Local Celebrities!

After my disastrous encounter on Saturday I resigned myself to resting until Wednesday when I intended to attend club as usual after a Parkrun meeting in Lister Park arranged to give the organisers of the new Bradford arm of the free timed 5k runs on a Saturday morning an insight into the general rules for staging such an event. I myself have volunteered my services and when not needed I intend to run. BUT the meeting didn't get started when it should have and, therefore, ran over. Before I knew it I had missed the 7 pm deadline by half an hour. I thought about going for a run on my own as I had my kit on underneath my clothes but the call of nature prevailed and I found myself having to go straight home in a hurry! Once there, it began to draw in and as I'm not the greatest fan of lone running it didn't take long for me to make the decision to get into my PJ's and watch the football on TV as the boys of the household had gone off earlier in the evening to a concert in Leeds - home alone - bliss!

Oh and Sophie & I are now local celebrities thanks to the Telegraph & Argus who printed a piece highlighting our respective Paris and London marathon efforts in the running log section of the paper in Wednesday's edition.

So, with Thursday's distance training now qualifying as my 'comeback' I have to say I was a little apprehensive at the thought of taking part in our 5k time trial, Mick ran through what we were going to do once we had weighed in - I've lost 2.5k since we were weighed back in week 1 - no doubt some of it is due to my illness at the weekend. Mick talked us through race 'procedures' based on his own experiences, timely arrival, warming up, dealing with nerves etc. He really does have a wealth of experience to pass on and it seems to be much more meaningful coming from the person than reading a multitude of manuals! So pep talk done, warm up done, we moved on down to Gain Lane for the time trial. I felt great on the way out but once more suffered with my breathing on the way back, a great shame as the legs had plenty left. Nevertheless I took 30 seconds off my first time which I suppose under the circumstances I should be pleased with but I'm not. I am considering a visit to the doc's just to check all is well and I haven't picked up a chest infection or anything. Maybe I'll wait and see how I get on over the weekend.

A meeting at club is forcing me to miss my Friday run so maybe I'll recce the Parkrun course after we finish 'test driving' the event on Sat and my training plan tells me I need two hours on Sunday, fingers crossed all will go to plan..... Just two weeks on Sunday to go now.

Many thanks to the latest generous people to sponsor my marathon efforts, Claire, Mark, Angela & Chelsey, Rowan, Sue & Ged, Mrs O'Shea, Liz & Chris, but there's always room for more if you visit my justgiving page

My 3 hour Pants run!

I am feeling really low today after yesterday's pants run. Yes I did have pants on but that's not the reason it was pants, that is a word I have adopted from Lisa after yesterday setting off down to Apperley Bridge to complete a 30 minute run up through Woodlands before returning to meet the girls, Lisa, Jo, Sophie & Sarah for a 2 hr 30 min run along the canal towards Leeds. Sophie on the other hand was joining us to complete only 90 minutes ahead of her last week of training before Paris next Sunday, she was positively buzzing and looked stunning as she had turned out in her shorts in the sunshine having just had her hair done - the excitement was contagious!

So 4 miles done I felt relatively good and ready for the off safe in the knowledge that this was the very last long run on my training plan, I was hoping to cover at least 18 miles in total. However, it cant have been more than 3 miles along the canal and I really started to feel fatigued. I ran through the options in my head, go back now, go back with Sophie? Hmm I figured I would 'come round' if I carried on. Sophie departed and then there were 4. It was very humid, one minute really sunny, the next overcast, it felt like a storm was brewing, we all agreed that the combination of the humidity, the route and anything else we could add to that of our own, and I certainly had plenty, was making this run unpleasant, I, on the other hand felt way beyond unpleasant, I have never before felt this bad on any run, my stomach was cramping, I started to feel sick, I just had nothing in the tank. Getting back to Rodley nature reserve and having a sense of how much further I had to go I did my utmost to tell myself 'head up, shoulders back, relax', which usually works, but not today.

