Love & Marriage.......

We decided to do our weekly long run on a Saturday this week because we were going out in Leeds for a 30th Birthday (now a distant memory for me unfortunately!) celebration. So today would be our dress rehearsal for the Spen 20 race on the 11th March.

We got an early start and had arranged to meet Rob and Neil down at the club at 9.30. So it was out of bed at 6.40 for the obligatory bowl of porridge. I was feeling quite apprehensive about the whole thing because I remember what it was like last year and man it was tough. I tell myself that I'm a better runner now and I am much more prepared than last year. The Spen 20 course is 2 x 10 mile laps, that goes past the Gray Ox pub 3 times, past Rob and Kirsty's house twice (I think) and through some other places that I've heard of and have run through loads of times before but couldn't find on my own!

The four of us set off from the track and inevitably I felt like shit for the first few miles. I decided to let the 3 lads go ahead of me because I need to be on my own to get my eye in. I settled in a bit earlier than normal at about the 4 mile marker. I decided not to catch up with the others at this stage because I'd found my rhythm and I didn't want to break it. The sun was shining as we ran down 'the mad mile' and my legs all of a sudden loosened up. It was exactly like the scene in Forrest Gump where his callipers come off.....well not exactly and I didn't grow a beard.

I decided to catch up at about 6 miles. At the 7 mile point we arrived at Rob & Kirsty's mansion (for the first time). I was desperate for a wee but Kirsty had gone out (how rude!!) and Rob hadn't got a key. Alex suggested that I wee in their garden but that's just disrespectful, so I jumped over the wall and went in the field next door!

I had a bit of trouble getting going again but I had decided that I wasn't racing anyone today, I just wanted to go the distance. Neil left us after 1 lap and I was feeling ok. I had a small bag of jelly babies in my back pocket, which I brought in place of a gel. I decided that I would neck them at about the 13 miles. By this stage we were running pretty evenly spaced out. Rob had pushed on ahead, Bozza was in the middle and I was bringing up the rear (ooeeerrr!) I was quite happy where I was but then it suddenly occured to me that I didn't actually know the way so I'd better not loose sight of Bozza.

At 15 miles Bozza was becoming increasingly hard to track because he was wearing a grey top and seemed to be morphing into the tarmac. I decided it was time for a few jelly babies. I'm pleased to say that I didn't suffer any ill affects after eating them. I looked ahead at the gap between me and Bozza and asked myself whether if I was in a race I'd be able to reel someone in from that distance. I decided that I could.....probably!

At approximately 16 miles I could see Rob & Kirsty's mansion again and I saw Bozza stop for a few moments to get a drink. I was feeling a bit lonely and tired and in need of some company and encouragement to get me through the last 4 miles. I nearly got to him before he started running again and I said in the voice of a Harvest Mouse (cos they are the smallest of all the mice) "Wait for me.............please" It was so quiet and pathetic that it was carried away by the wind. Oh I'm filling up just thinking about it!

I dug in for the next 3 miles and we got to the corner that I was dreading, because I remember it from last year. It's at 18 miles and when you've run such a long way already, it seems like a very steep hill. I could still see Alex in front of me but all of a sudden he disappeared. I just assumed that he'd kicked for home. I started to get slightly worried because I didn't remember the hill being this tough right at the end and was expecting a downhill bit? I looked at my Garmin and I'd done over 19 miles. I was trying to register where I was. I knew I had to go down Knowler hill, which I've been down loads of times before but couldn't for the life of me remember how to get to it. It was like the time I forgot how to get home 2 days before our wedding. I thought about asking a passing postman where I was but I'd been wiping my nose on my top all the way round so he might have thought I was a mad woman. I decided to neck some more jelly babies and get my bearings. I was well over 19 miles now. I eventually recognised where I was and chastised myself for being such a dufus. I had no choice but to run the extra mile and a bit that it was back to the club. I actually felt quite good on that last mile.

