15 Weeks To Go!!

Sunday

Its now 15 weeks and counting until race day!  I set off for a 4 mile run this morning and boy was it hard going.  It was very HOT and by the time I had finished, I was a rather un-ladylike sweaty puddle.  I decided today that I would take my donut water bottle with me since it was hot and the fact that I need to start carrying one for longer distances.  I had body fuel in the bottle but to be honest I felt sick because I had liquid in my stomach. I obviously only need to carry this on distances of more than 5 or 6 miles!!! Back home for much needed breakkie and a long cool drink. 6.59k (4.09m) completed today.


Tuesday
Today wasnt a particularly pleasant day.  Firstly I was floored with a 24 hour virus that had me shivering as if I was taking a holiday in the North Pole in a bikini!!!! Felt queasy all day Monday and today so obviously no running could take place.  Secondly was d-day at the work.  Would OH and I be safe in our jobs?  The short answer was yes thank goodness so I have a job for a few years yet :-) Hopefully the virus will have fully cleared out and I should be able to get out tomorrow for a run.

Wednesday- Saturday
Well I'm still no better and I havent been out running at all this week :-(  So now a week has passed and no running and no ground work for my running plan.  Here's hoping next week will be better!

Parkrun

Today dawned misty and muggy.  The weather was promising to be blisteringly hot at the weekly Parkrun event in Pollock Park and it didnt disappoint.  This was a huge difference compared to last week's weather where it was chilly and the heavens opened up for about 10 mins before the event was due to start!!!!  Today was a different story - the temperature was in the low 20's with clear blue skies :-D

This week, I had put my name forward to be a volunteer and I was assigned the role of Tailrunner.  This involved making sure everyone finished the course in one piece and to collect the signs after the second lap of the course was complete. It was nice to have a different perspective on the event and to see those who are at the front of the pack as they are normally finished long before I cross the finish line :-) 305 people took part today and the first male runner finished in a time of 15:46.  The first female runner finished in 19:48 which is fantastic considering my PB is 31:05!!!

I walked the course today with a young girl to keep her company and for the first time actually seen the beauty of Pollock Park.  I have ran this course 4 times and also ran up one of the hills in the Park (which is a downhill run during Parkrun) during the women's 10k and you never really take in your surroundings as you are concentrating more on your running and the other runners.  With the weather and the surroundings, it was a great day.  Parkrun is a fantatic event and I am glad my friend persuaded me to start going.  I love it and look forward each Saturday to completing the course - even though its an early rise and a 60 mile round trip lol  Its a free event and rely on volunteers to keep the event ticking over and I'm glad I gave up a week to help and I get full points for doing it which is a bonus.  Will definately volunteer again!! Event over, we head to The Burrell for a post-event coffee and a chat.  

OH and I then headed off to Breahead to shop for trainers - didnt find anything so headed off home.  We decided that we would treat ourselves and head off to Room for a late lunch/early tea which was lovely followed by Mr Whippie ice-cream while walking along the prom.  Largs was really busy today due to the weather so we walked down to dinner and back again as we wouldnt have got a parking space.  The day was wrapped up with relaxing in front of the tv with my feet up - aahhhh the pleasures in life ;-)

Week 16 Ramblings!

Tuesday

Tonight I had my scheduled run.  This consisted of a 3m run from the Hal Higdon plan.  I have decided that I will start this plan but repeat weeks 1&2 twice and then that will bring me in-line for when the plan actually starts in 4 weeks time.

