Half Marathon Training Begins - Down and Up

Monday: Some days definitely do not pan out as expected. I managed to get out for a run, though disappointing. It was a real struggle, I just felt heavy and tired, despite my enthusiasm over starting the half marathon training programme. Technically, I was supposed to start tomorrow but knowing the other half would be away for most of this week, I knew I needed to run whilst I still had someone to watch my daughter (on school holidays). I think I was also pretty stressed during the run, the whole issue over having noone to babysit this week so I could run. Stress will sometimes motivate me to run, but sometimes, it gets in the way of the enjoyment of running. I ran the shorter than needed time of 16mins 10secs, covering 2.54km. Disappointed and stressed, I expected the week to be a difficult one, in terms of my running. However, hope was more alive than I realised; on returning home, the other half suggested and encouraged my visiting family in Scotland whilst he was away on his trip. A little thought, a quick check of train fares, and I had my tickets booked - I travel tomorrow early morning with the kids :o) By going away, at least I will have the opportunity to run (family can babysit) and staying home will definitely mean no running. So, for the second time in a month, I am going back to Scotland, a holiday for the kids, maybe even one for me? :o)

Challenges Ahead

Sunday: A very late night, coupled with kids making mischief, led to me deciding not to run this morning. I was a little regretful later as I saw it had been raining, and it has been a while since I ran in the glorious rain. I spent some time looking up races I can do this month, constantly being urged to do a 10miler, but that sometimes feels like over-optimism. But I wonder, I have done two 6.22milers (10km), perhaps the 10miler isn't so big a leap? I am being constantly accused of being negative about my running, moaning about it, but on much reflection, I disagree I am that right now. I don't think I have felt more positive about my running, I feel rather bouyed by the knowledge of having done 4 races, each a great challenge for me. One runner's realism may be another runner's pessimism, perhaps, and I think I have been fairly realistic. Till now, anyway... I was perhaps seduced by the huge faith of others in my abilities, when this evening, I accepted my first fetch challenge. A fetchie has challenged me to do within 30miles of his total mileage for June. I thought, interesting... till I read his training log, which details his having done 119miles in May alone - compare this with my having done 140 odd miles in FIVE months of training. However, he has had 'worse' months, and after the initial indignant and shocked state subsided, a voice inside me said, go oooonnnn... So I did :o) I accepted the challenge, and yes, the odds may be stacked against this overweight, puffing newbie, but who says the underdog always loses? ;o) It's another motivating factor for me, to do the extra mile when I train. My realistic hat says I won't be able to win the challenge and I know that. But it will be something exciting for me, something to challenge me. The half marathon will be a real challenge on its own, and me accepting the fetch challenge should work with it, help me focus harder, work harder, enjoy the journey more. Another fetchie informed me of a race in Liverpool after my half marathon, which gave me food for thought, I have never thought about running there before. But it is definitely something I will consider, having a soft spot for a city I have barely seen. Tomorrow was supposed to be a rest day, at the start of a new programme, but I have decided to run. My other half is away from Tuesday to Friday, and the thought of not being able to run is a great cause for concern (my daughter is still on school holidays this week). But I hope to try and work something out, somehow. Challenges indeed.

Spectator at the Race For Life

Saturday: I took the kids with me to watch the Race for Life in the local park (no run for me today). It was rather strange to be a spectator and not a participant, and as I watched the runners set off, my feet were itching to join in! The atmosphere was great, it was incredible to see so many running for Cancer Research UK, their reasons for running pinned to their backs. My daughter commented on so many being for runners' mums. The race had lots of walkers and it really was lovely to see so many happy people, enjoying themselves, and for such a good cause. I spotted a runner in a fetch.com vest but she sped away before I could yell my support, though I continued to clap on the others :o) The kids weren't as enthusiastic about it as I expected, a downright pain a lot of the time, but I was undeterred in my aim to watch the runners. I was a little overcome by how proud I felt to see fellow runners cross the finishing line. I didn't know anyone there yet I identified with them so strongly. It had been a job trying to find the finishing line (not marked as clearly as it should have been, I think) but it was a joy to get there eventually. I didn't stay for as long as I wanted, the kids were playing up too much, but I was glad I went. Although these races are generally not competitive and are filled probably with more walkers than runners, today reminded me of why I run, because it's about fun, it's about enjoyment. It can be easy to lose track of that, I felt that a short time ago. I wish I had taken part today but I wasn't too down about it, no point really, and I truly did enjoy watching other runners. I reached an important decision, deciding on following the half marathon programme as advised by greattrainer.org, and this begins Monday (rest day). A 14 week programme leading neatly to the big race in September, I will be receiving reminder texts before every training session. I felt more comfortable with following times rather than mileage, and it felt more doable than the programme offered by runners world. The application for the race finally arrived, which I plan to send off on Monday. At the end of the day, the feet were rather sore and achey from the trip to the park. I applied a great deal of vaseline over the blisters and all over the feet before sleeping, as I planned to run the next day, thinking about 60mins to start off the new month.