When I got back both Rob and Alex's cars had gone. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I thought to myself, not only have I had to run an extra mile, but the Double Decker I've been dreaming about (the chocolate bar, not the bus) is in Bozza's car, which I assumed he was now driving about in looking for me. After about 10 mins and a lot of pacing up and down, we were all reunited. Bozza had been beside himself because he thought I'd either collapsed in a ditch or been bundled into a van.

After a few cross words in the car on the way home, marital bliss was restored..........

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"Big Girls Don't Cry...."

Well I think maybe they do actually, especially when they're being subjected to huge amounts a pain by a Finnish Sports Masseuse!

Yes today was my second sports massage and it was just as bad (if not worse than the first!) I was totally convinced  when I arrived that because I knew what to expect I would be able to tolerate the pain more than last time.......WRONG!

Anyway she started with my calves and told me that the muscle should split into two bits (I don't know the scientific shiz for this) but mine are just one big clump of muscle, which apparently is bad.  She also told me that I've got shin splints. I can't be arsed to explain what these are but they are caused by lots of running (especially on the road) and they hurt.

After some manipulation and a lot of squirming and hysterical laughter (it was either that or crying) she lets out a long sigh.  "Why is she sighing?" I think.  Then she says "Right I'm going to try something and it's going to really hurt" Yeah like it didn't really hurt already!  I have no idea what she did next (she did explain but I was to busy concentrating on remaining conscious).  It was like she performed her own take on the Kill Bill exploding heart technique. I dunno but it almost made me cry!

The rest of the massage passed in a blur but she did tell me that I need to work on my flexibility and my strength.  Apparently my muscles are so tight that I could risk injury if I don't get them sorted.  That'll mean more of the same then!

Alex had an appointment straight after me and when he asked me how it went,  I wished him good luck and left...........

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Those meddling kids....

Tonight was track night and I aint feeling too bad after last nights 11.  There seemed to  be a weird rise in the outside air temperature so I opted for shorts and t-shirt.  Turns out I made the right choice for once!

After a short Boryslawsky debate (she says with a degree of diplomacy) we agreed to disagree that tonight's session should consist of 1 mile warm up, 3 x 1600's at 7.30 min mile pace and a mile cool down.  I always think to myself when I get to the track and stand on that start line that I can't possibly do whats required of me and I'll just get through it best I can.  However once we set off I can't help but put everything I've got into it (even though sometimes everything I've got ain't much!)

After the first lap, I was sweating cobs, it was like a summers evening and I felt quite smug when I saw some of the others running round in their thermals!

Now I'm not one to moan (!) but there were quite a lot of annoying children on the track tonight! I'm all for getting kids into sport and it's great to see  them getting involved, but some of them really need to learn some basic track etiquette! When you're 'styling it out' down the home straight and there's some pesky kid just wandering aimlessly in front of you it's a bit annoying really! Right that's the Victor Meldrew bit over.....

Bozza seems to have got his form back.  I am really pleased for him because he found it very tough last year.  I am also frustrated because it makes me question my own ability and progress. I can't go balls out at every session cos I know I'll just burn out. Besides I am only a girl!

I'll leave you with a picture of my gorgeous Mystery Machine slippers.....I think all this running is making me go a bit mad!!

"Hee he he he.......Raggy?"

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"Thank you for being a friend......"

Don't be fooled by the title of this post, I'm not gonna start going on about running being my companion or any other sentimental clap trap like that. It is merely a reference to the theme tune from The Golden Girls which for some reason was playing on a loop in my head on last nights 11 miler!

The weather outside was pretty frightful and I started to think about how difficult the wind could make things for me. Wind (of the meteorological variety) makes me mardy. This isn't just the case when I'm running, I just don't like it, it's unnecessary!

Anyway, I wasn't feeling too bad after Tuesday night's 1 mile warm up, 3 x miles at 8 min mile pace (which we did in under 7), 1 mile cool down. "Steady away" says Bozza as he bezzes off into the distance! I found the first few miles quite pleasant but then I got the stitch (or whatever the hell it was) that I knew I would because I drank a banana smoothie and it was sitting on my chest, sort of in my pectoral muscle. When I reached the magic 6 mile marker it had moved down to just below my rib cage. I was hoping that it would continue to travel down my body and out the bottom of my trainers. Fortunately it did, but not before settling in my stomach causing me to slow down a bit to avoid any unpleasant accidents, if you get my drift?!

