Training update

Thought I had better post a quick training update...last week's training didn't include any running for a few reasons:

we were on holiday in France

I had had a nasty cold which left me with a bad cough :-(

Struggling to breathe due to my cough and with half an eye on the Duck n Dash I decided some swim training was probably in order. The pool at the campsite was pretty small so I ended up doing between 40 and 50 lengths in order to get the right distance in!

Drowning Squirrel?

This week's sporting activity took a slight change of tack, I took part in the inaugural Duck n Dash aquathon, a 400m swim and a 5k run based at Letchworth outdoor pool. I have only ever done something like this once before and that was quite a number of years ago...I don't think I have been this nervous for a very long time indeed! Didn't help that we only got back from our holiday at 11pm the night before and I barely slept knowing I was going to have to get up at 5:15 (ouch, on a Sunday too).
I had been very careful with my swim time estimate which meant I was 4th in the pool...as it happened I didn't swim as slow as I feared but I was pretty slow on the run (a result of the cold mentioned in a previous post). However, all things considered I really enjoyed it and would definitely do it again!

Spoke too soon!

Since I last posted I have had a cold...not impressed!

Getting there!

I thought it was definitely time to give you an update on how my training is going. As I mentioned in my previous post I am following the Hal Higden Novice training schedule which is essentially 4 runs a week and one day of cross training. So far, so good although I did stub my toe quite badly just after I last posted which meant I had a slow start to my new training regime! I have been able to manage the frequency of runs although I am still a bit down on the distance of the long run. I've also done a couple of races, races 1 and 2 of the Stevenage 5k series. I finished the first race in just over 30 minutes and knocked a minute and half off the time in the second race 2 weeks later, hurrah!
As I have struggled with getting going with my training I have been pondering the following:

Getting fit is hard

Getting fit when you are overweight is hard

If I didn't already know I could get do it ('cos I've done it before) I would have stopped by now. Over the last few years I noticed that you get people coming to North Herts Road Runners to come and get fit. A lot of them come a long for a few weeks and then stop, I can now see why, getting fit is super hard work!
That said, I have noticed over the last week or two that running is starting to get a bit easier, I am getting there at last!

A new challenge

Right, at the end of my last post I mentioned I needed a new challenge. I am not one to do things by halves so a few weeks ago I entered the Rutland Water Marathon at the beginning of November. Yes, this is madness but I feel like I need something big to get my teeth into! I looked at a few training plans online and decided that the Hal Higden Novice training schedule would be a good place to start. Although I've done 13 marathons (the 12 mentioned in that link plus New York, I haven't trained consistently for around a year now so I would consider myself as a novice. It's quite a simple schedule (essentially 4 runs a week and one day of cross training) which is a frequency I think is achievable.

So the plan for next week is a couple of 3 mile runs, a 5 mile and a 10 mile. The 10 mile could be a bit challenging but I just need to grit my teeth and see how it goes.

Watch this space!

New beginnings!

As you can maybe guess from my lack of blogging, training has been somewhat intermittent of late (there is a positive correlation between frequency of training and frequency of blogging). Essentially, I am still struggling to get going although things are definitely improving, here's a summary:

For those of you know me, we've been homeless for 6 weeks and have been nomadically moving from place to place, I have been getting some training runs in, but nothing much more than a few 40ish minute runs

I've done a couple of Midweek League races, namely the 10k at Royston and the 9k mob match at Trent Park. I was particularly pleased with my trent park race as I managed to run a hilly off road course without having to stop for a walk :-) Of course, it goes without saying that the times for these 2 races are not worth reporting so I won't!


Mob Match @ Trent Park

I guess the important thing here is that although I am horrible unfit at the moment, I have been here before (many years ago!) and I know I can get fit again. But it's very hard and if I didn't already know I could do it I might have given up already.

So where next for this overweight, unfit, motivationless runner? What about a new challenge? Yep, I think that'll do the trick!

2 steps forwards and 1 step back

Around Christmas time, I was able to do a bit of running and I started to feel I was able to get a little bit fit again. Sadly after Christmas a combination of poor sleeping by mini-cook and a nasty cold meant I never quite got going. A couple of weeks ago, we went on holiday on a canal boat (ll;">from Foulridge to Sowerby Bridge) which provided me with the perfect opportunity to get going again. That week I managed to run for 30 minutes 4 times and although it was hard, I started to feel I was getting back to some sort of fitness. Since then, I managed a few more 3-4 mile runs and I really started to think I might be turning a corner...
Sadly, I am currently sitting on the sofa watching the London Marathon with another nasty cold (I really think I have had more than my fair share of colds this winter, I suspect mini-cook is to blame!), I feel like I can hardly get up the stairs, let alone go for a run. However, I am plotting my next steps so watch this space!

