all done!!

last run of the year and marcothon completed before most folk were even out of their beds today! as it was so icy yesterday i had to run on the roads last night, i did the same today.  and the roads were deserted so it was great to stretch out and run properly! most of it was done with a cheesy grin - so pleased i did 31 consecutive days, never copped out once, ran thru a wee sore throat for a few days there and even out running in such poor running conditions in the last week! So it is a nice couple of days rest for me with a nice long run planned for sunday with dr mo! must admit it will be strange not doing it every day as i had kinda got used to it. it did teach me i can go out no matter how short on time i am i can make time if i want to and i have more stamina than i realise!! confused that i put on weight, especially on my ass but i put it down to muscle [under the fat!]. i never ate any more than usual but i never did any real speed sessions either! thanks to debbie and marco for instigating the marcothon challenge and thanks to andrew who ran with me for most of it every day too! and to donna and dr mo [and jill, maz and cree too!] who kept me company on longer weekend runs.


i will not miss the frizzy hair - i just couldn't keep it straight. It was only straight 4 times in december including today!! i will not miss the extra washings of all the running gear - especially in winter! it taught me discipline, belief in my own stamina, time management and knowing i can do what i put my mind to if there is a challenge there!!


next year, on sunday, i will start running to a half mara plan! then if all goes well shift onto mara plan in march and sign up for edinburgh again!!! 

merry xmas!

xmas day
and andrew and i hit the streets! i wore the santa hat but on retrospect i wish we'd both put on full santa gear! i mean when else do you get the chance to enjoy that? i got lots of looks from kids so if i made someone laugh i am happy!! and all that snow!!  I think it was so cold the camera on my phone went wonky!!

boxing day
after eating ourselves silly and having waaaaaaaay too much of my own home made heavenly tiramisu [vulgar quantities!] i felt tired and sluggish today [no booze mind you!]. i went to be at 12mn and was up at half nine - this is a rare occurrence! i never usually get longer than 8 am for a lie in! so i just never got out of tired mode.  i really had to use the guilt thing to stimulate me into getting out there.  and was still too full to take anything other than a light breakfast i ran on empty at 3pm. the route i took was badly chopped up and struggled to keep from twisting my ankle a couple of times. eventually i manage 2.5 miles in 30 mins!!! better than nothing! at least i did it. the alternative was the treadmill and i just couldn't face that! at least out and about the scenery was lovely and i passed a spot where there were more adults sledging than kids! hoping the tired legs will work wonders when the snow clears as it is tough running on this terrain but it is different and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and a sense of achievement that only "real" or is that "insane"? runners will actually get out there and tackle it! andrew and i haven't bumped into anyone else running in this up our way but i passed another brave soul today! So here's to all you strong folk brave enough to put the trainers on and tread the white stuff, i salute you!

marcothon logue 27 12 09
did the basic 3! wanted to do more but left it till late in day and was too hungry! forgot to charge phone so missed opportunity t run with dr mo in am or yvonne [clydesdale harrier/ neighbour/ fellow dog walker/ mate] in pm.  so went out on own at dusk! was crunchy underfoot but not as hard and slippy as yesterday. just kept smiling at the thought of 4 days to go and hoping raspy throat won't amount to much!!

28th dec
ran with andrew! throat still raspy but not worse so out to run! roads much much worse! solid ice in most places. andrew ran way ahead most of run and i skitted about behind!

29th dec
andrew's throat now raspy too so he took the luxury and didn't run! happily yvonne was happy to go a run so we braved it off road mostly for an hour! most i have done on this ice! right ankle sore but managed fine considering conditions! 2 days to go!! i can't believe i have run for 29 consecutive days!!!! looking forward to rest day!!!!!

ONE week to go!!

I can't believe I have managed this far!! Just back from run in minus 4 powder! Kept mainly off road but some of the deep stuff was like jumping in molasses! So glad though to enjoy it in the sun! Ran behind Andrew all the way - hadn't the energy to catch up.  Either legs were too cold even with leg warmers on or they were still tired from yesterday's snow running.  However I have been home for 30 mins and my ass still hasn't thawed!!  Only one week of consecutive running to go! My New Year certainly will be happy!!

santa's grotto

well i have been out every day now for 21 days!! even in the snow! haven't resorted to treadmill yet [there is something soulless about running and staring at a brick wall no matter how good the tunes are!  yesterday donna was a bit wary about the snow but once out she realised it was fine underfoot and we did 5 together.

Love my Cannondale jacket!!!

 

Donna - confident enough to dance in the snow now!!

today i stayed local and went into the nooks and crannies of the estates near me and it was like entering santa's grotto! each house competing with the next for bigger and better lights and decor.  you can hear the buzz of electricity as you enter the street!  i swear you can see the sky glow orange over that neck of the woods.    

i am happy to say the legs have now reached the point where i can get out of bed in the morning without feeling they have been run over by a tractor as i slept. but it did take till day 20 to reach this point.  and still good today which i wasn't expecting as my garscube buddy and i dressed up as a giant cracker for the santa race. hunched over inside we ran back and forth for 40 mins!!! expected to ache all over today but luckily was fine.

