I'm away from home this week, staying at Mum and Dad's in England. I flew down with the kids on Tuesday, leaving Pete the small tasks of going to work and selling our house, and we're staying until next Monday. The kids have been having a great time being spoiled by Granny and Grandad, and I've been taking the opportunity to read and relax a bit more than I do when I'm looking after them by myself.
Running round here is great - it's so flat! Well, in comparison to home anyway. On Tuesday evening I tried a relaxed, steady pace run, and found myself speeding along without really working hard. Then this morning, I decided to do another 1 mile time trial (see my Magic Mile post). I had found that in the local park, by the kids' play area, there is a concrete path which is marked at 100m(etres not miles), and 400m, and it is just a bit longer than a standard running track.
This morning we had a good laugh as Dad took the kids to play on the swings, and I jogged around them for about 1 mile, then ran a mile as fast as I could round the path. I passed them 3 times, and each time they started shouting 'Come on Mum! Come on Runner Mum!' and other encouragements. They clapped and whooped, and high-fived me as I passed. There were a few pedestrians who looked surprised and amused - they must have been expecting Paula Radcliffe to come whizzing past them, but it was only red-faced, panting me.
Anyway, what a difference a flat surface makes. 10 days ago my fastest mile was 7m49s on a hilly road. I had hoped to be able to run 7m30s ish with a bit of training and on a flatter route. But this morning, I did it in 7m26s! A whole 23 seconds faster! In a way I wish I lived in a less hilly town, although I suppose it's good training.
So what should my new target be? I'll need to find a flat route in Scotland if I'm going to match or beat this morning's time. Maybe I could aim for 7m20s - I didn't feel that I was as tired at the end as I was on the last one.
Meanwhile I'm eating a lot of big meals and puddings here, so I need to keep fitting runs in to make sure I don't go back up to Scotland half a stone heavier.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Sunday, 3 July 2011
June stats
Looking back at the information my dear old Garmin has been collecting this month, I see that I have been doing a lot more running recently. June was comprised of 4 weeks in which there were no school or playgroup holidays, and that's the most important factor in how much I get to do. So it's been a good month - especially for running. Statistically speaking:
13 runs = 49.6 miles
6 bike rides = 50.7 miles
4 Pilates Classes
2 Gym visits
This is 11 miles more running than I managed in May, and I've been increasing running mileage each month (not too difficult as January and February both totalled 0 miles). Obviously as I have been running more, I've had less time to go to the gym or go out on my bike, and sadly, the theft of my bike has meant no cycling at all for the time being. Bastards.
Anyhoo, I'm pleased with the running! I really think I am back to the same fitness I had last August before the Plantar Fasciitis came along and spoilt it all. I'm taking it easy though, and there have been twinges of familiar and unwelcome heel pain over the last week or so, so I'm keeping the runs short. Quality over quantity is my training theme for now.
This week has also been rather good. Sans bike, and with no time to go to the gym, I've run 4 times, doing quite varied sessions - my 1-mile test, a couple of 'tempo runs' (not really sure what they are, but I think I did them), and a hill run today. That's equalled 16.6 miles this week - a clear record for 2011.
This morning's run was awesome. It's been a beautiful sunny day, and I ran into the nearby country estate at about 8.45am. The sound of sheep and the smell of their poo were constant reminders I was in the countryside, and the views were also lovely. The first mile was up and down, the next 2 miles were mostly downhill, and the next 2 were uphill. I did 5 miles in 45 mins, which was great considering how horrible that uphill is. I really enjoyed making the most of the beautiful environment around me as I know we'll be moving soon. The weather was a bit of a boon too, if not wholly typical for Scotland.
Hot & sweaty in a good way
After I'd showered (they insisted), we all went out for French toast, bacon and maple syrup, followed by a walk on the beach as the kids collected shells and pebbles. What a fabulous day!
13 runs = 49.6 miles
6 bike rides = 50.7 miles
4 Pilates Classes
2 Gym visits
This is 11 miles more running than I managed in May, and I've been increasing running mileage each month (not too difficult as January and February both totalled 0 miles). Obviously as I have been running more, I've had less time to go to the gym or go out on my bike, and sadly, the theft of my bike has meant no cycling at all for the time being. Bastards.