The last 5 miles seemed to come in waves. During miles 7 to 9 it felt like someone had put a massive pot (plaster cast) on me leg!!The whole time Bozza was just ahead of me and even when he did slow down we carried on in almost complete silence. That's just the way it goes sometimes. So, for a couple of miles I was dragging my body round and wondering how I was going to make it. I was staring at the pavement, putting one foot in front of the other (they call it running) and trying to keep some sort of rhythm. It occurred to me at this point that it was raining quite heavily, but I can deal with a bit of rain.

After a downhill section, a dog leg and then an uphill section which took us up to 9 miles, I miraculously started to feel alright again! The pain in my foot had gone and I started to pick up the pace. A second wind, this is great for when I get to 20 miles at London and everyone else is flagging, I'll be able to cruise right past 'em won't I? Oh c'mon humour me!

I resisted the urge to chase Bozza down in the last mile and managed to 'Robocop' it i.e. run fast whilst pumping arms like a powerful cyborg up the steep short hill before home. Once inside, I realised just how heavily it had been raining, so my hair had once again morphed into Rod Stewart's and yeah I'd forgotten to take my mascara off!

I'll leave you with this picture of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose & Sophia. Take it away girls! "Thank you for being a friend......" Oh shut up!!!!!

The Golden Girls

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It's a nice day for it.....

I should of been up at the crack o' sparrows today but I needed a lie in. The sun was shining and it was a positively balmy 5 degrees!

The plan said 15 miles for today, but we decided to go for 18 (ended up being 19 in the end). We decided to do two laps of our new found route so that we could leave some water and try out a gel half way round.

The good thing about this new route is that the first couple of miles is down hill, so you can ease yourself in gently. My legs were feeling ok and we set off slow and steady. I have come to the realisation that I can't get into these long runs either physically or mentally until I've run about 6 miles. I am a complete mard arse and full of negativity until I reach this point. Poor Bozza is getting wise to this and senses that I will respond to him with one word answers!

We got round the first lap with relative ease and stopped at our fuelling station (a bottle of water and an energy gel buried under a pile of rocks). I necked the weird, thick, gloopy, slightly unpleasant energy gel in the hope that it would make the next 9.5 miles a breeze. What it actually did was give me awful stomach cramp and make me want to barf!

By the time we'd got to 12 miles, it wasn't my legs I was worried about, it was the intense hunger I was feeling right in the pit of my stomach. When we got to 13 miles, it occurs to me that we've already run a half marathon. When we got to about 16 miles, it starts to hurt but I aint stopping now. Alex had pulled ahead of me, giving me something to chase!

He slowed down to wait for me and asked me how far we'd got to go. I looked at my Garmin and it said we'd done 18.7 miles. We speed up and push on to the finish.

I didn't feel too bad when we walked through the front door, but within about 10 minutes I was freezing cold, shaking and my hands had turned blue! Something tells me I need to eat something fairly quickly and have a brew, God I need a brew, brew NOW!!!

Rest day tomorrow? Bozza he say YES!!!

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Mirror, mirror......

Oookkkkaaayyyy!! My legs are a bit ruined! I could quite easily have done nothing today but I was  tasked with getting the house in a state worthy of receiving guests tomorrow night! Following the knocking down of a bedroom wall, which required the shifting (not for the first time) of boxes of crap.  These boxes of crap now need to be shifted back again!  This picture gives you some idea of what I was up against! As well as shifting numerous boxes, cleaning, dusting and hoovering, I  also ripped up a carpet and dragged it down stairs, moved a bed and a mattress.  I had no idea how I was gonna get through 15 x 200m on the track tonight?!