Does my bum look big in this??

Anne and I up to our old tricks!!

how do they do it?

the consanis that is! i bet they are running mega miles and on a daily basis!! i am struggling to keep going! sat i did the 3 minimum with andrew [it was longer i think as we did a different route but i had no garmin and didn't bother with time] as donna had a cold. and on sunday i had planned to run with dr mo! last week she had suggested the whangie but on sat she decided 10 or 11 miles was what she preferred. on sat it sounded good to me too but while lying in bed on sun looking for ward to my run, my optimism disintegrated the minute i tried to put weight on my two pins!! i was aching - felt like twice my age and looked like jack nicholson on a bad day! i really will have to rehydrate better. anyway the thought of ten or eleven just seemed unfeasible - in fact just downright stupid so i gave mo the optout option - go slow or go yourself! she opted out. mo doesn't do go slow! half of me was elated as i knew ten was asking for trouble but i was also angry at myself for not just doing it! especially as i felt i could have after i'd walked a mile with the dog! Anyway ended up doing 3 with andrew and 3 with my pal yvonne. yvonne has been running well with clydesdale harriers and was having to hold back for me! but i was happy with 6. better than none!

monday though was a bigger struggle and nearly gave in today. i think i have a shin splint now but i have run through them before. i did some stretching [a rarity] after my run but at least i went - i did 26 mins and don't want to know the distance. in fact i think i might even leave the garmin off till the 1st of january!! then i'll be able to compare performance before and after!!

my cap's off to the consanis though! what inspiration! I'm inspired - i just wish my legs were too!

spoke too soon...

Well I woke on Tuesday am at 5!! Had had cramps in stomach Monday eve which didn't abate during the run and got worse as the night went on. Felt a wee bitty nauseous too but a wee half glass of rose and one quality street helped me forget that! After tossing and turning for a couple of hours I fell back asleep and woke at 8.30 looking like a Beetlejuice in negative! My hair [suffering 'cause I keep going to bed before it dries properly] was more fitting for the 80s and I had eye bags like Eastender's Dot! Exhausted I dragged my sorry ass out of bed and worked from home [didn't want to stray too far from the porcelain just in case!] not looking forward to running but dammit I was going to get out there!!

Anyway I did! I belted round the minimal 3 miles, actually doing 1 mile loops round my bit just in case I needed to go! I left Andrew behind as he said he was now feeling like a car crash victim and was running like a granny on valium! I was happy I did it and wished I'd taken the Garmin!

I did go to bed early tho trying to catch up on sleep!

Wednesday - yay feel fine! And lovely lovely jackets came today!

Can't wait to try tonight and now I can have a few to change with! And great for night running! What a magic idea - magnetic sleeves! And a bargain too!! Well recommended! Thanks for the chin up on that Donna - I'll try not wear the blue one on our days out together!! We did enough of that in the 70s!! lol!

was too warm to wear it!!

Thursday - sitting here shattered with sore legs dreading run tonight!! oh oh here comes andrew - better get running gear on before we talk each other out of it!!!

And oh yes those legs were sore!! tonight I felt my calves and ankles screaming out wat are you doing missus??? The rest of me was fine but that's no consolation every pounding step of the way! Will it get any easier???

Friday - well the answer to that is absolutely not!! In fact I felt like the pain was creeping up my legs as my thighs were sore tonight! Andrew and I just pounded the pavements in silence both trying to lose our consciousness in the music but every time we looked at each other we'd grimace in pain!! I suppose the premise now is that eventually I will get used to it?? The lactic acid will clear and allow me to perform daily?? When? How do the Consani's do it?? I bet they are doing megamiles too! Me and Andrew, we are just doing the compulsory 3 a day during the week!!

Just found out Donna has called off her 6 miles with me tomorrow and Maureen has postponed the Whangie! So sat will just be the minimum with Andrew and sun ten or eleven with Dr Mo! I must remember I have run 26.2 miles in 23 degrees and this will be a scoosh!!

seven trees a shining..

'tis funny on my first day of the marcothon i saw my first xmas tree, on the second day i saw my second and today on my seventh i counted seven!! of course i am sure that won't continue on that curve as we get nearer to the 12th day the xmas tree sightings will grow exponentially!

still at it tho! sat did 5.5 with donna and sunday did 10 with Dr mo, jill, maz and cree [maz's dug!]! we did a hilly partial west highland way run from mo's house which also means up uphill back home!! jill and maz split at the 5 mile marks and went out further whilst mo and i headed back - don't want to push it, since weekly milage has almost doubled!! was a great run with the usual hilarity! mo and i averaged 10 min miles which was fine since she had raced day before and i had run all week!

monday andrew and i did our usual 3 with me ahead for a change! andrew [whose milage has tripled by joining the marcothon] was feeling it and had been sniffling and sneezing all day! plus my homemade soup which is mega good for you and taste great gives us terrible gut cramps which slowed andrew down and speeded me up!!

i can't believe that is one week under the belt!! bring it on!!