Anyhoo, I'm pleased with the running! I really think I am back to the same fitness I had last August before the Plantar Fasciitis came along and spoilt it all. I'm taking it easy though, and there have been twinges of familiar and unwelcome heel pain over the last week or so, so I'm keeping the runs short. Quality over quantity is my training theme for now.
This week has also been rather good. Sans bike, and with no time to go to the gym, I've run 4 times, doing quite varied sessions - my 1-mile test, a couple of 'tempo runs' (not really sure what they are, but I think I did them), and a hill run today. That's equalled 16.6 miles this week - a clear record for 2011.
This morning's run was awesome. It's been a beautiful sunny day, and I ran into the nearby country estate at about 8.45am. The sound of sheep and the smell of their poo were constant reminders I was in the countryside, and the views were also lovely. The first mile was up and down, the next 2 miles were mostly downhill, and the next 2 were uphill. I did 5 miles in 45 mins, which was great considering how horrible that uphill is. I really enjoyed making the most of the beautiful environment around me as I know we'll be moving soon. The weather was a bit of a boon too, if not wholly typical for Scotland.
Hot & sweaty in a good way
After I'd showered (they insisted), we all went out for French toast, bacon and maple syrup, followed by a walk on the beach as the kids collected shells and pebbles. What a fabulous day!
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Magic Mile
When I was training for my marathon over a year ago, I started listening to what was then a new podcast: Marathon Talk. It's light-hearted and funny, and touches on issues that apply to beginner marathoners as well as experienced runners. There's running news, training tips, listener results and experiences, and a guest interview most episodes. Although I have no current plans to run another marathon (not unless I get 2 feet transplants), I still enjoy listening to it, as the majority of topics and discussions are about running in general, rather than marathon running specifically.
Since the first episode, the presenters have asked every interviewee one question: If you could have 6 months of specific, injury-free training, how fast would you be able to run a mile? Guests have included Mo Farah and Ryan Hall (elites), as well as various coaches, physios and average runners, and they have compiled a leaderboard according to their claimed times. It's purely hypothetical, with guests making an honest best estimate rather than having to actually prove it.
Lovely Mo Farah - can run a mile somewhat faster than me
In the last episode I listened to, Marathon Talk announced a summer challenge: for listeners to spend 6 weeks training, and in the first 2 weeks of August to run a mile as fast as we can. You can then log your time on the website, and they will convert it into an age-graded percentage; there is a competition between UK listeners and Rest of the World.
I've decided to take up this challenge! I'd already more or less decided to limit my running this year to 10k distance and less, as I really don't want to risk further injury. So the idea of a completely new challenge related to such a short distance seems perfect.
So on Monday, I jogged 1.3 miles to the end of a long road with a wide pavement, stopped my Garmin, started it again, and ran a mile as fast as I could. It was not exactly a sprint - a mile is still a bloody long way, and I had no clue how to pace myself. The road is not great either, as it's quite hilly, but at least I don't have to cross over, turn around or change direction.
The start of my mile - it does go downhill on the other side
Anyway, I ran the mile in 7m49s. This must be my fastest ever, as I did the same route and same run once before - last July when I was probably at my running peak. That time it was well over 8mins, so I'm very happy with that. I may be at my peak right now! Scary thought. On a less hilly road and with a bit of practice, I'd like to think I could run 7m30s. By the way, how do so many bloggers I read maintain this mile pace over half and full marathons? I have a long way to go.
On the podcast they are discussing a few speed sessions to help improve, so I'm going to have a go at that, and although I'm very busy and away a lot over the next month, I hope I can fit in some good running here and there. Bring on the magic mile challenge!
Since the first episode, the presenters have asked every interviewee one question: If you could have 6 months of specific, injury-free training, how fast would you be able to run a mile? Guests have included Mo Farah and Ryan Hall (elites), as well as various coaches, physios and average runners, and they have compiled a leaderboard according to their claimed times. It's purely hypothetical, with guests making an honest best estimate rather than having to actually prove it.
Lovely Mo Farah - can run a mile somewhat faster than me
In the last episode I listened to, Marathon Talk announced a summer challenge: for listeners to spend 6 weeks training, and in the first 2 weeks of August to run a mile as fast as we can. You can then log your time on the website, and they will convert it into an age-graded percentage; there is a competition between UK listeners and Rest of the World.
I've decided to take up this challenge! I'd already more or less decided to limit my running this year to 10k distance and less, as I really don't want to risk further injury. So the idea of a completely new challenge related to such a short distance seems perfect.
