Thursday, 28 January 2010

Pelaton...what the heck is a Pelaton?

I have looked forward to week two of Distance Training since receiving Mick's email containing a brief of what we would be doing this week. The usual warm up followed by a Pelaton - What is a Pelaton I hear you ask - was Mick's question in the email! Indeed, all became clear - we were to form an orderley line with two metres between each runner, jog gently and then the back runner had to sprint past us all to the front, the last runner then does the same, this action is repeated each time you become the last in the line for a timed duration. Although quite tiring, it was a lot of fun! We all shouted support at each passing runner to help them along. A steady jog back to the club for some cool down stretching brought to an end another really enjoyable session. Club run tomorrow evening, a long run on Saturday with Lisa and Cross Country on Sunday brings another week to an end.
Today I have got my Justgiving donation page up and running and will hopefully raise lots of sponsorship for The Ear Trust. http://www.justgiving.com/Julie-Steele
Twelve weeks on Sunday to go and counting.......

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Not much to report

I don't have much to report of late. Due to meetings/parents evening I haven't run since The Brass Monkey until this evening. I felt well rested as I set off to club for our weekly Wednesday evening run. Lisa had already suggested we do Woodhall Road - quite a hilly run but nevertheless enjoyable. Another 8 miles in the bank! Distance training tomorrow.
Update on the Ear Trust. Chris Raine didn't get back to me after a week so I forwarded the email I had sent onto a lady called Breeda. She finally replied yesterday and after my enquiry relating to set up a 'Justgiving page' she attached a sponsor form template? I felt a little 'fobbed' off - not even a hint of help in creating my page such as permission to use info from their website which I had also requested :-(

Sunday, 24 January 2010

I can see clearly now - it's all in the baking!



I managed to stick to my decision to take it steady when I went to club on Friday and did more talking than running - thanks Linda! A very easy 5.7 miles brings my total since last Sunday to just under 30 miles - which I'm more than happy with.
The Brass Monkey half marathon in York was a good base to start off this weeks training. Although I probably didn't take it as easy as I'd thought I would, the fact that it was a very flat course apart from the odd incline over railway bridges and the A64, really made for an enjoyable half - I really never thought I would hear myself saying that! I did feel great afterwards though and this has helped me to begin to accept that I can achieve my goal of the marathon providing I put in the effort - sensibly. I also had some positive feedback from my email to Mick Brearley after I became quite disillusioned and had a panic attack towards the end of the week and decided I needed help and as well as explaining the phases of my training plan he explained that the first block of training (endurance) focuses on building up your mileage, with only a little quality. The quality builds later in the schedule.
and I quote 'I like to think of it as baking a cake. Every time you go out for a longish run you are baking.
Come mid March the cake will be fully baked and ready for some icing (speedier running).' Which actually makes sense! So I well and truly did some baking today! I have a club meeting to attend tomorrow so will be taking a well earned rest!

Thursday, 21 January 2010

Freezing the B*lls off the Brass Monkey?


We were finally able to attend our first week of the 'distance training' course we have signed up for after last week's cancellation. Labelled the 'slow twitchers' I'm convinced this is due to the slow twitch muscles and not that we are all slow coaches!
After a team talk we went out onto the cricket pitch for a warm up jog and stretches before heading off down to Gain Lane for our 5k time trial. I felt ok on the outward run but on the way back each road seem never ending, I tried counting 1,2,3,4, 2,2,3,4, 3,2,3,4, 4,2,3,4, over and over to keep my pace but alas it was all in vain as my time of 28:30 was considerably slower than my previous 5k PB All things considered though I'm not overly worried, it was biting cold and I have done rather a lot of mileage this week.
A gentle jog tomorrow evening with club, rest on saturday and I am looking forward to the Brass Monkey Half Marathon in York on Sunday - although unplanned as I have accepted a number from a club member who's unable to do it I'm hoping it's going to be a flat(ish), scenic course. I just hope we don't get the snow that's forecast so it's not cold enough to freeze the b*lls off the Brass Monkey!! Watch this space.....

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

*?#?confusion and doubt sets in#@?*?

The day before our first Marathon Training school with Mick Brearley - no fear of cancellation this time as the weather has continued to improve ten fold. We decided on Monday that we would do a steady run to Saltaire roundabout, along Bingley Road then back down to Fox's Corner lights and back along Leeds Road tonight - just over 8 miles.... I have wondered more than once in the last couple of weeks if I can actually stick to a training plan or run a marathon, I'm finding it terribly difficult despite reading the plan over and over again. I'm so looking forward to speaking with Mick tomorrow night and hope that I can alleviate some of my worries. My plan is to write down all I have done in the last 2 weeks and compare it to the training plan and then obtain his views and guidance on it. My biggest obstacle, I think, is that I don't want to run alone, therefore, this means that you decide as a group what to do and then whether it is anything like what is on the plan or not we do it! Hopefully that will all change after this evening.
So ahead of me this week I have training school Thursday, club night Friday and the Brass Monkey Half Marathon on Sunday (not in the training plan!)
I have finally decided that running a marathon deserves a purpose! So today, I have emailed my ENT Surgeon Chris Raine at B R I and offered to raise sponsorship for the Ear Trust/'Listening For Life Centre' as yet I haven't heard back from him. I'm hoping this will spur me on.....