5 days in....

4 new nails

3 day top

2 heavy legs

and a garmin ready to go!

Yes at last i have new nails on the toes that lost them after the mara in may! they've taken all this time to grow back but how long will they last is the real question???

As for the 3 day top - I really meant my gillet! i do have enough tops to change every day but my gillet i usually wash once a week [considering I only ran 2 or 3 times a week and most of the time lately that was only sat and sun!] so running every day means i have to wash it more often but make sure it is ready for the next day!! so i ordered a new one! A new jacket actually!!

I had always liked Donna's Cannondale Morphis shell! Its many zipped pockets and the magnetic sleeves that you can rip off faster than the chippendales troosers excited me like child at Christmas - I had to have one!! So today I bought it!! After all it was now an essential need rather than a luxury!!

As for the legs, yes they were tired today! Fifth day in a row running is a bit of a novelty for me at the best of times so only to be expected after having been a lazy b lately!! So clocked 5 and a half today since my Garmen is now working again having been connected to computer, all data downloaded and cleared and all software updated! Hate running without it!

So last week Monday to Sunday I ran 3 times and only clocked up 19 miles and that was a good week. This week however now having started the marcothon [see marco's and debbie's blogs for details] it should culminate in 29 miles providing I do 10 with Dr Mo [my sunday running pal] tomorrow!!

Oh and almost forgot- Andrew has joined me on the marcothon too!! This is great cause it will get my midweek speed up running together! Only prob is he started a day late, so guess who'll be running on the 1st of January - not me!!

on the second of xmas, my true love ran with me...

yep andrew joined me for 3 miles! was at andrew's pace but without a watch we have no idea, certainly over the obligatory 25 mins! legs fine but chapping at the bit to keep up with andrew. mika larking in my ears tonight - will need to get something a bit more upbeat for andrew runs!! some garage music needed methinks!

on the downside of all this daily running i hadn't foreseen is the increased need to wash my running gear more frequently and the problem of trying NOT to wash my hair daily and still cope with the frizz!! doubt it will be straight much this month!

more new running gear required!! yes i can always find and excuse to shop! not to self: NEED to fix the garmin!

on the first day of xmas....

the consani challenge! or is it madness?

well despair at my muffin tops led me to join debbie's mad suggestion at running every day in december! marco [see his blog] had achieved this successfully in november and debs decided she would do it in december and called out to volunteers. it must have been my subconscious that responded because before i knew it i had committed on facebook!! and it was up there in full view before i had a chance to change my mind!! how i am going to fit it in i really don't know but i will!! marco said the qualifying distance or time is 3 miles or 25 mins!! so it didn't seem too bad. i could always nip out before dinner for that and it will get me out. i am really fed up only managing to run sat and sun so i had planned to increase by at least another midweek run but this now solves that problem!

advent running..

day 1: 4 miles no idea of time - discovered garmen screwed - database full so will need to clear so i can record this. see if it improves my running!! the rain was pelting down and the wind had picked up. it was only 2 degrees and running was the last thing i felt like doing on tis dark dismal evening. andrew was supposed to be running with me and chickened out!! normally i'd say right what's for dinner and put the running thought at the back of my mind but not today! a challenge is a challenge! layered up and kylie alongside i stepped out to her beat! i decided on an undulating route aiming for 3 miles anyway [did 10 on sunday with khyber pass so wasn't to bothered about distance] and after the first hill i was peeling off the sleeves of my outer layer. much better!! by the third mile i felt fab. lungs and legs great, icy rain needles jagging my face, tunes in my ears, and the wind keeping me cool on the hills as i pelted along in the dark! it was great! i remembered why i love running! and another 30 days didn't seem so bad now! i did another mile for good measure and went home looking forward to tomorrow's run!!

muffin tops might be gone by xmas!!

a hill run!

well it has been at least 15 years since i last did a hill run. i got the bug those many moons ago after andrew did his knees in hill running competitively and took to mountain biking! since i have a fear of death anywhere near a bike i decided i would start hill running instead so we could at least go out together. Well that all stopped once my son came along and the only thing i could fit in was road running so the hills were forgotten!! till today!

debbie had arrange a garscube harriers outing - a run on the kilpatrick hills! had been thinking about doing this for a while! tho mo [sunday running buddy] and i discussed it on a weekly basis when i was marathon training we never got round to fitting one in; plus i was a bit terrified i'd injure myself prior to the race! But having been a lazy sod recently and only running about 15 - 20 miles a week at present and most of this done on sat and sunday i offered myself up for the sacrifice - and mo too!!