The weather was lovely tonight - a warm 16 degress.  I set off along my usual route, following the path towards The Pencil and then on towards the Marina.  There was quite a wee breeze as a headwind but wasn't too bad.  Passed a fellow female runner, we smiled and carried on.  Headed out round the back of the Marina, passed the moored boats.  Down towards the wee bridge that the trains cross over and out towards the path running alongside the road - past the sheepies and lambs :-).  Crossed the road at Kelburn and headed out to the petrol station (not for fuel for myself  - that would be my pasta later lol).  Once I get here, I know I have completed over 2.5k and I turn and head off back for home.  The female runner I passed earlier is heading towards me and we give each other a huge grin and a wave and carry on our way ;-)  Heading back along the road its sheltered here and it was warm in the sun.  Back to Kelburn entrance, cross the road and head off back along the path towards the bridge and then up on the straight along by the Marina.  For some reason I always have a mental block about this straight but tonight, I powered on.  The new playlist was working!!!  As I get back onto the path along past The Pencil, a welcome cooling breeze blows in from the water - aaaahhh bliss.  Round past said Pencil and head off towards home which is about 0.5k away but has a hill leading to the railway bridge which crosses into our street.   Phew - hill completed with a lot of huffing, puffing and panting and its the last 100 metres to the back door - done!!! 5.37k completed (3.34m).  Home to complete my cool down stretches and stuff my face with a bowl of well deserved pasta and mackeral :-D

Tuesday's Playlist:

Sexy Bitch - David Guetta (ft Akon)

Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams

Tik Tok - Ke$ha

Flawless - George Michael

Work - Kelly Rowland

Keep On Running - Spencer Davis Group

Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon (fantastic - regulated my pace homeward bound)

Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon

You Make Me Feel - Sylvester (which now reminds me of Louie Spence in Pineapple lol)

Wednesday 

2m run from the Hal's plan.  Really didn't feel like it after a naff day at work but after making hubbies tea and having a breather, I headed upstairs to get ready.  Wasnt a great day weather wise and I felt cold all day, so decided it was a case of the long sleeved running top and my long johns lol.  All ready and I head out the door - wasnt as bad as I thought.  I headed out the usual route and it was quiet.  Only downfall was the gathering of the midgie clan on the footbridge and breathing in, they stuck to my vicks under my nose - bluerk.  Let me tell you - the weather was very deceiving - its was muggy outside and my long johns and top contributed to a face that looked like an exploding radish by the time I got home!!   

Playlist:

Paparazzi - Lady GaGa

I Said Never Again - Rachael Stevens

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Keep On Jumping - Jocelyn Brown, Todd Terry & Martha Wash

Clubfoot - Kasabian

Thursday

Tonight was a scheduled 3m run.  Cazza popped down to join me on my outing :-)  Flippin hell she nearly killed me with her speed but I was pleasantly surprised all the same that I managed to keep the pace and I really enjoyed it - thanks Cazza for coming down :-)  No music tonight but plenty of huff and puff chat out towards the petrol station and back and passed the baaaaing sheep encouraging us on our way lol  5.35k completed (3.3m). Home to stretch and have my toast with tuna/tomato filling and strawberries in chocolate sauce - yum :-) Friday is a rest day - aahhhhh bliss!

Ignis Women's 10k

Right now that I have mastered this blogging thingy (and because I am full of hot air), let me post my ramblings about the Ignis Women's 10k which took place on Sunday 9th May at Bellahoustan Park.

Let me rewind to the events of the previous day/evening. Its Saturday 8th May and there is a feeling of what can only be described as a mass escape from the butterfly cage at Edinburgh Zoo taking place in my stomach. I turn to my beloved and say "I seriously am not going to manage this". My darling husband's reply was "oh shut up". You gotta love the support of a non-runner lol. Anyway, belly full of carbs, fully loaded on the water front and I trundle off to bed to get some sleep. Well that was the plan - after what seemed like hours of tossing and turning, I eventually get some sleep.