Herts XC fun

Yesterday saw the rerunning of the cancelled Herts XC (cancelled due to snow in January) in Cassiobury Park, Watford. The Herts XC championships are usually a low key affair and this year they were even lower key than usual. However, it was a lovely day for a run, the sun was shining and the daffodils were out, very spring-like indeed. I've not run that much recently, laziness and illness being the main reasons and as a result I had a bad day at the office...I did come 17th...out of 17 finishers. Oops.
The main issue of the day was how to co-ordinate looking after mini-cook. There were only 45 minutes between the start of the ladies race and the start of the men's race and it took me just under 55 minutes to complete the course. We had a couple of options, Gary could start the men's race when I finished or we could find someone to mini-cook-sit. Luckily we knew one of the timing people so when I finished, mini-cook was waiting for me at the finish line. (Looking at the results, Gary finished 16 minutes ahead of the last placed runner so if he had waited for me he would have caught 10 men, not bad eh?)

Impending veteran status

I can hardly believe it but on Thursday I'll be a veteran! A few years ago I used to say I was looking forwards to this milestone so I could finally win some prizes but that didn't take into account 2 things: the fact that my fellow seniors age at the same rate I do and that often veteran road runners are faster than seniors! I suppose that if I keep going another 30 years I might win something as a V65...
There are some plus points to being a vet, mainly that I get to take part in the vet-specific events that I wasn't old enough to take part in before. It also gives me the opportunity to set myself some new running objectives, any ideas anyone?

Another cross country race (or should I say swim?)

Last Sunday saw me take part in my second race of the cross country season. It has pained me not to take part in XCs 'cos I love 'em. IMHO if there isn't mud, hills, water, rain, snow etc then a race just isn't worth doing! The race was at Bedford and the day before we discovered that the race was under threat due to a flood warning on the River Great Ouse and the forecast of a lot of rain. Luckily the race wasn't cancelled but a river crossing did have to be removed. Not that you would have noticed!
For some context, the Bedford XC course runs along by the river so it isn't hilly (shame) but it is usually wet. Now, imagine the scene, rain, flood warning, race running along the banks of a river...yes, it was wet underfoot (and under ankle and under knee). This turned out to be OK as the course wasn't particularly heavy because it was so wet.
Now, on to the race. It was around 4 miles with a slight route change to avoid a river crossing. I liked the new route as it meant I could see most of our scoring men's team as they ran in the opposite direction (well run chaps!). I am still horribly unfit (but improving) and I got very wet but I very much enjoyed the race.
Random factoid: this was my first ever race for NHRR back in December 1999. So there you go.

My first race of the cross country season

Valentine's Day saw me return to XC action. I love cross country, it is definitely my favourite part of the year and I've really missed taking part in this year's XC league. Luckily, my fellow NHRR member Rachel was kind enough to offer to Hannah-sit (she's training for the Brighton Marathon and had done a long run the day before). Even more luckily, Hannah is generally well behaved so as long as she has been fed and watered she is usually fine in her pram.
The race was 2 hilly laps round Ampthill Park so if the worst came to the worst I could always drop out halfway round. As it happened Hannah was absolutely fine and every time I ran past her I sighed a huge sigh of relief as all was silent.
Sadly, I am not in great shape (understatement of the year) and I did find it very hard indeed and looking at the pictures it's clear to see why...too much coffee and cake makes Lindsay a heavy girl...

Intelligent running shoes for women?

I read this article with interest. Essentially, Asics use Soft Top Duomax in the midsole of this shoe to apparently accommodate for fluctuations in women's hormonal levels which cause the foot arches to be lowered, creating more pressure on the plantar fascia. Personally, I am a Nike Air Pegasus girl and I have been for over 10 years now. However, I had no idea that running shoes could be so clever!

