A bit up and down this week

So here we are again ........

Time is flying and the frightening thought is that before we know it, it'll be the Bideford 10k.
I'm really beginning to wonder what possessed me to sign up for it ...... all this training is making me feel like I'm going backwards and running slower. The only thing for it is to do my usual thing of just getting on with it and pretending it's not happening.

This weeks menu ....

Interval training

30 minutes easy run

35 minutes with fun in the middle working hard

Due to work I couldn't run over the weekend and so Monday was my first training day of the week. Now you would have thought that at the start of the training week I would choose to do one of the harder runs ........ ha ha nope, after a full on eight days of work and copious amounts of wine the night before plus other commitments in the morning the easy run was my choice (when you see what's involved in the hard runs you'll see why) especially as it had to be fitted in before a late lunch.

So the usual OBOAB* attended along with the two dogs. We had to leap into the hedge  three times for Parcelforce  (nice man who often delivers wine!) then the Postman (Muppet)  and then ....... drum roll, the old bill ....... the first time in nearly eighteen years that we have ever seen a police car in the lane ......since found out one of the neighbours had their car nicked the night before.

Anyway despite all this I ran for just over  30 minutes on the steep hill route before lunch.

In the afternoon I planted some seeds and as I bought the propagator into the dining room to plug in I managed to catch my foot on a chair leg and twist my knee ...... yes again!!!!! Ouch, ouch, ouch!

Hindsight is a wonderful thing ....... of course I should have done one of the harder training sessions instead of wimping out because on Wednesday when I should have been doing an Interval pacing session ....... Now get this ........

10 minute warm up
3 min hard, 2 min steady, 2 min hard, 3 min steady, 1 min hard, 4 min steady, 2 min hard, 3 min steady, 3 min hard and 2 min steady before 10 minute cool down.

All I managed was a gentle jog ...... the only time my knee didn't hurt was running up hill....... So basically all the way home!!!

Despite this I found that I had run faster than I have for some weeks and my second mile was only 11 seconds slower than when I had to run like the clappers on the same route a couple of weeks before.

I realised that before all this training started the OBOAB used to cycle ahead of me, however in recent weeks he has been wobbling along beside me and I seem to be pacing myself with him which is maybe why I have got slower. Just a thought!

Thursday was a gentle jog day again as my knee still didn't feel right. OBOAB was given strict instructions to stay infront. Despite having to stop for three vehicles and not being able to pause the bird on my phone in time  I was on a par with the previous day.

So today was Tamar Lakes Parkrun.
My plan was to run without the orthotics, wear the capris I had for my Birthday and ditch the jacket, hat and gloves, oh and to stick with Sarah D like glue!!!

I did all of the above except that during the briefing it was announced that Sarah D was a tail runner. Oh bugger ......

We lined up at the start and then Steph pointed out that Hayley was doing a 30 minute pacing group. On your marks get set go.......

Split decision then........ well no brainer really......

I joined the pacing group!!!!!

I won't bore you but suffice to say it was hard, bloody hard and I still don't know how I managed my previous PB of 30.10 but Hayley was brilliant in her encouragement, advice and cajoling...... especially as towards the end my petulant child surfaced .... 'I'm fucking knackered', 'aaaarrrggghhh' then we started up the bastard hill to the finish with OBOAB (only he wasn't on his bike) cheering me on and then running beside me as I uttered  'I feel sick' , 'I knew we should have bought water' and thinking I can't do it.

After all that negative shit ..... and giving myself a quick talking to I sprinted to the finish!!!

The result ..... a PB of 29.54!!!

Hayley you are a star! Thank you!

*OBOAB = Old bloke on a bike

Serious sense of humour bypass

Whoops! It's nearly two weeks since I last reported in, a bit shoddy I know but I sort of fell out of love with this running lark!

Yes I know, I know it's only 10k but when I signed up for it I didn't realise the training was going to be so hard ........ they didn't mention strides, sprints, running like the clappers until you think you're going to expire in the small print! Bastards!

So last week was a recovery week. Images of lounging around on the sofa eating crisps and mini eggs popped into my head but it seems that, that wasn't what Coach Steph had in mind!!!

On the menu was...........

4 miles easy run

30 minute or 3 mile tempo run

30 minute easy run

By now my feet seemed to have adapted to the orthotics but then my legs and knees decided that it was their turn to ache so I was pleased that it looked like an easy week.

On Monday I did the 30 minute tempo run, well that's what I set out to do however due to my stiff knees it turned into an easy run. Afterwards I realised that because I should have run the day before but wimped out due to the torrential rain and was going to Parkrun on Saturday I was going to have to run two days on the trot, so Tuesday was the 4 miles easy run. It took a mile and a half or so for my legs to loosen up but after that it went well and I did 4.19 miles in 48.49 minutes.

During Tuesday night in bed I managed to twist my left knee, turning over  (No, I have no idea how I managed it either) so not only did I have stiff knees but also other knee pain...... if I was a horse they'd put me down!
Thursday was 30 minute easy run day and it definitely was, not only because of the aches and pains but because I was conserving my energy for a PB at Parkrun.