So on Monday, I jogged 1.3 miles to the end of a long road with a wide pavement, stopped my Garmin, started it again, and ran a mile as fast as I could. It was not exactly a sprint - a mile is still a bloody long way, and I had no clue how to pace myself. The road is not great either, as it's quite hilly, but at least I don't have to cross over, turn around or change direction.
The start of my mile - it does go downhill on the other side
Anyway, I ran the mile in 7m49s. This must be my fastest ever, as I did the same route and same run once before - last July when I was probably at my running peak. That time it was well over 8mins, so I'm very happy with that. I may be at my peak right now! Scary thought. On a less hilly road and with a bit of practice, I'd like to think I could run 7m30s. By the way, how do so many bloggers I read maintain this mile pace over half and full marathons? I have a long way to go.
On the podcast they are discussing a few speed sessions to help improve, so I'm going to have a go at that, and although I'm very busy and away a lot over the next month, I hope I can fit in some good running here and there. Bring on the magic mile challenge!
Monday, 27 June 2011
Weekly round up
Well I just typed this all out once and accidentally deleted it, so I'm going to be brief now!
Ran - 12.1 miles
Cycled - 12 miles
I had a couple of good runs and a really enjoyable bike ride, despite being quite busy with getting the house on the market.
Views from bike over the airport to the mountains
On Friday my parents arrived, and on Saturday, Pete and I went to our neighbours' wedding. They got married North of here, so we stayed the night in a B&B, while Mum and Dad looked after the kids at home. The wedding was perfect for us coming to the end of our time in Scotland, as it was very traditional. It was held in a castle, most of the men wore kilts and traditional dress, there was a ceilidh band with a caller (who tells you the dance steps), and Pete and I joined in with a few Scottish dances. It was fantastic.
The only downside was we stayed about 1.5 miles from the castle, and there was only 1 taxi in the village! So we walked there and back. That would have been fine, but I was wearing shoes with a heel, which I am so not used to. What with the walk and the dancing, my feet are still in shock now.
The worst thing that happened last week was that my bike got stolen. It was such a shock, as we live in a very safe, quiet village, and we've never had any problems before. It was in the shed in the garden, but the lock has been broken for about 4 years, so it wasn't secure. It's so frustrating as it isn't worth much money to anyone, but it was important to me, as I used it so often.
I've reported it to the police, and I'm hoping it might turn up, but it's unlikely. So no more bike rides for a while, and I suppose I'll be doing more running to make up for that.
Dressed for a hike
Ran - 12.1 miles
Cycled - 12 miles
I had a couple of good runs and a really enjoyable bike ride, despite being quite busy with getting the house on the market.
Views from bike over the airport to the mountains
On Friday my parents arrived, and on Saturday, Pete and I went to our neighbours' wedding. They got married North of here, so we stayed the night in a B&B, while Mum and Dad looked after the kids at home. The wedding was perfect for us coming to the end of our time in Scotland, as it was very traditional. It was held in a castle, most of the men wore kilts and traditional dress, there was a ceilidh band with a caller (who tells you the dance steps), and Pete and I joined in with a few Scottish dances. It was fantastic.
The only downside was we stayed about 1.5 miles from the castle, and there was only 1 taxi in the village! So we walked there and back. That would have been fine, but I was wearing shoes with a heel, which I am so not used to. What with the walk and the dancing, my feet are still in shock now.
The worst thing that happened last week was that my bike got stolen. It was such a shock, as we live in a very safe, quiet village, and we've never had any problems before. It was in the shed in the garden, but the lock has been broken for about 4 years, so it wasn't secure. It's so frustrating as it isn't worth much money to anyone, but it was important to me, as I used it so often.
I've reported it to the police, and I'm hoping it might turn up, but it's unlikely. So no more bike rides for a while, and I suppose I'll be doing more running to make up for that.
Dressed for a hike
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Moving
I've mentioned in the last couple of posts that we are in the process of trying to sell our flat and move. In fact it's quite a big move - we're going from just outside Edinburgh, to Brighton on the South coast of England. This is just under 400 miles, and over 8-hours' drive away.
We are moving from the top arrow to the bottom arrow!