now after i decided yes i am going, i did wonder what i'd talked myself and mo into! debs said we'd have to keep up with the lads as they know the route which got me worried before i'd even got to bed sat night. i was relying on the fact that mo knew where she was going and andrew said if i get lost there is only one way to go - down!! so i decided that if i couldn't keep up it wouldn't matter!

of course that didn't stop the irritable bowel 3 times before i left on sunday morn! picking mo up i parked where i had been told. no one had arrived so we thought we were in the wrong place when mo recognised someone from the club parking beside us. not long after, jill arrived. i was happy to hear her legs were sore from racing the day before so was hoping that i wouldn't be left behind. mo reassured me she had hardly run either studying to become dr mo, so i was feeling quite good about it - for a few seconds. then the lads came - hoards of elite runners and fast boys from the club. i could hear my irritable bowel asking me what the feck i was doing there when debs arrived with her pal who won the west highland way running it in less than 20hours!! boy i was way out of my comfort zone!!

we started off before i had a chance to change my mind!! it was a nice gradual incline and just when i got comfortable with the pace - it got steeper!! argh my thighs screamed as i pounded uphill bringing up the rear. must admit tho was glad when debs pulled away as her see thru leggings were a bit too much - debs do wear some undies - your perfectly shaped ass made me feel extremely inferior!! ah the beauty of youth! i struggle to keep mine from sliding down my thighs as they are genetically and ageingly inclined!

mo, jill and i stopped to take in the view! what a day! we couldn't have asked for better weather. and although a bit of ice here and there it was dry underfoot - which was just as well since we all had pretty new trainers on!

mo reassured debs and the gang that we knew where we were and would climb up to the reservoir then go back down the route we came up. debbie and the rest were doing a longer route past the reservoir and down another part and back along the road - a total of 9 or 10 miles.

We dropped our pace slightly and let them go off ahead and mo, jill and i continued to the reservoir - stopping again for a photo opportunity - then headed back. in total it was about 6.5 for us. my garmin packed in after a mile but jill had hers. i didn't ask the time as some things you are better just not knowing!! but for a first attempt back at the hills i liked it!! in fact mo and i are planning some more!

a nice change! it is amazing to have all these wonderful running routes at our doorstep - in fact i am sure i can even get to the kilpatrick hills from my doorstep! will certainly try it one of these days!

In training...

At last I feel I am back. Ran saturday and promised myself I'd get out every second day now - trying to get a bit of an addiction while on holiday! SO today I decided to do a hilly 10k [8 hills - undulating comprising of just under 5k in ups and similar for down in total]. Have been tempted to try some hill running after reading Rachel's adventures on the hills on facebook. Sounds like fun! I used to hill run when I was much younger [say about 20 years ago] when Andrew [hubby] and I were into hillwalking but that fell by the wayside when Andrew did his knees - as he always does everything in excess - and now his max distance is 7 miles! There is nothing I'd love more than going on a long 15 or 16 miler with Andrew! One for the wishlist! Coped fine today with a steady 56 mins. Wasn't pushing it - just wanted to enjoy the hills!

Aiming for a fast session with Andrew on Wednesday [it is never anything but fast with Andrew - I don't have the choice! Although it is slow for him]! So that will be my speed session for the week!

After all the raving about my new shoes I fell over on my ankle today on my left foot! Shocking the living daylights out of a dog walker with my expletives I fell onto the ground moaning! I must have really frightened off the dog walker because he looked over at me the decided to move off in the other direction. What if I'd really been hurt?? I don't look scary! Anyway after some deep breaths and rubbing I stood up expecting to be limping home but it was good! Although sore i was running again in a few seconds. And pain was gone by end of run! However my right foot and leg was sore today while and after run! Think I'll just have to accept something is niggling and just get on with it!

New shoes!

well my new shoes came last week and guess what?? WRONG SIZE! i must have rolled the mouse after i'd clicked before i moved out box. i remember my size showing for definite in the box but i never rechecked the final order sheet as i thought all was fine! having made the decision to go down a half size smaller than normal - i was fed up of my feet feeling like they were floating about in clown shoes when they stretched in wet conditions [let's face it it is always wet in scotland] and tripping over them! but because of my mouse blunder the shoes i ended up with were a whole size smaller! so normally a 5 in a running shoe i ordered what i thought was a 4.5 and ended up with a 4!

now i hate sending stuff back and ready to go on the phone and demand my postage back and an exchange convinced it was their fault i checked the order and it was my fault so i would have had to have forked out for return postage and reorder postage! my usually cheaper on the internet shoes were becoming dearer than in the shop shoes!

