love running, your hand strength has been a bit shoddy and you've lost your grip on some 'things';  you ran an ultra, you stopped liking running, you put on weight and some good & not so good stuff about your year. So what, EmLa, what's the post actually about?" Well, I'll tell you, just bear with me a wee while longer, I promise it won't be 18 months before I get to the answer! 

During the year, I have read many, many social media posts, blogs and listened to many a podcast in the search of reigniting my spark. Many of these have reiterated things you and I already know help to inspire and encourage us to have a 'happy and contented' life, from a good balanced diet to exercise to planning fun thing so to do, keeping a thankful journal and daily affirmations to name a few. I am not mocking, knocking or criticising these methods or lifestyle choices, they are around as proven methods that help people in various ways. Each to their own and what works for one won't work for another, you have to do what you believe in and what suits you. What I do find challenging is that in a quest to find my spark, I found myself overwhelmed with advice, tips (this is the correct word, 'hacks' makes me a little bit angry!) and suggestions on how I can be happier and content in my life. Some offered tips  that were/are useful, others I felt would take up my entire day writing post it note reminders of what I should be doing/feeling at a particular time of the day. In essence, I found the volume of advice, tips and tricks to be a tad overwhelming and all a bit much! Yes, I sought out these posts and podcasts, so may have brought it on myself but I realised that in a quest to find the magic solution of regaining a bit my missing flare, that there was no such thing. It  doesn't exist. It can't be found on a blog or IG post or amongst the mele of podcasts out   there. Advice is there to be taken if you want it and we are all guilty of being drawn into a rabbit hole of posts, videos and episodes looking fir the answer. But what I have found to be the common denominator in all of the social media posts is that it can make you feel shit. Totally shit about your life, about how you feel and look. You unwittingly compare yourself to others and bench yourself against their posted achievements, such as their ability to balance a busy life with the same challenges you have to deal with but they are coping MUCH better than you; how they manage to have a good hair day every goddam day despite having curly hair and it's raining and their lives are just brimming with happiness and yours feels like a bit of a mess. Clearly leaving the reader or listener with this feeling is not the intention of those who post, well I hope it's not! But in this age where we have constant access to sharing every aspect of our lives online comes the inevitable feeling of not being good enough. I'm not talking about everyone here - there is nothing wrong with celebrating your own awesome achievements, whatever they may be. Damn it, celebrate that shit & shout it from the roof tops. I guess the 'watch out' is to the reader of said post; be happy, genuinely pleased for that person and their achievement but remember it's their journey, a snapshot of their life that they have chosen to share. It's not a 100% reflection of their daily life. And it's not to be compared to you and yours. But you know that, right? I do but on occasions it slips from my mind. Especially when I'm finding it hard to keep a grasp on 'things'. What I've learned is, the main 'thing' is to strip back everything to the basics; I am me, unique, annoying, quirks and all. I don't need to follow a plan or programme to make me happy (or should I say happier). The only way to get my spark back is to stop comparing myself to others,  trust in myself, stop worrying what others think about me and do what I enjoy, for the sheer enjoyment of it and that should be enough. I'll find my spark along the way. (And I'll work on my grip strength too). 

Kilimanjaro - and so it begins

In case you have missed it, I am attempting to summit Kilimanjaro in September with my two best friends. We booked our ‘holiday’ last October and the momentum of the big departure day approaching is gathering pace (I know I am stating the obvious that time ticks by and that is how life works but you get what I mean!) It seemed a long way away when we booked it. Plenty of time to read up on it all over the next 11 months - what I need to take, what I don’t need to take, training tips, hints for tackling AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), training plans, medical advice, getting fit, will I need that ‘toilet shovel’, the right down jacket, the right base layer, socks, walking boots, daypack...it really is a minefield! All of a sudden, when you realise that there is only three more paydays until the off, you wonder if the 32 articles and blogs you have read, most with differing suggestions and advice, have helped prepare you at all for what lies ahead. In short, the answer is yes. And also no. In reality, when looking at it with a calmed mind and being rational about it, we are probably more ready for it than we think. In essence, it’s.....”all about the base, about the base, base layer” (a la Megan Traynor & that annoying song of hers!) Layer it up with the bases, top it off with a softshell jacket, a down jacket, hat & gloves, chuck on a daypack and pole pole away we go! Obviously, not as simple as that but trying to adopt the approach of ‘I’ve got this, it will all be fine’ regarding the kit makes for a calmer me! Obviously look out for future posts when I am panicked beyond belief at having purchased ALL the wrong base layers, socks, jackets etc!