At about 5.30pm, the Hoover packed up, so I downed tools.  At 6.00pm I sat on the bed and thought about how tired I felt and said to myself  "maybe I should have the night off." I decided to put on my kit and that's when the trouble started.  I have always been in two minds about whether to talk about my eating disorder in this blog, but I think it's important that I do, so I will (sometimes).  I looked at myself in the mirror and hated what I saw.  What I saw was a shapeless mound of fat, it made me recoil in horror and want to smash every mirror in the house.  I got changed 4, 5, 6 times, paced from one room to another, looking in different mirrors but the reflection didn't change and there's a voice in my head screaming "Why? Why is this happening to me? Make it stop" The anorexic voice answers "because you're fat, greedy and lazy!" I know why I'm carrying some extra weight at the moment but it feels unbearable and I didn't think I could leave the house, I can't let anyone see how grotesque I look.  Then my rational voice took over (this is progress) and told me not to listen, don't let it win and besides the regret I'll feel if I don't go will make me feel even worse. Within a few minutes, I was out of the front door and in my car on the way to the track.  Hhhaaaa SCREW YOU........!! 

O would some Power the gift to give us

To see ourselves as others see us!

It would from many blunder free us,

And folish notion:

What airs in dress and gait would leave us,

And even devotion

~ Robert Burns

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Tedious Ten....

I was really feeling Sundays half marathon today.  My achilles is so tight it's making it difficult to use the stairs! Tonights run needs to be 10 miles.  If you'd have asked me 12 months ago if I'd be running 10 miles on a Wednesday night, the answer would be no I wouldn't. 

Our mate Lucy joined us tonight, so at least when Bozza disappeared into the distance I had someone to chat to and make the miles go quicker.  Although it's been a bit milder during the day, the nights are cold and there's a bit of a bracing wind.

We've found a new route which is undulating but is nowhere near as brutal as some of the routes we do and although there is a long tedious drag along the main road, there are only a couple of uphill sections. This is exactly what we need as the weeks go on and the mileage increases. 

My legs felt surprisingly ok for the first 7 miles and although I began to tire at this point, it wasn't so bad.  Alex went on ahead but I was happy to hold back a bit, knowing that I've got a track session to get through tomorrow night. 

So, nothing of any real significance to report on this run, not even worthy of a photo, just another one to tick off......


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Liversedge lung buster!

Today we donned our Spen AC vests and got ready to run the lung busting Liversedge Half Marathon! We ran this last year and there's no use pretending, it's pretty tough. Lots of hills and not a lot of flat from what I can remember. I did however post a pretty respectable time of 1:42:20 last year but considering the way I've been feeling lately i.e. tired I wasn't so sure I could better that. I did give myself a good talking to when Alex had gone to bed last night and told myself to stay positive!

The race didn't start till 11am so we got the chance to lay in for a bit. We both had our usual pre-race porridge and got into our gear. I decided to go for the leggins and long sleeve top combo, I decision that I would come to regret later because I was too hot the moment we set off!!

We got to race HQ with plenty of time to spare and collected our numbers. The more races we do the more familiar faces we see. We bumped into Hannele who did my sports massage and I reassured her that she had not bruised me too badly! It was great to see a good turn out from the Spen crew! There must have been about a dozen of us!

After my third wee, we made our way down to the start for a few laps to warm up. The atmosphere was very relaxed. We lined up about half way down the pack with some of our team mates and were still busy chatting when the starting klaxon went off.

The first mile (affectionately known as the mad mile) of the course lulls you into a false sense of security, because it's down hill. We went through the first mile in under 7 minutes and the second in not much over that. I did start to worry that we'd gone out too fast and I would implode at about 8 miles, but I decided to stick with Alex and maintain a steady pace.

At about 4 miles you get to a long steep downhill section and if you're not careful your legs run away with you. Speaking of legs, apart from a little twinge at about 3 miles mine felt fine. I was pleasantly surprised when we went through 10k in less than 45 mins but tried not to get too excited about the prospect of doing my first ever sub 1:40 half marathon. There was still a long way to go! Alex and I braced ourselves as we crossed the brook and got to the foot of the 'hill from hell.' This is probably the toughest part of the course and it certainly sorts the men from the boys. So we attacked it, chest up, tits and teeth!! I was certainly blowing when I got to the top but I found it easier than last year, which is a good sign!

