Running - Maria Runs

Accidental half!

Wow what another beautiful day!

I had my hair cut yesterday (I actually had not been since before Christmas and boy did my hair need it!). No before pic but I had a good couple of inches off and now my head feels so light!

Mini ponytail for running will make the miles fly by, surely?

Anyway, suncream on, porridge eaten, lots of water drunk, and I was off. I had a new route (supposed to be 12 miles) which I really enjoyed. The first couple of miles were on pretty boring pavements, but then I got up to the lakes and did a loop around those (saw some spectacular fake tan as everyone was getting their legs out), then headed into Welwyn town centre, then out onto some country roads (all on pavements) before getting back home. It was gorgeous out there, but by the end (I got home at 1.30) it was so hot. Anyway, it turned out my route was a little longer- 13.1 miles in fact- done in 2hrs 24, with a pretty good pace of 11 min miles (a couple were slow but that is mainly due to waiting to cross roads). Marathon talk was all about the week before the marathon, as so many are gearing up for London/ Boston, and it was making me nervous as I was running! It did make me think about the heat too. As Stockholm is further north, and by the water, it should be cooler than here, and I think it said the average temperature is 18C or something, which is pretty good. I am hoping it was warmer than that today. Although today I was fine, I think a few degrees hotter is when my energy gets sapped.

In my head I look cool and calm as I run. In reality, see above!!

Anyway, some coconut water and a sesame seed bar was consumed pretty quick when I got home (I had water with nuun, and 2 clif bloks while I was out) as it was a long time since my breakfast at 9.

After a shower (with a lovely long blast of cold water at the end) lunch was on the cards. I fancied some cinnamon raisin bread, but Andy is out so I made a replacement- food doctor pitta with some cinnamon raisin pb. This was a pretty good replacement 🙂

The rest of the day has been spent pottering about- I popped to the shops and ended up getting a few new bits from the health food shop.

Including carob flakes (I was so excited when I found them- now I can make carob cookies!), xylitol (might make my mum a birthday cake) and some quinoa flour. How exciting!

I also got a package of goodies delivered today;

Cannot wait to start baking/ eating this stuff! Although unfortunately there was a jar of molasses that was broken and had leaked all over everything (hence the torn labels- all the jars needed a wash!).

By the time I got back from the shops I was starving, so I had some cold rice pudding, with a couple of dried figs and some carob flakes. Yum 🙂

Hope everyone else had a lovely Saturday too 🙂

Blinding run!

Hello!

Aerobics last night was great- again I was worried that I would not have any energy, but seed stacked bars seem to be excellent fuel (and some mint tea). Anyway it was great and I felt full of energy.

Today wasn’t the weather fantastic? After work I came home and braved my Skort (basically cycling shorts with a skirt over the top) as my capri’s were drying from the wash and it was waaaay too hot for tights! I have pretty pale skin anyway, and although my face and arms catch the sun, due to my legs always being parallel to the sun’s rays (I never sunbathe) they are pretty pale indeed. Blinding, some might say! I wore my sunglasses so I was un-affected. Anyway, 4.2 miles, with some fast bits thrown in (although not proper intervals as I was not quite sure of my route- I went a new way, there was roadworks on the pavements- pavement works?), 44 mins with an average pace of 10.30 so not bad. I wanted to be careful as my shins hurt when I kneel down at the moment (you know, when you sit on your knees with your shins on the floor), and although they didn’t hurt when running, I also felt more tired.

I was so hot and thirsty when I got home- a juicy apple straight from the fridge went down a treat (I am keeping apples to post run now as I do not think they work with me before a run).

I am loving this weather! I ran past a pub and there were people sat out in the garden, there were kids playing football in the street, loads of people out walking, cycling, running- it is so lovely to see. I am looking forward to Saturday afternoons spent reading a book in my garden- fave sunny weather activity?

Laters dudes 🙂

Uneventful run

Hello

Thanks again for the fab comments (shh-I read them at work on hotmail while eating my lunch and they made me smile!)- thanks to Laura for the yoga link- when I have time I am going to save it (and maybe even do it and everything). Perhaps it should be my April goal as with the Easter holidays coming up I will even have some spare time.

I was feeling less tired today, and the plan luckily was only (I say only, it is still a long way) 8 miles after work. Fuelled by a clif bar and a graze box (apple crumble which is dried apple, raisins and cinnamon peanuts- yum) and not too much water, I was off! It was supposed to be 3 miles tempo in the middle, but that didn’t quite happen. Mile 1 was right into the wind and gently uphill, (so windy I was having a hard time hearing my podcast as I hate to have the sound up too high), mile 2 was still into the wind but luckily flatter. Once I got going it was not so bad, and I did try to pick up the speed and managed two miles at 9.55, but then my legs started feeling sort of tired, so I slowed down again as I wanted to finish the run. All done (8.1 miles in 85 mins). No shenanigans spied in the field this time (hence un-eventful).

A nice freezer dinner of lentil and cannelini bean chilli with some Nairns cheese oat-bake things, and I am feeling fine. Well, a little tired but not much more than usual really.

I was worried that I would be shattered all week (is this going to be famous last words????) but I suppose my legs are getting used to all this running.

One question- while running (and I used to get this when I cycled a lot) I get a weird bit of tension- it is sort of at the top of one shoulder blade, near to my spine but not on my spine. After a while it hurts to turn my head (not good when crossing roads)- I try to keep my shoulders relaxed, I roll them and move my head about and stuff and most days it is alright, but today it was particularly bad. Anyone have any idea what this is? I think it is to do with being tense, but it is weird that it is on one side, not both, not in the middle. Perhaps I run wonky?

Night

Going bananas!

Hello!