i decided to give them a try round the house first. no problem there. a wee few miles on the tread next [i'd do anything to get out of returning them!] and still feeling good! in fact my feet were better than they have ever been! maybe because they were a snug fit width ways too! normally going a size bigger and even lacing them tight [and as per geddi [david geddes - experienced and wise garscube harrier] guidelines!!] i always still managed to slip about in them. my feet didn't budge and my long toes [the second and third toes are longer than my big toe - which i have read indicates intelligence!] survived without the usual bruising and nail damage or loss! So i took the risk on a six miler outside [no going back now!] and result!! feet felt great and toes still damage free. the next test will be a long run over 10 miles so keeping fingers and toes crossed this may be the best shoe buy yet!

as for the change from an overpronating prevention model to a preventing supination model i have noted that i have no or little sciatica!! looks like i have the answer there too!

nothing to report on the running itself. been pretty lazy and slow. small runs or slow runs. will need to get a routine going again. aiming for starting back to 4 times a week min with one speed session and one long session after october school break.

flu away!

well it has been a week and a half since i last ran!! this flu/ cold/ bug WE has been lingering but i feel needs a good run to shake the last remnants away!! so the plan is a wee 4 miler with andrew and the dog up in mugdock just to chase those cobwebs away!! plus i really, really need to go out there as my muffin tops are back with a vengance overflowing from the top of my hipsters like a well formed souffle! and my post mara 4 pack [i don't think i have those other 2 abs!] is lost under the bubblewrap of cellulite! What do you mean don't eat as much then?? lol!

and what about the disruption the postal strike is causing! i am still waiting on my nice new shoes! where are they?? i thought i'd definitely have them by now. really didn't want to run in old ones again as i haven't felt sciatica for a week or so, which really helps confirm for me it is the shoes.

on a happier note, a running buddy robert cuthbertson ran the great north half mara at the weekend and raised a whopping £2800 for breast cancer research. he ran through an injury too! his effort will certainly have saved lives. every bit counts! all so much appreciated. Please, please do contribute to this worthy cause...

http://www.justgiving.com/Robert-Cuthbertson/

so will check in tomorrow after the run and let you know what my body thought about it!!

need a goal...

Ok i haven't been blogging 'cause i haven't been jogging!! been extremely lazy!! ran saturday but not sunday. keep hoping sciatica will go away but it hasn't. and no i still haven't got new shoes yet! will go online right now and order them. to be honest not having a goal to train for is detrimental to my psyche! i think i'll have to look for something end of year to aim for. can't really wait till balloch clydebank half - this is just too far away!

i will go a run today! i will! i will! i will!....

and to be honest the weather is conducive for a good run! ducks and runners eh?

on a healthy intake note - gave up juicing meantime - too time consuming! don't panic donna... i am making soup instead. i just made my second batch that i freeze and will feed me daily for a week!! this week all the veggies i had in the fridge went in. all organic too!

Ingredients for anyone who wants to try it! i call it supersoup!

carrots,

celery [yay donna i can't taste it!]. to be honest it smelt like sweaty armpits chopping it up and i was baulking at putting it in but donna's sensible nagging - it is a good cleanser! persuaded me to get it in there. don't know if you eat the leafy bits so i left those out meantime. and like the juice no sweaty pit taste or smell from the soup!

broccoli and cauliflower in there for their anti carcinogenic qualities [got that yearly check up coming up and everything helps sooth that annual paranoia]. just have to put up with the fact that house smells like a sewer while it's cooking!

onion

garlic [keep the colds -or swine flu - away!]

sweet potatoes

normal tatties

courgettes [what purpose do courgettes have? they seem tasteless and dissolve into a sickly gel but hey if it is good it goes in!]

half a bag of spinach

recipe

chop everything small. saute onions and garlic in butter add sea salt and pepper to taste. throw in everything else add some tumeric. steam for a wee while then add water to cover. bring to boil and simmer for 20 mins. i then blend it and add double cream. and voila - yummy!

so had that for lunch with some of my own garden's plums in prep for run!! i will run! i will! i will!

multi tasking - i bought these on the other screen! after a confusing time on the runners world new look website i came up with "no shoe match" from every search! maybe the site isn't functioning well yet. certainly the new videos on what type of shoe to get are really informative. i was guided by this to a neutral and cushioned shoe!! so searching my favourite brand i was attracted to the nike lovely shade of blue vomero [what a name - the vom model!] but since that was the spring summer colour i am always worried that these have sat around in the warehouse losing some of their durability as air or gel slowly permeates through the membranes - this could be complete tosh but i can't be bothered searching for research to evidence this theory so i decided to play safe and go for the new autumn winter cerise version! should match some of my clothes! might get the blue ones another time as a spare if i feel they are the model i want to stick to. can't wait till they come!!

oh dear what can the matter be?