There was a drinks station at 8 miles and a road to cross which I got stuck at and had to make sure Alex didn't get away! For some reason we both forgot about the long uphill drag between miles 10 and 11. I remember thinking to myself that it wasn't actually that bad but it did begin to take it out of me after about half a mile. As we reached the top, one of the spectators told me that I was about the 15th lady. I had no idea how many women there were in the race, but 15th sounds pretty encouraging. I looked ahead of me to see if I could make up a couple of places but there were only men in front of me and I checked behind to make sure I didn't loose any places.

As we passed through the 11 mile mark, we were given some encouragement from a fellow participant and reminded that there was only 2 miles to go, that gives us a bit of a boost. Usually by this point my form has totally gone and I have no strength in my legs. Don't get me wrong I was tired but I still had something left in the tank. Praise the Lord for that sports massage!

We both seemed to run out of steam in the last mile (another uphill section) and poor old Bozza was dry wretching (loudly) as we approached the finish. When we turned the corner into the home straight, I looked at my watch and saw that I had exactly 1 min to get to the finish in a sub 1:40 time, so I decided to make my move. The guy in front of us was giving himself words of encouragement and as I passed him he shouted "go on love!"

I realised quite quickly that I might have peaked to early (need to work on this!) because the finishing straight was quite long and my legs were quite tired. I could feel Bozza breathing down my neck and although it aint the mall, there were a few folk watching! I absolutely had to style it out, I'd committed myself. I was expecting Bozza to blind side me at any moment but I just about managed to hold him off.

The race wasn't chipped and my official time was 1:40:23 and Bozza's was 1:40:25, but by my watch you can easily knock 10 secs off that! I was shocked to see that I was actually the 13th woman finisher out of a field of 140. Blimey, that aint 'arf bad is it?!

So it was pb's all round for the Bozza family and to celebrate we took ourselves off to the pub for a well deserved pint of Guinness and a slap up meal. That elusive sub 1:40 is creeping ever closer....watch this space!!

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YEEOOUUCCHHH!!!

Today was rest day, so I booked myself in for my first ever sports massage. My calves have been getting increasingly tight and have been giving me gyp for some time now. I was a little bit apprehensive because I've heard stories about these things being quite painful. Oh come on, how bad could it be........?

Very bad, that's how bad! After a discussion with the lovely Henal I decided to go for the full hour massage and have all my legs and lower back worked on. I lay face down on the bed all nice and cosy and there we are chatting away about running, all very relaxed. She started with my hamstrings, which apparently are "very tight." So there she is rubbing away and I'm thinking "oh this isn't too bad" until I realise that all she's doing is rubbing the massage oil in! I thought it was a bit strange when she said that she wouldn't tell anyone if I cried, but now I know why, cos believe me when I say that the next hour was quite possibly the most painful experience of my entire life. I honestly cannot put into words how excruciating it was.

When she had finished pummelling the top of my leg she started on my calf and again mentions how tight they are. I start to realise at this point that tight = pain! The whole time I am squirming, jolting, kicking and panting! "Come on you're doing really well, breath through the pain" she tells me. It's like being in a bloody labour suite "Oh Christ somebody fetch me the gas and air!" I tell myself that the other leg won't be as bad, but brace myself when I hear her say "oh this ones even worse." Knowing what to expect didn't make it any less painful and I continued to squirm and pant until the whole ordeal came to an end and I paid her £30 for the pleasure. Apparently there will be some bruising but I should fly round tomorrows half marathon (!)

After spending the next couple of hours feeling like I'd been trampled by a herd of Bison, my legs don't feel half bad. Think I'll book in for another one......

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"TRACK!!!"

When I got up this morning, I could barely make it down the stairs let alone run round a track! I was so, so tired, the kind of tired that makes you want to cry (come on I'm not the only one that feels like that sometimes). Thinking about it though, my legs felt absolutely fine.