The kit is having an outing this weekend. We’ve done a few local training walks (blog to follow as the routes have been gorgeous) breaking in the boots, trying out the merino layers, socks, all important snacks and rain jackets but this is the first biggie. And the one that makes it all seem a bit more real! The trekking trio (not an official nickname, just came to me. Not the most original. I’ll work on it!) are heading up to Snowdonia to attend a Kilimanjaro specific training weekend with Action Challenge. It will be a weekend of firsts; first time staying in a Youth Hostel, first time trying all the kit out in one go, first time walking with poles and the first time climbing Snowdon at 1am on Sunday morning! What?! Yes, the weekend is specifically designed for those of us who are planning on reaching the summit of the highest mountain in Africa and is intended to replicate the final day on Kilimanjaro, the toughest day of the trip with a stupid number of hours of walking at high altitude with minimal sleep in the dark to reach the summit for sunrise. Thinking about that final night fills me with excitement, dread, terror and apprehension in equal measures! The training weekend will see us trekking through Snowdonia during the day on Saturday for approximately four hours, back to the YHA late afternoon for a bite to eat and rest, head to bed and then be rudely awoken at midnight to start another trek at 1am and eventually head to the summit of Mount Snowdon at around 5am. 1am?! 5am?! Seriously?! Obviously, there is the small matter of not being able to replicate the altitude but it will certainly test us with time on our feet and lack of sleep with back to back trekking. Not to mention the testing out of the kit. Even with the packing list provided, it’s been a real challenge to keep the afore mentioned calmed mind to make sure I only take what  I really need and not carry any excess clothes or equipment. My bedroom and spare room have been littered with piles of clothes, sorted into definitely, maybe, no and possibly piles, multitudes of water bottles, instructions on how to use my bite-valve on my water bladder and an abundance of snacks. I've even optimistically packed some sun cream.  And I think I have managed it, even with the weather being an arse and playing silly buggers! But I guess I won’t really know if I have managed it until we return in one piece on Sunday night.

So with my trusty daypack, overnight bag, mini bag of snacks (Hello a box of Naked Flapjacks!) all packed, this trekking trio are heading to Snowdonia. We’ll see you on the other side!

Taking a break

We all need a rest from certain things to reinvigorate our passion for it, to remind ourselves why we do what we do, be that a work project or a hobby. I, took this taking a break thing, fairly literally and decided that the best way to take a rest was to break my ribs, thus forcing me into a self imposed period of rest & reflection. The positive is that I had a lot of fun prior to and after the breakage with my friend’s husband and his friend. C’mon now! Not like that, tsk! We were taking part in the 10k Monster Race obstacle event in the wonderfully (painfully!) hilly grounds of Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire on 18^th April. It was mudtastically, swamptastically challenging and sadistically, highly enjoyable right up until I tried to haul myself out of the water and allowed my ribs to meet the edge of the plastic pontoon with some force. I knew I had ‘knackered’ my ribs (pretty sure I used another word though!) but as we were so close to the end, I kept on keeping on. I had race bling to claim. And a water slide to lob myself down to get it. Long story short; slid down slide, got through the ‘meat crusher’ tyre thing, climbed stupidly high wall, claimed medal, used a tonne of baby wipes, put on foil blanket, went into shock, visited hospital, got high on industrial strength codeine for 10 days & kept nodding off, pain subsided and here we are four and a bit weeks later.

Now, some may say this period of ‘rest & reflection’ was more akin to ‘grumpiness & general tetchiness’ – and they would be right! I have not coped well with not being able to do something when I have really, really wanted to. I mean, yes, it has made me think things through, assess what I really get out of running and exercise, what happens when I don’t do it, what goals I want to set myself when I am back being able to put one foot in front of the other at an acceptable speed that represents ‘running’. But maaaan, it has been a mental struggle during this enforced down time. I have always known that I have run for two main reasons – to keep me fit and keep the weight I worked so hard to lose off and most importantly, to keep me sane. Frustration levels have reached an all time high during this rest period, especially when I had to miss out on a 20 mile training walk (I’m climbing Kilimanjaro in September with my two best friends) I mean, not even being able to walk?! Gggrrr! I have also been incredibly envious of my Twitter feed with all of the fab training, racing & general miles of enjoyment that the people I follow have been able to do. In actual fact, there has been pretty much radio silence from me over the past month on Twitter (Oi, you, no cheering please!) bar the odd sporadic tweet. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about my followers or those I follow, I just feel that I wasn’t in the right place to contribute. It’s funny because Twitter is *the* most supportive & encouraging place to be when you need it the most, i.e. at times like this! With this in mind, you can see how it’s become a struggle for me. I know it sounds dramatic, and boy, I can be such a drama queen at times, and this is not a ‘woe is me’ post but it really has been an interesting/challenging time, for sure!