i was on such a downer after my friend mark texted me to say he had already run 87 miles this week AND IT IS ONLY TUESDAY!! and how was i doing!!! well i am ashamed to say i ran 14 on sunday and only 6 on the friday before for that week, and haven't done anything since sunday!! so not doing too well on the running front!

i was happy with the distance we did on sunday tho! had only planned for a nice easy pace 13 but mo had miscalculated her miles and we ended up with the extra mile. now don't ask me to take anyone the route as i would never find it myself but we headed down from milngavie to lock 27, along the canal to the path that goes to bishopbriggs, along that to balmore and headed back via the allander way.

the last 3 miles i must say were tortuous. my legs ached [probably from lack of use during the week] and i had that nagging sciatica in my right bum cheek! oh and the annoying psychobabble - this was worse than the marathon's last 4 miles [no it wasn't but you get a bit irrational when you start tiring!], i feels like it is never going to end [duh you can see milngavie in the distance!], etc.

mo had brought michael [her son] with her and he was bouncing about at the back of us like he was just warming up. when he knew where he was going on the homeward bound he took off like a greyhound and faded fast into the distance. mo also gets that i am on the homeward bound push she always gets and urged ahead. i just watched while my wee legs did their own pace and like the week before i just kept her in my sights. i didn't want to let her go out of shouting distance as there were a couple of weird specimens in the bushes fishing [really fishing] in the water.

so glad it was over but so glad we did it. we averaged 9m30s which i thought was tanking it for what was supposed to be easy! but that will be mo's dead easy and michael's going backwards pace!! a nice change from our usual milngavie bearsden mugdock routes. and with the weather forecast for rain we did okay with it dry all the way and no drunks lying about the canal. if the sun's out it is usually like a scene from rab c nesbit on the canal route.

so i desperately need a run now but too tired and bagged up to get out tonight. hopefully will aim for a short run tomorrow before dinner! that's the plan and maybe if i write it here it might give me incentive to do it!

sunday-not my funday- my i'm gonna have to runday!

Well this sunday mo and i did the same run we did last week but with the aim of going faster than last week's miserable time! just let me reiterate that this route incorporates the ten hills milngavie bearsden highland games 10k route!

this week it poured down so hard i could taste the sunblock as it was washed off my head and into my eyes pouring down the back of my throat via my tearducts. still at least it was cool and gave me the incentive to run fast to get it over with. the plan this week was to test if i could run any faster now i was superjuicing. however i had sabotaged coming to this run in great shape by drinking a wee bit too much the night before. i even considered calling it off and sleeping in. my gut felt dodgy and my heid was pure pounding man! but after breakfast my gut had settled and the sare heid became a mild throb behind one eye! and i knew i'd regret not running, so i went! [psychobabble - you can always run slow if you feel crap better than not running at all! and you can't let mo down!]

mo ran ahead to set the pace and it also had the added advantage i wouldn't be tempted to talk all the way! mo likes to get "in the zone" and she can't do that with my incessant chatter! i got into my own zone listening to britney's "in the zone!" as i trundled behind her. unfortunately it ran out of battery halfway so had to content myself imagining i could hear the beat!

mo settled into a steady pace about 50 metres in front of me. i kept her in my sights and kept the pace. how i ended up that far behind was probably because of fannying with my shuffle to get the right song and listening to my own psychobabble again! you know the type?? - why did i agree to this, god i wish i hadn't drank so much last night, oh my leg/ foot/ass is sore, etc. i did feel like throwing only one mile in but we had set off too fast and i could read mo's lips to decipher that she was going to slow for a bit then build! the hassle of switching the shuffle off or trying to take the earphones out my ear was more trouble than it was worth. the rubber bits always get detached and stuck in my ear then i have to stop and fish them out to fix then and at the same time being careful not to drop them and lose them. so i nodded that i agreed and understood and was secretly thankful as that eased the vom rising in my throat!

i never looked at the garmin during the run tho i could hear it beeping at each mile marker. having done a rubbish average of 9m45s last week for the 7 miles i was hoping that a below 9 would be achievable - hangover permitting! admittedly the nagging post vino throb behind my right eye was lessening or maybe it was just the pain in my right leg was worse that it masked the head ache but there is nothing like a run for a hangover cure!!

by the end of the run i had lost mo. the last wee bit running back through milngavie had too many turns for me to keep sight of her but i never gave in i kept the pace till the end when the final beep of the garmen told me i had reached 7 miles i stopped to see mo pop out of a bush! i am sure she was afraid if i saw her i'd slow down before i got there and she'd have been right!! mo was disappointed with her time so i wasn't holding any great expectations when i looked at mine! so imagine my surprise when i saw my average was 8m35s!! Ace! mo had 8m31s but wants to get it down to 7m30s - i told her she'll be letting me start ahead of her then when it gets to that stage. although mo insists she'll get me there too [my psychobabble is saying otherwise!] and after the difference in time for the exact same route was surprising to me, maybe, just maybe anything's possible!