I realise that for some of my international readers our country is pretty small, but for us it's a big relocation. Pete and I have moved several times, and lived in Spain and Japan as well as England and Scotland, but this is the first time we've had to factor in schools and nursery. This is my priority now when looking for an area to move to, and it means that we need a new address by the time the English school term starts in September.
I absolutely love the village we live in now, and I'll be really sorry to take the kids out of the school here, which is fantastic. But since we had the children we've thought about moving down to England to be nearer all our parents, and Pete has managed to get a transfer from his current job, so we're quite lucky. In Brighton, we'll be much closer to most of Pete's family, and able to visit my parents and my sister a lot more easily than now. So although it's going to be hard saying goodbye (we've been in this area for 6 years), it's probably the best for all of us in the long-term.
For the moment, this means lots of decluttering, tidying, and packing, as we try to get our flat ready for sale. It should go on the market next week, so we need to be ready for viewings. I'm still trying to fit in as much running and cycling as I can, but there's a lot going on at the moment, and only one more week of school until the end of term in Scotland.
Added to that, our neighbours are getting married on Saturday, so my parents are coming up to babysit while Pete and I go a bit further North for the night. The weather has been cool and very wet recently, but apparently there has been snow forecast for up in the mountains! I don't know what I'm going to wear then, but it will be a nice break from all the redecorating and packing I've been doing this week!
We are moving from the top arrow to the bottom arrow!
I realise that for some of my international readers our country is pretty small, but for us it's a big relocation. Pete and I have moved several times, and lived in Spain and Japan as well as England and Scotland, but this is the first time we've had to factor in schools and nursery. This is my priority now when looking for an area to move to, and it means that we need a new address by the time the English school term starts in September.
I absolutely love the village we live in now, and I'll be really sorry to take the kids out of the school here, which is fantastic. But since we had the children we've thought about moving down to England to be nearer all our parents, and Pete has managed to get a transfer from his current job, so we're quite lucky. In Brighton, we'll be much closer to most of Pete's family, and able to visit my parents and my sister a lot more easily than now. So although it's going to be hard saying goodbye (we've been in this area for 6 years), it's probably the best for all of us in the long-term.
For the moment, this means lots of decluttering, tidying, and packing, as we try to get our flat ready for sale. It should go on the market next week, so we need to be ready for viewings. I'm still trying to fit in as much running and cycling as I can, but there's a lot going on at the moment, and only one more week of school until the end of term in Scotland.
Added to that, our neighbours are getting married on Saturday, so my parents are coming up to babysit while Pete and I go a bit further North for the night. The weather has been cool and very wet recently, but apparently there has been snow forecast for up in the mountains! I don't know what I'm going to wear then, but it will be a nice break from all the redecorating and packing I've been doing this week!
Monday, 20 June 2011
Last week round up
Thanks to all who left lovely comments after last Sunday's post about the trail race. Pete had told me that when he saw me run past at about 2 miles in, he counted 20 runners behind me. When I checked the organisers' website for the results, I was 134th out of 154, so he was spot on!
Well I've had another busy week. I had to be a bit creative to fit my workouts in last week. On Monday I had time in the morning for my usual bike ride, and did about 8 miles in the wind. Then I had pilates class that evening. I'm really enjoying that, although I'm still new to it, and often find myself stuck in some position I can't get out of, or unable to move my limbs in the right way. I'm sure it's helping my running posture a bit at least.
Then I was working on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This was a one-off week of invigilating exams, but it meant that I missed my usual free Weds morning. I had planned to run on Tues before work, but I had a bit of foot pain after Sunday's race, so I decided it was better to give it a miss. Anyway, Pete was also away on business from Weds to Fri, so I couldn't run in the evenings or mornings. I managed my next run on Friday morning when Emma was at playgroup, then came a busy weekend!
After getting home late on Friday night after a delayed plane ride, Pete got up early on Saturday morning to take the kids to Manchester to see their cousins. They were all out of the house by 7.15am. Sounds good, right? A free weekend with the place to myself? Well, yes, but I had work to do. As we are planning to put our house on the market and move soon, I needed to paint the kids' bedroom. It had multi-coloured walls before, but I spent most of the weekend subduing it to a nice bland magnolia. I also packed up a load of toys while there was no-one here to complain.
I did manage to fit in a short run on Saturday afternoon, and a cycle on Sunday while the paint was drying, so the stats didn't end up too bad:
Cycled: 17.1 miles
Run: 6.1 miles
Pilates x 1 class
...but not great either.