Sunday 9th May dawns bright and clear to the sound of the alarm rudely awakening me from my dream of running glory. Showered, dressed and the mandatory 52g of carbs in the stomach (my mate will know the joke behind this). Hubby and I set off toot sweet in the car for Glasgow. No normal people are about at this time on a Sunday - not even the dog walkers!!!! We park in Bothwell Street and set off for George Square to catch the free bus service to the start line. We are about 0.5k away from the bus when I discover I have forgot my appendage - my iPhone!!! Arrrggghhh - its sitting in the middle console in the car in full view. So off we trundle back to the car - with hubby muttering in my ear. We turn into Bothwell Street and I comment "this is the hill we have to run up in Sept". So we walk part of the way and I leave hubby and jog the rest of the way to the car (are you impressed? No thought not lol). Collects iPhone and heads back to get the bus. Panic sets in when hubby asks "did you lock the car?". Now I have to say that this is one of the things that winds me up as I always get a set distance from the car and think "did I lock it?". So from Bothwell Street to George Square I punctuate our conversation with "Are you sure I locked the car? Did you see the lights flash?", with hubby duly nodding his head and winding me up!!!

Bellahoustan Park - the madness begins. The crowds are starting to gather and we both head off to the Green starting zone. Routine sets in. Number pinned on - check. Sportsband on - check. Mp3 in pocket - check. Vicks nasal stuff under nose - check (dont ask - its better not to!!). Hat on - check. Picture pre-race - check. Lot of hanging around waiting for the warm up - check. I decide rather late on that I should maybe visit the loos pre-race. Green Zone toilets have a massive queue. Walk down to next colour zone and found the queues okay so that wasnt bad.

9.40 am - warm up starts in Green Zone. Not that we could see anything as the crowds were huge and the stage wasn't that high for anyone to see the girls (apart from hubby who was standing on the wall). Second song in - sound goes and no-one could hear a blasted thing. Still, we all duly bobbed and stretched along with the girls.

10:00 am - the horn goes off telling us the race has started. The women in the green zone start to move forward towards the start.

10:13 am - off we go. Nike+ started and away I go. I was in the zone, I was fighting fit and I was running at a decent pace. "You got this in the bag girl - your doing fine" I was saying to myself. 5k in and I'm still going fine, until I cross into Pollock Park and the dreaded foot pain which had been okay till now started to (dratted work shoes from the previous Tuesday had caused it). The left knee started to niggle - aarrrggghhh noooooooooo. Get to 6k and walk for 30 secs to shake knee out, loosen left trainer, throw some jelly beans down my neck and set off again. We then come to the dreaded hill - which is okay on Parkruns on a Saturday as we run down it but this was a differnt kettle of fish. I had to walk for 10 seconds to navigate and get my mojo in place. 8k - second wind kicks in and then we're out onto Drumbreck road. "Not long to go now girl, no stopping, keep going". As I come to the corner of Drumbreck Road and Mosspark Boulevard, the huge crowds of supporters are gathered here and I take out my earphones to soak up shouts of encouragement. I see the finish line, it seems to get further away from me - like a distant memory. Last sprint and I can see the end in sight - I am over the line in 64m and 19s - woo hoo! I stand in the queue to receive my medal, goody bad and much needed bottle of water and banana. Hubby is there beside me in the crowds taking photos ;-D Meet up with Cazza, more photos, quick chat and then we head for the bus back to Glasgow to get the car. Phew - what a day, what a race and what a feeling. Here's to the next one ;-)

Race Day Countdown!!

Well its 16 weeks until the the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run. My first half marathon to be precise and to say that I am scared witless is an understatement. "You fool - what have you let yourself in for" I hear my brain mumbling in the background lol.

I completed the Ignis Women's 10k a week ago in a respectable time of 64m 19s - 20 mins better than my first attempt at a 10k in Oct '09 :-D That doesn't mean to say that I am a speedy hare at running - more of a plod along and eventually get there type of runner but I enjoy it just the same :-) I also have the Race For Life to do on 6th June so looking forward to that as its a great day out and for a worthy cause.

Speaking of causes, I will be running for MacMillan for the GSR but haven't made my Just Giving page yet - hint hint ;-)

I will be following the Hal Higdon Half Marathon plan and this runs for 12 weeks, so I still have 4 weeks to pick my stamina and pace up before I settle into the hard work. I will use this blog to plot my ups and downs of the training and anything else I feel like whittering on about :-)

Enjoy reading!

xx