Running with a pram

Last night I went for a run with some fellow North Herts Road Runners. A year ago that wouldn't have been anything noteworthy, after all it was what I did twice a week and have done for 10 years now. However, post Hannah this isn't as straight forwards as it used to be. Here is how last night went:

Discuss with Mr C about our running plans for the evening. Decide on a plan which is for Mr C to do the mile reps and for me to go for a run (too cold to leave Hannah hanging around in between mile reps if we both do them)

Feed Hannah to ensure she doesn't get hungry en route

Change Hannah into her pjs so she can go straight to bed when she gets home

Change Hannah's nappy as she likes to wait for the most inconvenient moment before needing a clean nappy

Pack my running bag while Mr C entertains child

Mr C packs running bag while I entertain child, prepare her milk for later and ensure we have a supply of nappies to take with us

Put Hannah in her car seat, gather up our belongings (looks like we are going away for the weekend!) and off we go!

Arrive at tennis club and put Hannah in her pram

Do notices and finally set off for run...stop 2 seconds after leaving front door to put rain cover on pram

Finally go for a run!

Mr C returns from mile reps at 8:30, I go for a shower and he feeds Hannah

Mr C goes for a shower

Phew, we both have dinner!!!!

Put Hannah back in her car seat, gather up our belongings and go home

Arrive home and put all of us to bed

I managed 2 and a half miles through Letchworth town centre and it was pretty succesful, running with the pram makes your arms tired though!

Buggyfit

I mentioned in a recent post that I was going to try out a buggyfit class in an attempt to regain some fitness. So on Tuesday morning I dusted off my trainers, packaged Hannah up in her pram and with some trepidation power walked (because as usual I was late) off to Butts Close, Hitchin.

There were 8 of in the class, all of us new as none of the usuals were there which meant at least the class could be tailored to us a little bit better. We started by strolling round the park, did some stretching and then power walked around the park. We then did some reps of lunges (with the pram, an interesting test in co-ordination), some pelvic floor exercises and some cardio work (running or power walking) around part of the park and finished off with some exercises for triceps and abs.

I really enjoyed it and felt I was able to be quite energetic which was a nice surprise. That said, it was harder than I expected and I know that even at my most fit, that number of lunges would have made my legs hurt. Anyway, I paid for 10 classes up front so I will have to keep going now. Even better, Hannah loved being jostled around in her Nipper 360 and slept through the whole class, well worth it!

And now? Well, 2 days later I am suffering from the lunges and my legs are sore...but I am sure I will recover!

I'm watching you!

For those of you that don't know, I work for (when I am not on maternity leave) a well known online travel company. One of things that is important to the team I work in is knowing how people find your site. given this professional interest, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at who was landing on my blog and how they were getting there.
First of all, don't worry, I can't tell who anyone is! But I can see what words they entered into google to find this blog.
Unsurprisingly, the most popular words in google which bring up my blog are "half marathon" and "half marathon training blog", I suppose that makes sense. But imagine my mortification when I discovered that someone recently typed "very unfit marathon training" into Google and ended up reading my blog as a result! Ouch!

From marathon to Buggyfit in 15 months!

Regular readers to this blog will remember that in November 2008 I ran the New York Marathon. When I look back on the run up to New York, I realise how fit I was then with plenty of runs along with circuit training. Things are a little different now as I can count the number of runs I've done in the last 6 months on one hand!

I'll blog at a late date about my plan to get fit again (I do have one) but I thought I'd let you know about my newest fitness adventure, Buggyfit! I'm going to my first class tomorrow (my cold permitting) and I am not entirely sure about what to expect. According to their blurb, it's the "ultimate fitness class for mums and babies" although I don't think the babies really get a work out as they lie back and watch from their prams and snuggly and warm in their footmuffs! The class is an hour long and apparently will involve a 3-5 mile route in total...that's about my current speed so fingers crossed I should be ok!

I'll report back once I have been...

Racing again...but not training

I've not blogged (or trained really!) in a while but I did a couple of races in December.
My post-Hannah debut was the third of the Stevenage 5k series on December 10th. I think my training for that race consisted of the run described below and one other (about 40 minutes in very wet conditions!) so I was slightly concerned about how I would get on. But, 5k is only 3 and a bit miles and I survived unscathed! I ran all the way round, even feeling comparatively strong in the last kilometre and finished in an unimpressive time of 31:19. How times have changed, I was very happy indeed with my unimpressive time!

My next race was the Pirton Boxing Day Run, a very friendly, relaxed local off road 3 and a bit mile race. I have to admit I didn't run at all between these 2 races (although in my defence I do a lot of walking with the pram). And yes, no training and a muddy slushy course is hard work. However, I did really enjoy it (but I did have to go to bed at 8:30 that night as I was so tired).