so can we contribute some of that improvement to diet? let's hope so! but there is only so much beetroot juice a gal can take! donna you may have started something!

testing, testing...

pH testing

decided to at least do some additional baseline measurements. if i am to do all the juicing i thought i'd best get some pH baselines to go by. i know i have already been doing it for a week and a half so i should expect the reading to be better than before i started. my saliva registered 6 and my wee 6.5, so although still acid not as bad as it would have been 2 weeks ago!!

my son eats vegetables sparingly and usually once i have pureed them or disguised them as a sauce, but he does take lots of smoothies. his pH was 8.5! so he is doing something right!

so will carry on juicing [now making my own!] and eating 5 a day wherever possible and see if i can improve my levels. i will also try and find some evidence based research that gives validity to the acid alkaline diet.

On the other foot...

Since the marathon i have been having pain that started in my right foot and has gradually crept all the way up my leg to my hip! At first i put it down to the marathon after effects, but i rested well and started back by the book building slowly again. The pain hasn't subsided but it hasn't stopped me running although it is getting uncomfortable afterwards and sometimes during a run. Lately i have also noticed that my running shoe was feeling too flappy and i was having to tighten them up. my shoe size [4] in any other shoe was now too big! i was having to buy size 3 again. many moons ago before pregnancy ballooned me from 7 to 11 stone [all water of course!] i had a high foot arch and was a neat 3 in a normal shoe and 4 in a running shoe. after pregnancy i was left very much flat footed and up a whole size in all shoes! i had to change from an asics which were great for high arches to a nike for over pronators and that is what i have run in for the last 13 years! however recently i have noticed if i am standing for a long time i am rotating my foot outwards - supination! in fact i was even walking like that in bare feet! so i decided to do the wet foot test!

http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/foottype.htm

My result

My result confirmed what i had now suspected - i was back to having a high arch and supinating and not over pronating - which means i am wearing the wrong type of shoe!! so is this the reason i am getting sciatica and shooting pains in my foot, calf and inner thigh? Possible!

So now i will have to get new shoes and see if this helps my sore leg and hopefully improves my running!

beans means turning over a new leaf!

i absolutely abhor the idea of becoming vegetarian but i will give in to eating less meat and adding more vegetables to me meals. had been doing well till yesterday and had a poor diet relapse. i started with my usual tea and toast with butter - or rather butter with toast - organic lurpack tho', lunch i missed, for dinner i had a small meaty quiche and supper was cream of tomato soup with roll and more butter! My fluid intake on the other had was better than normal with one glass veggie juice, one glass lemonade and a pint of diluting orange!

on that note today i went healthy food shopping!! Mostly organic fruits and veggies have now been stacked in their categorized shelves in the fridge, with expiry dates duly noted in my notepad from which i can collate daily menus.

So breakfast is always my normal - can't let go of that comfort blanket yet. My stomach churns at the thought of anything cold, juicy or out of the ordinary for my first meal of the day. it will take a bit longer than that to change the habits of a lifetime! one of my pet hates when going on holiday is that no breakfast tastes like my own scottish tea and toast. in france i put up with sweet croissants and minging tea because the bread is too crusty and just doesn't have enough E numbers or preservatives in it to taste like the stuff at home. actually i am not that bad - i converted to soft additive white to wholemeal and occasionally organic wholemeal but i am not keen on the latter. in new york and canada i gave in a had orange juice and pancakes with syrup because nothing came close to the taste of my tea and toast - although i didn't complain as loudly as my waistline at that! in italy, austria, menorca and majorca i made do with the nearest to soft white bread and butter and either tea or orange juice depending on which i found most palatable. so i you think i am changing to healthy fruits, yoghurts, juices and nuts immediately you've got another thought coming!!! i might start taking porridge with yoghurt and maple syrup on run days but that is a few weeks off yet. i did try on sunday after i tried the dog's concoction of such and thought it was quite nice but gave in and had my usual - but the thought was there and that gives me hope...

my lunch i am munching just now is - wait for it, you'll be impressed - three bean salad!!! and the ever faithful veggie juice. hey i am so impressed i wouldn't be upset if i just eat chocolate for dinner! kidding - i don't like more than a taste of chocolate at any given time and most of the time only with wine! and no sis it wasn't three tins of heinz beans either!! three bean and mint salad from tesco! and surprisingly yummy! cannellini, black turtle and soya beans. dog enjoyed the dregs too! oh and the veggie juice! this batch was better than the last one as donna went back to the second recipe she gave me. i think it is the adding of the pineapple that makes it sweeter. anyway feel bagged now so can't really think of dinner at the moment. i'd better go look the list and examine the recipes in my new books and see what appeals. will get back later!!

More beans!