I was ever grateful to the girls as they ran back occasionally to try and spur me on but I knew their efforts were in vain and nothing was going to help me, I just needed to get this over with. Despondent and feeling really sorry for myself, the girls did their utmost to comfort me when I finally dragged my sorry self back into the car park at Apperley Bridge unable even to feel glad that I had finished it. I did take on board their advice though that this is my first bad run, and I can run the marathon, put it behind me and look forward to my three weeks of tapering. After sleeping most of yesterday evening, unable to even eat except for a mere morsel I still don't feel much better today, so again on Jo's advice I am going to rest until Wednesday, try and analyse where I went wrong and hope that gets me back on the right track.

Meanwhile, I am wishing 'Bonne Chance' to Sophie who will be setting out on her journey on Friday and returning a few days later with the fantastic achievement of completing the Paris Marathon! Go Sophie!

Taper in sight number 24610

I went to club as usual on Monday - I began to suffer with my breathing (more than usual!) upon attempting to run up Stott Terrace, we had decided to run up the three different levels as a pyramid 1, 2, 3 without stopping. On the third pyramid I had to 'give in' and cut off early. I really felt tired.

I welcomed the rest day on Tuesday and felt much better at Wednesday's Woodhall club run - 8 miles. I don't think I had appreciated it on Monday as the weather was so bad but tonight it was a pleasant change to run most of the route in the light.

This week's distance training was an interval session at Esholt. Just what the doctor ordered. We did our usual warm up then a jog and then we did the St Bede's time trial route for the interval. Mick's instruction was to do it at a pace where we could just speak (not hold a conversation) and not to race it. I was first to set off as our starts were staggered, I was really pleased to get onto the filter beds and back and up to the top of Station Road and half way down Hollings Hill before the first person over took me! Talking to Lisa she had suffered with her breathing too since Muddy Bottoms so I guess it did take it out of us and I feel relieved that I have recovered and hopefully suffered no ills.

I have now received a VLM magazine which has everything I need to know in it, I have begun to read it and now know that with my number 24610 I am starting at the Blue start. The more I read, the more the excitement is building....

Tonight is a 5.5 mile steady club run and tomorrow I have my very last long run - 3 hours - so I'm starting on my own and meeting the girls 30 to 45 minutes later to finish off, I intend to relax with the family on Easter Sunday and eat my well earned chocolate! I can then begin my three week taper on Monday............

Muddy Bottoms (and the rest....)

Several months ago I got an email from Lisa which suggested we enter a couple of races which would serve as great training for our marathons, one being the Trimpell 20 and the other being the Muddy Bottoms 17 mile road race (also coupled with a 9 mile off-road race) at Bamber Bridge, Preston. Fantastic I replied and we duly entered both races.

Four months down the line and we receive an email (which I think might give something away!) from the organiser which read:

When you pick up your number you will be given a Map and a List of Directions you to follow to the LETTER
(I told by Linda Chapman that you cannot go wrong!)
There are 3 checkpoints on the course all have bottled water Please do not chuck bottles away please carry to next point or find a Bin, When going in or out of fields PLEASE CLOSE GATES!
If 1 member of your team takes a mobile phon incase you get lost there will be a phone number for help to get back on course

If you need any more details please e-mail shoestring360@hotmail.com

Map, Phone, Lost? What? I stared in disbelief, 'I thought it was a road race', I whaled!

However, after much pleading from my husband not to do it and even in the knowledge that taking part in this race may result in our never being seen again we decided to go ahead and do it. Things went from bad to worse as we realised that we had a running club get together the previous evening, coupled with this the clocks went forward one hour and the nail in the coffin? 9 am start in PRESTON!!!

Lisa very kindly offered to drive us there and messaged me to say she would pick me up at 7 am, 6 am real time! Blurry eyed we set off. Arriving in a timely manner just over an hour later we picked up our numbers and 3 (yes 3) pages of race directions (map included). We were walked over a bridge to the start and told we must close any gates behind us, not walk on crops and as it was lambing season not to disturb the sheep!

Despite my misgivings it was an absolutely beautiful and at times picturesque course to run (and walk). I have to smile to myself as I picture myself, Sharon & Lisa scaling a five foot fence to cross a potholed, boggy field to encounter the same height fence at the other side and that was only the start. Ahead lay a multitude of stiles (I wish I'd counted how many from the start), rolling hills and just complete wilderness at times. We would have fared much better if the directions had been anything like accurate, several times we found ourselves totally lost and having to retrace our steps to check we had followed them correctly and by some miracle we would find ourselves back on the right track!