Monday, 18 January 2010

What a relief!

Tonight was the first time in over two weeks that it's been safe to run outside. Despite my (our) persistence it has not been pleasant running in the snow and ice of late - in fact some nights it has been total madness!. So what a relief to find we could actually run without having to pull up completely every few steps or to feel like you were running through treacle! This showed in the amount of people who turned up to club! Aching after yesterday's 10+ miler the steady 5 miles was just what I needed. As the first marathon training night with Mick draws closer I'm really looking forward to it. Let's pray that we don't get the snow that has been forecast for the back end of the week!
I'm still dragging my feet on whether to contact Chris Raine (my ENT surgeon) and offer to raise sponsorship for the Ear Trust when I run the marathon. Here's hoping I can make a decision soon as time is running out.

Sunday, 17 January 2010

N..ice weekend

The 'weekend' away coupled with a great run this morning has worked wonders! I now feel ready for the week ahead. A lovely meal followed by a very late night failed to dampen our enthusiasm for a run this morning. Sharon, Sophie, Lisa, Gill & I set off from Sharon's down onto the canal at Saltaire. The towpath was still horribly icy in parts making for a very disjointed start, stopping and starting began to make me wonder if we should have bothered. However, once we got to Bingley and started the steep climb up into Eldwick, conditions improved...or so we thought, turning up into a lane which led to Baildon the ice returned, poor Lisa went head over heels and crash landed - luckily she wasn't too badly shaken and we were able to continue. Up over Baildon Moors we embraced the biting wind, at the peak it really does fill you with a sense of freedom, carefree solitude before the steep climb turns into a sharp descent back down into the heart of the quaint Baildon village. Continuing back through Baildon to Saltaire we managed to clock up just over 10 miles, that should take care of the calorie filled meal from last night and perhaps some of the alcohol too! Week two and the Brass Monkey half marathon here I come.

Friday, 15 January 2010

Dramatic?

It's been a long, cold week at work - the weather has had a detrimental effect on every aspect of my life - dramatic? Well that's how it feels! Running for the last week and a half has been absolute pants despite my persistance, first week of marathon training course cancelled, Queensbury has been like a ghost town - no customers = no work :( Well I have a lovely girlie weekend away to look forward to Friday to Sunday in Sharon's lovely cottage in Reith....oh no cancelled due to blizzards! Consolation thankfully came in the form of Sharon's offer for us all to go to her house in Saltaire tomorrow afternoon until Sunday afternoon, a meal at Don't Tell Titus Sat night followed by a run on Sunday.
We thought the conditions had improved much more than they actually had as tonights run proved to be quite precarious in places as packed ice still remained even though we have had quite a lot of rain. Still we managed around 5 miles to Shipley and back. It was nice to see Neil back at club, Sophie, Gill and Marc made up our quintet for tonight. As of late 5 is a vast improvement for me and Sophie!
Here's hoping for the thaw to continue so we can get on track with this Marathon training before it's too late!

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

I Surrender!

If I'd have had a white flag I'm afraid I would have waved it in earnest this evening! With black ice covering every conceivable thing in site, the fence, the driveway, the car body and windows and yes, the paths and roads, I had to give in and use the treadmill tonight. I reluctantly texted Sophie to say I didn't think we would be able to stay on our feet if we ran tonight and she agreed!
I managed just over four miles in 45 minutes on the treadmill thanks to some good tunes on my ipod which was better than I expected but didn't find it as fulfilling as getting out on the road - didn't have too much time to think about it as I rushed out of the house to a meeting which may decide the future of our running club.

Monday, 11 January 2010

Snow, snow go away!

Reflecting on last week's training through ice and snow I've now arrived at the start of a 14 week marathon training course - 'The Slow Twitchers' being run by Mick Brearley - about which I'm very excited and hoping that when I finally meet with him along with my fellow students all will become clear!
I am avidly reading 'The Complete Runner's Handbook' and following the Lucozade Super Six in Runner's World Magazine - 6 RW staff taking part in the VLM all with differing goals from 'getting round' to 'PB chasing'. I'm trying not to think too much about a goal and concentrate on the training ahead!
So the start of week 1 is here and the snow is beginning to thaw. Thank God - although a hardy few of us have managed to keep up our training throughout this inclement weather, Sophie in particular has been my saviour and as yet I haven't had to run alone. Marc and I turned up at the usual Monday meeting place Fitness First Gym, to find Sophie - all alone - the three of us decided on a route and off we set. It was very treacherous under foot as ice lay beneath the slush. As we ran a group of youths began throwing snowballs - bosh! one hit me on my shoulder, bosh! one hit right on the back of my head - we just ignored them and carried on - please let the snow be gone before our next run on Wednesday....