We still have lots to do in the house, and over the next few weeks, I foresee that packing up our whole lives and moving could really get in the way of running, biking, pilates and the gym, but I'll be trying to fit in as much as I can to keep me sane.
More appealing to buyers than bright blue and lime green, apparently. Anyone looking for a small flat near Edinburgh?
Well I've had another busy week. I had to be a bit creative to fit my workouts in last week. On Monday I had time in the morning for my usual bike ride, and did about 8 miles in the wind. Then I had pilates class that evening. I'm really enjoying that, although I'm still new to it, and often find myself stuck in some position I can't get out of, or unable to move my limbs in the right way. I'm sure it's helping my running posture a bit at least.
Then I was working on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This was a one-off week of invigilating exams, but it meant that I missed my usual free Weds morning. I had planned to run on Tues before work, but I had a bit of foot pain after Sunday's race, so I decided it was better to give it a miss. Anyway, Pete was also away on business from Weds to Fri, so I couldn't run in the evenings or mornings. I managed my next run on Friday morning when Emma was at playgroup, then came a busy weekend!
After getting home late on Friday night after a delayed plane ride, Pete got up early on Saturday morning to take the kids to Manchester to see their cousins. They were all out of the house by 7.15am. Sounds good, right? A free weekend with the place to myself? Well, yes, but I had work to do. As we are planning to put our house on the market and move soon, I needed to paint the kids' bedroom. It had multi-coloured walls before, but I spent most of the weekend subduing it to a nice bland magnolia. I also packed up a load of toys while there was no-one here to complain.
I did manage to fit in a short run on Saturday afternoon, and a cycle on Sunday while the paint was drying, so the stats didn't end up too bad:
Cycled: 17.1 miles
Run: 6.1 miles
Pilates x 1 class
...but not great either.
We still have lots to do in the house, and over the next few weeks, I foresee that packing up our whole lives and moving could really get in the way of running, biking, pilates and the gym, but I'll be trying to fit in as much as I can to keep me sane.
More appealing to buyers than bright blue and lime green, apparently. Anyone looking for a small flat near Edinburgh?
Friday, 17 June 2011
Best laid plans
Oops! I had a blog post planned for yesterday all about how I've been working more than usual for the last few days, and how I've had very little time to do much else. Then last night, after work, picking the kids up from the childminder, and a meeting with an estate agent, I found myself driving to the other side of Edinburgh to the Sick Kids Hospital. Robbie had got some bark chip in his eye at school, and although the teachers had managed to get it out, he was still complaining of a sore eye hours later.
Anyway, we saw a lovely doctor who put some dye in his eye (yellow, he loved it), and found a scratch on his eyeball. She gave us some antibiotic cream and said it should be fine in a few days. I'm not sure how serious it really was, as after she had put the dye in and looked at his eye, Robbie said he felt much better, and that the medicine had made everything 'fine'. He failed to realise that he hadn't had the cream in yet.
I'm sure the parents amongst you can imagine, or have experience of, the joy of trying to administer cream to the eyeball of a 5-year-old. So far we've managed to get plenty to stick to his eyelashes, but I'm not sure that's doing much good.
I did squeeze in my first run since Sunday this morning. It was great. I aimed for a steady pace, and ended up running my fastest 5k since August (excluding the parkrun race) with a time of around 26m40s. Not bad for a jog round the block! I'm hoping to do the majority of this week's miles in the next 2 days...
Anyway, we saw a lovely doctor who put some dye in his eye (yellow, he loved it), and found a scratch on his eyeball. She gave us some antibiotic cream and said it should be fine in a few days. I'm not sure how serious it really was, as after she had put the dye in and looked at his eye, Robbie said he felt much better, and that the medicine had made everything 'fine'. He failed to realise that he hadn't had the cream in yet.
I'm sure the parents amongst you can imagine, or have experience of, the joy of trying to administer cream to the eyeball of a 5-year-old. So far we've managed to get plenty to stick to his eyelashes, but I'm not sure that's doing much good.
I did squeeze in my first run since Sunday this morning. It was great. I aimed for a steady pace, and ended up running my fastest 5k since August (excluding the parkrun race) with a time of around 26m40s. Not bad for a jog round the block! I'm hoping to do the majority of this week's miles in the next 2 days...
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