Getting to the finish was just the best feeling ever and I'm afraid this is one of only a handful of races which is well and truly on the 'not to do again' list!

We have now learned that our results for the race are missing and the last person to finish did so in 7 hours and 7 minutes, and we thought our map reading skills were not too good!! Organisation? What organisation?!!

Shiney New Trainers

Nothing to report... haven't been training since Monday and I know this is against my principals but I must say I was a little concerned that I was heading for injury. I've been getting a very sore area around the back of my heel and under my ankle on my right foot for a few days now. So considering I have a 17 mile off road race on Sunday (I'm certain it was billed as a road race when I booked it back in December) I thought it would do no harm to have a couple of days off, Tuesday is my normal rest day anyway and Wednesday I had a committee meeting for club and managed to talk myself out of going for a run on Wednesday morning so here I am refreshed for this evenings distance training, tonight we are going to Horsfall track again for a session with Steve Wolstenholme again. Apparently he has a pyramid session in store for us, more on that later.

So this gives me an ideal opportunity to report that I won a double rollover lottery bonus ball, lucky number 5!! So nearly 90 squids in my pocket I tripped off down to Sportsshoes and invested in some new trainers and two new pairs of socks. I've worn my trainers for non-running activities for a couple of days and I intend to run in them for the first time tonight. I'm trying not to think about the fact that the last pair of new trainers I bought I ended up being out for 3 weeks - I can't definitely say the new shoes were the cause but I couldn't put it down to anything else either so I'm just keeping everything crossed. Meanwhile I'm very pleased with my girlie pink purchase!

Spring is in the air!

It was difficult to believe that yesterday was the first day of Spring as I stood on the sidelines in the pouring down rain to watch Marc play football.

Up with the lark this morning, Martin, Marc & I embraced our official duty of closing the road and turning the competitors in the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k around at the half way point and sending them on their way back to the city centre. Apart from being told we 'should go and run on the moors' by an angry motorist we enjoyed cheering the runners on. I must admit I gave a rather large group of members of the Army and extra loud cheer - a valiant effort carrying their heavy looking packs on their backs. We also had a fantastic turn out from our club, Eccleshill Road Runners (www.eccleshillroadrunners.co.uk) and the sight of each and every one of them made me wish I was running myself but I'll be back next year!

Duties done, cones and barrier tape removed I went to meet Lisa at Starbucks for a coffee before we set off to pick up Sophie for our now weekly ritual of a long run. We had decided to once more head for the pleasant surroundings of Otley. It is such a joy to see the multitude of ducks and swans gliding idly on the river. The run was made all the more pleasant this week by the array of colourful crocus which adorned the grass verges. A photo opportunity confirmed that Spring had indeed sprung! Taking the now usual route back to Menston and then down Hollings Hill I spotted some cute rabbits in a field, further confirmation of the lovely Spring weather.

Tired, we arrived back at Apperley Bridge in 2:43:51 with 15.36 miles in the bank! Lisa had amazingly completed the Bradford 10k too after volunteering to lead blind runner Louise around the course - wonder woman!

Yet another week gone.
Following the Trimpell 20 I wasn't aching as much as I expected - I had mentally booked a day off work! I decided to go ahead and go to club Monday evening as usual, thankfully Lisa had posted a recovery run on the club's training calendar, just what the doctor ordered.

Tuesday I took a well earned rest day. Wednesday's club run was a 9.63 mile run to Saltaire and back via Eccleshill, Bolton Road, Queens Road, Manningham Lane and Leeds Road, Windhill/Shipley. I had a really easy run with Alison H ahead of Thursdays distance training and although it meant I didn't get home until way after 9pm I felt good.

So to Thursday, down to Apperley Bridge to meet the group, after warm up stretching and jogging round a humungous field the session was 300m (faster than 5k pace) reps round a football pitch. Wow that was hard work. However, we finished off with some relays which lightened up the session and although our team came last (sorry Chris & Lisa)we all really had fun! Mick's sessions really have been great and I would highly recommend other runners to sign up for any future ones.

Club run tonight and rest day in the form of standing on the sidelines at Marc's football match tomorrow lay ahead of marshalling the Bradford 10k on Sunday (I wish I was running it) before our planned weekly long run. There are now only 5 weeks to go........