I was really looking forward to being back at Tamar Lakes Parkrun for the first time in a month and was aiming for a PB!!! Well, if Belinda could get one a day before her fifty second Birthday the week before, then I could get one two days before mine, surely?

God, did I struggle. My legs felt like lead and my knees were so stiff that I very nearly gave up. Sarah D left me in her wake and I couldn't find any energy to stick with her. It was only the little voice in my head saying 'you've done it before, you know you can do it, you're running the 10k for sponsorship, just get on with it' that made me drag myself along. Oh and along with the thought of copious amounts of food and wine during my Birthday week!!!!

33.15 didn't make me very happy though!

For my Birthday we spent a couple of nights away at the lovely Ring of Bells on Dartmoor. On the day itself I went for a run before breakfast, this was just so I got a run in due to a busy week and couldn't remember exactly what was on the running menu for the week but also because I wouldn't feel so bad about eating and drinking too much!!

I thought we had hills here but boy do they have them on Dartmoor!! It was beautiful though and despite intermittent GPS I ran for 30 minutes up and down hills and really enjoyed it.

The menu for the week

35 ish minute run with strides and run a mile as fast as you can

40 minute hilly run

4 mile easy pace

Ok so it was only a 30 minute hilly run but definitely equivalent to a 40 minute one here (honestly Steph)! So thats ticked off.

Now Thursday was the next time I could run and my plan was to go training with the Bradworthy running group in the evening, however Cheesemaking didn't go according to plan and meant I wouldn't be finished in time so I had to nip out late afternoon along with the old bloke on a bike and the dogs.
There was the dilemma though of which run to do ..... 4 miles would probably be a bit tight to fit in and get back to deal with the curds and whey and the 35 ish one wasn't that appealing......... The 35 ish won and was the worst choice everrrrrrr!!

Serious sense of humour bypass coming up ......

The warm up was fine but then the strides were going to be on a hill ....... Ok let's forget them and do the mile as fast as I can ......... it involved hills, it made be feel sick, It made me have a terrible attack of tourettes, it made me shout at the dogs who tried to trip me up and it made shout at the old bloke on a bike ( who didn't deserve it. ) and it made me chuck my teddy in the corner when I saw I only did it in 10.22.

At this point I was ready to kick it all into touch ....... I was so pissed off.

Yes, I know I should know where the hills are on my routes and yes with hind sight I chose the wrong run but in my defence it was all a bit last minute and rushed AND I needed to get a run in!!

Thank goodness for the little support group we've got on Facebook for this 10k training. It helps so much knowing how everyone else is getting on and thank goodness for Tamar Lakes Parkrun ...... no PB again today but the camaraderie is fantastic!

I've retrieved my teddy from the corner!!

Tamar Lakes Parkrun

Upper Tamar Lake

Today was my fifth Parkrun www.parkrun.org.uk at Tamar Lakes. If it wasn't for volunteers this event wouldn't happen so a big thank you to them. It was a lovely sunny morning with no wind, if a bit on the chilly side. Fifty two of us set off at 9am to run round the lake, all 5k of it! Initially I ran alongside Sarah, another Bideford 10k participant, thinking that we should be making conversation but I can't run and talk so we ran in what I think  is termed companionable silence.

At the one mile point (I have a woman on my phone telling me this) I was slightly ahead of her and was waiting for another Sarah to overtake me as she has done on the previous weeks. Although someone did overtake it wasn't her! It was nearer two miles before she did. We exchanged hello's and then she had passed me.

With no warning 'competitive Sarah' was in my head saying 'stick with her, you'll get another PB if you do, don't let her get too far ahead'

'What?' said my legs 'you're joking, she's too fast'

I stuck to her like glue!

Luckly she had her earphones in so was spared my heavy breathing which sounded like an audition for the soundtrack on a low budget porn movie as we climbed the hill to the finish! I thought I was going to die ...................

So I was two seconds behind her and got a time of 30.10 and ..................................we both got PB's!!

Before I got hot and sweaty

As a treat and to put all the calories back on we had toasted crumpets for elevenses!

What have I done?

I'm so easily led .......


All it took was a post by Belinda on the Bradworthy running group page advertising the Bideford 10k on 10th May and I was there with a credit card and podgy fingers on my phone key pad!


Ok so why was I so eager to part with my money?


Well if she was going to do it then so was I!


Competitive or what?


Actually until recently I thought I was the most uncompetitive person in the world but then I went to my first parkrun www.parkrun.org.uk and although its non competitive ...... I've found that I can run reasonable well (especially when the proper running club people don't turn up!!!) there are people of all ages and abilities who are there to have fun, including me.  I now know who to try and keep pace with and overtaking people gives me a sense of satisfaction.  Not many mind you but enough for a buzz and then of course there's the PB (personal best) ........ each time I've been, well four times (one was cancelled) I've got a PB. Yes the competitiveness has kicked in and I've been pushing myself.


Who'd have thought it??


I now have the gear too ...... proper running shoes and lycra!!!


Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo Bideford 10K ............


Three months to prepare .........


What have I done?