First, thanks to everyone who commented yesterday- I think I replied to you all but I really appreciated them. I do know that the runs of this length are going to be hard work, and so I just need to do some positive thinking to keep those worry thoughts away. I did not mean to sound fed up, but I really found it hard and I was also much more stiff following on from the run that I have been recently. It was like when I was first training for a half marathon- after 10 miles I was exhausted for the rest of the day, and pretty stiff. (Although after a few hours yesterday I was feeling better, and even had the energy to go the B&Q for compost).

Onto today- I was mega hungry this morning! I think I read that while Alison was training for Berlin she shared out her calories from the long weekend run over the 3 days, and I have started doing this a bit. I had a little extra food on Friday (which isn’t hard as it is a rest day so less cals anyway), and even after an afternoon snack and some dessert I still had about 600 cals left to add on to today (which I needed!).

It started with banana in my porridge- I hardly ever have this but it was so yummy! (and some pb and cinnamon too).

Sooooooo yummy!

Then I used the leftover banana to make a topping for my toast (for lunch)- I mashed the other half with some cocoa powder and some more pb.

This was sooooooo good! I was worried that the cocoa would make it bitter, but the sweetness from the banana balanced it perfectly. Yum.

Ok that is actually all the banana stuff for today. But it was so yummy! And so I wanted it in the title!

I spent the day relaxing, and also standing up in the kitchen doing some cooking while listening to a new Adam and Joe podcast (6 music in case anyone fancies some hilarity/ general silliness to listen to).

Roasted veggies for pasta sauce and peppers for sandwiches this week.

Vegan rocky road cookies (with almonds and chocolate chips).

These merged into super cookies on the tray, and then proceeded to hang on to the tray with all their might!

So I managed to salvage enough to take around for Sunday tea, and the rest are crumbled up in a tub. But they tasted good!

I was so tired standing up though- my knees are a little stiff when I stand up, but I did feel in the afternoon like the energy was fading away from my legs. No walking today. I did plant some seeds 🙂 And do some weeding.

But the seeds are more interesting. Yay! Some pumpkin seeds, yellow and green courgettes, sweetcorn and basil. I love my garden 🙂

Onto this week;

Monday- 9 mile run after work. This went fine, some faster paced miles in there.

Tuesday- Aerobics- better fuelling = better aerobics

Wednesday- 6 mile run fartlek style- finished pretty quick for me

Thursday- Body pump- back with heavier weights

Friday- Rest (well actually rush about after work visiting people/ shopping for work/ getting petrol)

Saturday- 18 mile run. Possibly 19 miles if I believe my Nike+. Or 18.5 if I believe mapometer.com. Either way it was a long way! It got harder as the run went on. But I did it. Which is the main thing. And I am so pleased that I did.

Sunday- Total rest (plus all the weekend relaxing like cooking, baking, gardening, seeing relatives).

Total miles = 33

So another week with all runs and exercises completed. I think I need to look into some sort of stretching thing (like the yoga for runners or similar- any links I would love) to do on my rest days. But I think this week was positive.

On a side note- did anyone see the James Cracknell Toughest Race on Earth? I watched the marathon du sables one yesterday and it was amazing. Not just him doing it (it’s something like 7 marathons in 7 days across the desert) but all the non-elite athletes doing it as well. It was on Discovery so worth a look.

18 miles oh my

My oh my oh my. What is the most stiff? My hips, my knees, my back?

Hmm.

Well, anyway, I did it. I mapped out a route, which (there was some logic) I mapped out backwards, as I knew the first bit was 10 miles, so I mapped out the end first to check it was 8 miles, then added the beginning on. Capri’s and vest on (warm weather gear is here to stay now!), nuun in my water bottle, shot bloks and phone in my belt (plus a random packet of pineapple raisins that were best before June 2010), and I was off. Slowly.

The weather was windy again, but at least nice and sunny, so it was lovely to be outside and spot the daffodils, tulips, daisies, cornflowers etc that were all blooming. After 6 miles I realised I was 1/3 of the way and feeling alright. To be honest I think my brain has shut down a bit as I cannot quite remember when it got hard. I did have some shot bloks (3) but then I ran out of water and you have to have them with water, so then I went onto the raisins. I was tempted at the end to ring Andy but by then I was less than a mile from home so it seemed it would be quicker to just keep going. The satisfaction that I completed it is here, but also I feel very shattered. I think one problem was my mind- I normally just think about my runs each week, but this week I have been having little panics about the actual marathon, and so today I did think that I would still have 8 miles to go on top of that. Now, when I am sat down and having eaten lunch and drank loads of water, I can reason that by then I will have completed (hopefully) another 18 miler, a 20 miler and more medium- long runs, plus the adrenaline, crowd etc will all help. But the doubts were creeping in and making it harder work. I was willing the endorphins to kick in.

Anyway, my Nike+ thought I did 19.08 miles, I think it was closer to 18 than 19 (but my route did change a bit due to me adding on a half mile at the start and also going on a new bit around town) so maybe it was. It took me 3 hours 30 minutes, which was my vague estimate at the start. I need to take some positives from this- that is the furthest yet again that I have ever run. I am still on target for doing the 20 miles in the time limit of 4 hours. I did not get any blisters. I am still able to walk around (just). I can tick off another run from my plan.

Reading that back I seem quite negative. I am not being negative, but I am having little attacks of the nerves which I know will get worse. So watch out over the next 2 months. At least I am going there with Andy (his comment before his 18 miles this morning; “in 2 months this will all be over”) so he knows I am not turning into a crazy person for nothing.

I made some cinnamon raisin bread with more pumpkin seeds- that was a good lunch 🙂

Right, off to hobble to the kitchen for some more water- might save the planting for tomorrow when I can get down the stairs again!