NB: Just to note, Maltesers are lovely an’ all, but they are not supportive or encouraging, other than they encourage your weeble-while-you-can’t-run-status to grow. This is taken from firsthand experience and is a warning to you all!

Things have started to improve this week and although not 100% in the rib & surrounding area, I took myself off to the gym for a wee trot on the dreadmill to test out how I coped with a run. I was nervous. One, of being back in the gym after 4 weeks out after spending the time I would normally be training (at the gym or running) stuffing my face with non-supportive Maltesers and two, if my ribs weren’t healed enough, of doing more damage and putting me out for longer. Nobody wants that, believe me! I chose the dreadmill rather than the road for cushioning purposes. Believe me, it’s not my first choice for running, as the name suggests! Long and short, it went OK; a gentle 5k plod and minimal pain during running. My ribs and surrounding chest & back muscles ached like billio the next day but not enough to put me off going back on Tuesday for another 20 minute trot and some leg work. The aches and pains on Wednesday prevented me from even considering giving it another go though. Slowly, slowly, catchy whatsitsface and all that!

I had drawn the line in the sand a good few weeks back (see previous blog entry) and although I had adopted the carefree non-pressured approach to running,  I feel that this (enforced) break has done me so much good. I had lost my way a little with running after doing so many events last year and I had left my sense of enjoyment and ‘runners high’ somewhere on one of my running routes. But now, although I am taking it very slowly for the next few weeks and must remind myself not to get carried away, I’m ready to start getting out of running & exercise the very things I forgot I loved so much about it all. The goals have been set and will be worked towards – getting back to being fit & healthy, successfully climbing Kilimanjaro in September and completing Country to Capital 45 mile Ultra in January 2016. And any breaks will be planned ones only!

Drawing a line in the sand

Sadly, this is not a literal post. I am not on a beach somewhere wildly exotic, a local lethal cocktail next to me and a punkawhallah with palm leaves in hand, cooling me down. I’m in good ol’ Blighty in my little home writing this but don’t let that detract from the topic!

My first post of 2015 had a lovely response. On publishing it, I was slightly concerned that it had unintentionally come across as a bit ‘woe is me’ but thankfully it was not read that way and the comments on the blog, via FB, text and email were nothing but supportive and encouraging. This is one of the reasons I love blogging and social media in general – like minded people, supporting and encouraging like minded people! Keep that shit up likeminded people, its ace – and so are you!!

The week after ‘the blog post’ I ran my first no-pressured run of the year and I had promised myself that I would run with my heart and not my head. No time pressures, try not to look at my damn Garmin every 5 mins, don’t try and keep up with others as they are all running their own race/event, and last but most importantly, ENJOY it! The event was the Chilly 10k, a multi-lap run at Castle Combe race circuit. Urgh. I am not a fan of multi-laps as it psychologically messes with my tiny brain but I was trying to adopt, embrace, and put to the test, this new mindset. I met up with my running buddy Lorain and her sister Ragin who were also running and we met just as the race briefing was hollered at us through the loudspeaker. Then it was a short walk from the paddock onto the race track and we were soon lined up and ready for the off. Repeating calm, soothing thoughts to myself and trying to listen to my music more than my laboured breathing was a real challenge. It’s a race, people compete. It’s what we hooomins do. There are people there to prove many different things to themselves or others, on their own journey, completing their own challenges and doing their own thing. And this was what I had to remind myself as I plodded around. Everyone is doing their own thing. And I should only concentrate on my own thing.....so I tried to keep myself in check and just run. The results were interesting. My splits were erratic, as the nature of me is to try and pick people off as the miles tick by and I started to do just this, and then checked myself to just run it, hence a wibbly-wobbly pace. That said, I did have my eyes set on a chap a few hundred metres in front of me who I used as a pacemaker; if I kept him in my sights, I would be happy. My mind was a tad numb from the lack of inspirational or stimulating scenery and it wandered, contributing to the erratic splits. I think there was even a jazz-hands-sing-out-loud moment to try and break the monotony (I’m painting a bit of a bleak picture, it wasn’t that bad, as race tracks go; not sure I’ve mentioned it but multi-lap races are just not my thing!) Back to the chap running a bit in front of me. I caught him up with about ¼ mile to go. And I was hot on his heels as we entered the slightly winding, funnelled finishing bit. I managed to tell him, in a slightly breathy-gasping manner that he was my pacemaker and he had to get me to finish. The race was on and he challenged me hard to the finish line, the bugger! Garmin stopped, high five to my unofficial pacemaker (there’s a bit of footage of this and it makes me smile when I watch it!) and a time check. Only 14 seconds slower than my 10k PB. I officially ran happy!