It's been a bloody miserable day and has been raining that kind of pathetic drizzly rain. The sky looked positively apocalyptic as the nation braced itself for more snow (yawn). It's track night tonight and Alex has been working in Driffield today (is that near Hull?) I was slightly concerned that he might get stranded and join the weather obsessives by looking out of the window constantly to check for snow!

I got a phone call from Bozza at about 5.00 saying that he was on his way back, traffic is practically at a standstill and it's snowing heavily. I get an update from him an hour later saying that things are improving the closer to home he gets.

So it's a quick change and off to the track. On the menu tonight was 1 mile warm up, 3 x 2k (5 laps of the track) intervals in 9 mins (7 min mile pace) with 2.30 mins active recovery and 1 mile cool down. Are you still with me?!


After our warm up on the road we set off on the track. The first 200 metres were clear but when we get to the second we're surprised to see that it's covered in snow and sludge. I do wonder how safe it's going to be because we don't own a pair of spikes. It makes it a little bit tougher, but it's ok and I decided that the best way to deal with it is to plough straight through! It was raining quite heavily, it was cold and my hair was going all Rod Stewart on me  but I just keep telling myself that it's only 18 laps and I would run this distance easily on the road. It is slightly disheartening when groups of young, fast athletes come thundering past you, but you've just gotta focus on your own goal.


I have to say I was relieved to get to the last lap and 'style out' (I'll talk about that a lot!) the last 100m. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Let's hope the Liversedge Half Marathon on Sunday is as pleasurable. Some how I don't think so......

Princess Mary Athletics Stadium

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Nasty Nine..

Our mid-week run this week is up to 9 miles.  Both me and Bozza (my husband) are feeling the effects of Sunday and Mondays runs, so decide on a relatively flat route (practically impossible in West Yorkshire!) It must be about minus 2 out there.  The pavements are still a little bit icy from the weekends snowfall but we're quite glad of it, because it means we can slow down!

Bozza

The miles ticked away really slowly and I was doing that looking at my Garmin constantly thing.  I didn't resort to counting in my head (I save that for when I'm really flagging!)  I realised that my stomach was rumbling but I tried to ignore it.  Everything felt tight, my back was hurting and my legs felt like lead. I  had to really focus tonight. We both started to get a bit delirious at 6 miles and we were giggling hysterically, like you do when you're really tired.  This was zapping my strength even more and when Bozza started his trade mark trumping, my legs nearly gave way!

So we dragged ourselves round the 9 miles but at least we did it smiling......Track tomorrow!

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I ain't afraid of no snow!

Ok, this is my first entry on this blog, I am not a woman of few words (why say something in 30 words, when you can use 300?!) but I do take a while to warm up (same goes for running) so please bear with me.  In exactly 11 weeks, I will be running the London Marathon, with my husband Alex aka Bozza, who you'll meet later.  I am running for the eating disorders charity beat.  This is a charity that means alot to me, having suffered from an eating disorder for the past 15 years (if you've bothered to read my profile you'll know this already!) Anyway that's the context bit over with, time to do some running...... 

Snow was forecast for a couple of days and the inevitable panic ensued i.e. uneccesary trips to the shops to 'stock up' and massive queues at the petrol stations *rolls eyes*. After breakfast, Alex went to clear the drive and go for a reccy.  When he came back,  I have to say there was a part of me that hoped he'd say it was too dangerous to go out, but Sundays are for long runs, whatever the weather...... 

The pavements were pretty bad so we had to jump between them and the road.  I nearly bailed out after 3 miles with terrible calf pain but decided to push on through (after a little bit of bottom lip quivering). Just as I was getting my head back in it I got showered from head to toe in ice and mud by one of the many inconsiderate motorists we encountered.  I'm surprised I didn't get arrested for a public order offence for shouting profanities/making rude gestures at them!

In the end I decided that it was actually easier to run on the snow and managed to find some sort of rhythmn (and started to quite enjoy it for a while).  My trainers were soaked through from all the sludge and the squelching sound they made started to grate a bit! In fact the whole running in snow thing began to grate a bit after about 13 miles!

Anyway we completed our 15 mile target and even managed a sprint up the hill to home. Never mind a high 5, it's big 10's all round for that effort!

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