It's My Birthday and I'll Run If I Want To...

Friday: Looked in the mirror this morning and thought, 4 races, you are so kidding me! :o) And to think I could be saying I have done a marathon by my next birthday?? This running lark does wonders for one's self-confidence. As planned, I went off for a run this morning, taking raspberry-flavoured Lucozade sport with me (nothing else in the fridge). Still no sign of the earphones but the loudspeaker option works well on my mobile, probably to the displeasure of others in the park though (hehe). Nice cool weather today, no blistering sun in my face for once. I set off intending to do a lot of uphill, around the route of my first race. It wasn't as hard as it was, but still tough enough to be a real challenge for me. A problem was my drink, it tasted very off and I gave up drinking it (it had been opened and in the fridge for days, I think). So, running uphill and feeling very thirsty, the run felt tougher than it should have been. I had thought about the 5km mark before my run but, listening to my body, I stopped at 3.24km (21mins 12secs). I thought I had stopped at a point where I had reached my limit, but I felt rather weak for a little after the run. It was the usual faintness and weakness, and I wished I had drunk more water and eaten more salt in the past few days. The feeling passed eventually, it was just annoying to feel so weak like that. The walk home felt quite long as I could feel the blisters flaring up again on my feet. Not having any vaseline in the house, I searched the cupboards and settled on using vicks balm on my blisters before the run. I figured, similar consistency, similar appearance... not very logical really, but I was desperate to run! I managed to run fine but the walk home was difficult, the vicks was not a real alternative. I later bought a tub of vaseline from Boots, and will put the use of vicks down to experience ;o) I was pleased to have had a run, though, and it was a good run, a lot more uphill than usual, I felt good about it later. It was a quiet birthday on the whole, the run was a real highlight for me. My favourite present was, and oh this is bordering on obsessive surely... vouchers for 'Up and Running' in Manchester :o) Oh yes, a running shop... a year ago, getting those vouchers would have had me in a foul mood, as well as indignant, hehe. But I am so enjoying my running, and I am looking forward to when I am able to get to the city centre and shop. It still feels surreal to think I have done 4 races. I know it is a lot for some, and a paltry amount for others, but a huge deal for me. And it's not just the number of races. I think about each, and the experience of each, and each was unique. The pain and the suffering is individual to everyone, no-one knows how much you give of yourself to the race, the emotions that race through your mind, the low points when you think 'I can't do this, I really can't', the pulling-yourself-together points, periods when you remember why you're doing it, trying to motivate yourself, bits when problems happen and you try to deal with them fast as you can... but it really isn't all pain and suffering, the points where you're 'in the zone', when it feels so good, points when you're focusing on putting into practice everything you have trained for and learned, periods where the crowd support makes you want to burst with pride for doing this, the sheer joy of seeing the finishing line, the ecstasy of completing the race, still standing... I think it's something both no-one else knows and feels, but also something only other runners know and feel (if that makes any sense but it makes sense to me). I spent the evening, drinking Irn Bru, indulging in Pringles, planning on a bigger birthday next year, but feeling so satisfied and pleased with my running. And this really is only the beginning :o)