And since then, I’ve made a concerted effort to ‘switch off’ from pacing my runs. Work has been manic and it’s hard to fit in structured training at times. It’s therefore been pleasantly surprising to find that taking the pressures off of myself has resulted in some really enjoyable runs and most surprisingly, some pretty speedy times too. Just last week, I knocked out a 3 mile run with splits of 09:26, 08:17 and 07:03. An almost 7 minute mile!! HELL YEEEAAAH!! And this I love. I don’t care if I don’t ever repeat that time as I know I did it and can do it – even if my legs felt like they didn’t actually belong to me. (Doing it for more than one mile may be a challenge but hey ho, I’ve done it!) Yes, I have a few running events to train for in the coming weeks and months but I aim to enjoy them rather than ‘smash’ them and I’m looking forward it. No pressure other than to finish.

It is early days but I definitely feel that I am getting back to rediscovering my love of running and once again enjoying the benefits of running for me. So, I may not be sat on a beach with a spade in hand physically drawing my line in the sand, but believe me, the line is drawn!

I give up!

Let’s just gloss over the fact that I haven’t blogged in a HEEEEELLUVA long time, shall we?! I mean, you don’t want to know all the mundane details on why my creative juices have had an absence of leave and my wish and want to impart my inane thoughts, drivel and blatant garbled ramblings on you has waned. If you do, drop me a line and I’ll send you a very lengthy email J

The reason for the return is many-fold; partly to remain an outlet for said inane drivel & ramblings, but mainly to get back to doing what I enjoy and enjoying what I do.

As many of you will know, I undertook a personal challenge to raise awareness, and funds, for the Ovarian Cancer charity, Ovacome, following the passing of a friend from this awful disease. I partook in 14 running events in 12 months and proudly wore my Ovacome running vest at every one, and raised over £1200 for this great cause. I’m very pleased and proud that I completed my own challenge and will forever be grateful for the unwavering support of my family, friends and total strangers in helping me exceed all of my targets.

But as with most highs, there comes a low. There was indeed a downside to the most active 12 months of my life. Aside from boring the living daylights out of every person I came into contact with (“yes, I’m running my X^th  race of the year on Sunday”, “yes, I’m going training tonight”, “would you like to sponsor me?”, “Have you seen my medal from last week’s run?”), after completing the last event, my enthusiasm, love and enjoyment of running was pretty much left at the finish line alongside my foil blanket and luke warm burger-van cuppa.  There was the natural ‘I’ll give myself a week or so off’ plan and then I had hoped to get right back to it. And I did. Half heartedly. To be fair, not even half heartedly. I had pretty much given up on running and pretty much given up on myself. And that spread into other areas too. Not eating quite as well as I used to, letting old habits creep back in. But it was OK because, you know, I’d just completed 14....yeah, yeah, you know! How many weeks can you go on with that excuse though? (answer....quite a few, actually!) Some weeks were good and positive, others not so. Even with a half marathon looming in Feb of this year, working with a running coach to reach an achievable time goal and reviewing, revisiting, reigniting good food habits it still wasn’t enough to get me ‘back to me & back on track’. Working with a coach was really good  as it proved to me that I do have the ability to improve my speed, my form and my overall confidence with running. And all these things I did over the few months of training. Unfortunately, work and illness put the kibosh on realising my half marathon goal time but I know I have it in me to do it. It’s just a case of time. Time. Commitment. Accountability. Planning. Other buzz-like words that are all real, relevant and work. All these things I know, and you know, but they have been buried in the landfill with that darn foil blanket and polystyrene cup from my last event! Until now. [Stage note: This is probably when the phoenix should rise from the ashes, in a plume of stage smoke, lights (not strobe. It hurts my eyes), some inspiring music blaring, the crowd cheers & whoops etc]

I have had a firm but fair word with myself. I’ve accepted that I have some work to do on me and understand where I want to get to. And I’ve accepted that if I want to get there, I’m gonna have to put in the work, cos no other bugger is going to do it for me! Yes, there are a hundred million memes out there on Instagram, Twitter, FB and all the others, that say the same with sparkly writing over a wonderfully inspiring  image and yes, I am one of the readers & retweeters of some of them. But you can read these a million times over, and we all do, but sometimes it’s not enough, is it? Sometimes it is as simple as taking some time to stop and think about how to get from A to B. And that’s what I have done this week. I don’t have a huge, complicated plan. I’m a Virgo so there is a list but nothing more than that. I did ponder a spreadsheet. I love a spreadsheet. Sometimes you just need some cell format-conditioning in your life. Just me then?! Oh. OK. *cough* Right, where was I.....oh yeah, how I’m getting from A to B? Well, I’m simply giving up on giving up. See, told you it was simple.

How do you reinvigorate your passion for something when it wanes? Time out? A break away or plough on through? Leave me a comment below & let me know!

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.