First Post-Sale Run

Thursday: Back to the park today. It was sunny and warm, and I had Lucozade Sport Lemon Plus to sip. I realised that GO really did have a hint of lemon, as this drink was akin to being overdosed on lemons... The aim was a 15 to 20min run, I felt pretty relaxed about today. It was strange not having a race to aim for, well, not an imminent one anyway. I would have liked to enter the Race for Life on the weekend (5km) but it is apparently too late to do so. Still, I plan to go and watch, and cheer the runners on. Today I just went all-out within minutes, I think my body just wanted to run and not worry about pacing itself, after constantly having to do so for races. I went uphill for a bit, making the most of the adrenaline rush of running without care. The lack of water from my rest days, as well as the not so healthy snacks, definitely affected me, though the drink was helpful. Feeling very tired in the heat, I stopped at 14mins 13secs, having covered 2.17km. I was surprised to check on fetch that I wasn't as fast as I thought I was, it had felt an uncontrollably fast pace. Though I was exhausted and sweating hugely by the end of a very short run, I enjoyed it today, it felt rather good. The run ended at the other side of the park, leaving a long walk home, but the walk was good for the legs, which couldn't run anymore but definitely needed to keep moving. I began to feel the blisters on my left foot again, which I hadn't noticed during the run. When I got home and took the socks off, they were huge again, much to my disappointment. I also noticed slightly lumpy kind of swelling on both feet, above the heel and a few inches down from the ankles. Probably nothing, and not really painful to touch, but I plan to get it checked out, to be on the safe side. I spent the rest of the day barefoot again, walking with my weight on the outside of my feet to help the blisters heal fast. My runner friend advised vaseline for them, which I unfortunately don't have (does vicks balm work as an alternative, I wonder). Lots of water today, to keep hydrated, and lots of pasta, partly because I wanted it, and partly I hope it will help with running tomorrow. I'd quite like a long run tomorrow, how long, I don't know, I guess I'll just see how the mood takes me. It's my birthday and I was so keen to have a race to do, but none near enough to me, so this is the next best thing. My kids asked why I didn't take a day off running for my birthday, but I tried to explain that it was something that would help make my day, and I do mean that. Looking forward to tomorrow's run, should be a pensive one, too. My earphones are currently lost so I relied on the mobile's loudspeaker to run to music, the same will probably happen tomorrow. Hope it rains, that would be rather lovely indeed :o)

Training Thoughts for Glasgow

Wednesday: Another rest day, and happy to take it. I knew I was exhausted on Sunday but I didn't expect to be happy about resting a second day. Perhaps the 3 races in 3 weeks, or even 4 races in 5 weeks, took a lot more out of me than expected. I received my first copy of Runners World in the post yesterday... yes, it is true, I have subscribed, much as I laughed (possibly guffawed?) that I never would be that ridiculously hooked on running... I am rather hooked indeed, much to the delight of my constantly-saying 'I told you so' runner friend :o) There were some very interesting articles in there, I have left it on my bedside table for bedtime reading. The blisters haven't gone completely yet, I do need compeed patches but dithered over buying them due to their cost. I run tomorrow, the first post-race run, perhaps going to leave things as they are and hope for the best. I looked up a half marathon programme from great trainer, which is 14 weeks long and starts on Monday. I plan to cross check it with the RW programme which is 10weeks long, and see which I prefer. The difference is RW tells me how many miles to do each session whereas great trainer tells me how long to run for. I am used to going by time at the moment, is that better, I don't know. I guess it's all about what I feel more comfortable with, as both lead to being well prepared for doing 13.1 miles. I am keen to finalise my programme soon so that I can start looking up races that match it. It was very interesting what RW say about not making every race about doing a PB (personal best, hark at me using running terms...) and to allow some races to be like training sessions, not going all-out every time. The magazine really is full of helpful advice and tips that made me think about my attitude and approach to running. I appreciate the lovely comment left on this blog by Georgia's Dad some days ago, it is really uplifting to know others read this and get something out of it, in addition to all that I am personally benefiting. I do feel a lot more positive about my running since doing the Sale 5 Mile, and in the face of recent family crises and goings-on, I do appreciate my running more. As tired as I still am, I am looking forward to being back in the park. My birthday nears and though I am not as fit as I would like to be yet, I know I have achieved a lot personally these last few months and I feel fitter than I have done for years. Looking at my fetch profile makes me smile, 4 completed races on my list, it feels rather surreal, but in a rather brilliant way :o)

Post Race - Rest and Crises

Tuesday: Resting after yesterday's race. A family crisis of sorts has brought me plummeting down to earth from my post-race high. Today was supposed to be a day of personal celebration but crises tend to put a dampener on things. The blisters remain, though less aggressive. I spent most of the day barefoot which I think really helps. I have already posted on the running forum about my socks, advice on how to wash them properly, if I am not already doing so, as that may have contributed to my blisters. Felt quite pleased to be able to text my brothers about my 5mile race, casually texting my time and a brief race report. They still find it hard to believe, I think, that I (of all people) am so into running. I was very anti-cross country at school, and never much for fitness (aside from brief periods of gym membership). On the weekend, my older brother suggested I didn't think about doing a marathon, to keep running but to be more careful race-wise about pushing myself. This was after our run together on Sunday, when I was a red tomato, sweating and panting after a 20min run, and he was fairly relaxed after it (lol). I assured him I was taking things 'logically', a half marathon this year and a full marathon next year, and I think he knows me well enough to know that I know my limits. The concern derives from my mother, mainly, and her concern is very much linked to the passing away of my cousin in December. It was a very sad time for all of us, the only good thing, if any, was my waking up to becoming dangerously obese and deciding to do something about it. Today I was happy not to run, the body was very tired, but it felt so good to have completed that 5 miler, to be getting fitter.