Well i am sure i will have enough wind to fill a hot air balloon tomorrow as i had spicy been burgers for dinner!! Why? Well the problem was that yesterday when i had the notion for a spicy bean burger my other half came home with the quiche because marks' didn't have any! unfortunately the notion never left me and it was the first thing on my mind for dinner. i did have it with coleslaw and tomato sauce [yes my favourite, sis!] so more veg!

The books i had ordered came today, so tomorrow i will plan something from them. i may replace some of the ingredients as i haven't even heard of some never mind be able to buy them. And i will have to start making my own juices now donna has got me started. i have all the raw ingredients - now i just have to dig the juicer out from under all the dog dishes and cat baskets in the garage cupboard and clean it up ready to get juicing!

And maybe tomorrow i'll start looking at running plan! did nothing today although had great intentions, but had too much work to do i gave it a miss. shame because i like running in this drizzly weather. i keep hoping my sore foot will get better but i think i need to look at the possible cause. i suspect my pronation has changed and if so i am not wearing the right shoes anymore. will look at university internet to diagnose the problem and get back to you on that one!

First week of trial

Baseline recordings:

weight 47kg bmi 17.3% heart rate 60bpm bp 110/60

hey i know you are saying wow 47kg but it is all round my mutton tops and dimpling up my ass!! i wasn't like that after the mara!!

Well today was the first day i used the garmen to record my run and i think i should have left it at home!! i ran better last week on a harder route! Last week i ran to strathblane and back from milngavie to include the hilly ascent up the khyber! pass and cuilt brae! chappin at the bit behind mo on both ascents we averaged a 9m 15s/mile over the 11 miles. we were both disappointed but it was hot [it seems to always be hot when we run then pisses down when we stop!] and mo had raced the week before and managed a couple of mad club runs too. me - i had no excuse! i had run the day before but i didn't exactly exert myself! anyway this week we decided on another hilly route the bearsden [highland games] 10k with an extra mile thrown in! ok there are 10 hills on this run [we counted] and again the sun came out. but we planned to take it easy. so we were both disappointed when the garmen stated an average of 9m 45s / mile for the 7 miles! in my head the strathblane run was much harder but either we both crawled this week or the run was harder than i imagined. so after 6 days of juicing i have this paltry result!

on the bright side i never felt out of breath and recovered immediately. i even gassed the majority of the run, although that is my normal as anyone that knows me will verify. in fact kas always used to say i made her ears bleed!

so what do i do now? the participants in the beetroot study were tested after 6 days also and showed a 16% improvement. ok i am not doing any proper tests here but i just wanted to see an improvement in my performance. although i can say i felt good the whole run, recovered well and now have a baseline to compare future runs with.

aslo donna said i wasn't drinking enough of the superjuice and i should have been drinking 3 or 4 times the amount - not if i wanted to be able to leave the toilet!! so letting my body gradually adjust to the veggie change i will up the dose by double 500mls [like the amount drank by guys in the study!] and next week mo and i will do the same run and compare the results! mo kindly offered to be the control group/ bod with no super juice! god love her but that is like testing the hare against the snail [me being the snail of course!]. god help me but if she tries the juice i may as well tie a rope round her to keep up! hey isn't that a training method? if not it should be!

not for the weak stomached - do not read on if you do not like talking poop!

i mean it...

now whilst i have informed you i am peeing like a hot spring gusher, the other ain't doing so good! normally a twice a morning person and a number 3 or 4 on the bristol stool chart [i know too much information!! you were warned! i'm sorry but you will get all the sordid details as i can't escape my previous knowledge gained when i was a continence adviser, or incontinent or pish nurse as i was more fondly known!]

don't laugh! this is a credible poop assessment chart!

anyway, i am not performing to my usual pattern! you would think with all the veggie juice i would have the runs but no - the opposite! and one day not at all!!! ok i'm obsessing but i don't feel my normal self if i am not regular! so what has caused this? is the fibre content higher in veggie juice and has that increase soaked up the little daily fluids i ingest with the resulting constipation? after all the juice is really food! and i drink like a camel! my normal fluid intake [excluding juice trial] is: 2 cups of tea [500mls], 2 diluting orange drinks [700mls] so daily intake per non alcohol day is only about 1200mls. sometimes i have 250mls lucozade post run but only if it is really hot or after a ten miler or more! tragic! and at the weekend i drink a bottle of wine - it lasts about 4 days and i now dilute it [i now - sacrilege you scream!] with a third water! this is because i was getting terrible headaches with anything over 9%vol and because i am not the best at hydrating i felt this was the best solution! so yes the wine will add to the dehydration effects too. plus i have added more veg to my meals! so going from 2 veg a meal [and often per day] to five a day will also have an increase to the roughage intake! so yep i need to drink more fluids if i am to get back to regularity "doon there" and double the veggie juice!! just checked [without doing a proper lit review] the juice isn't considered to cause dehydration so it is probable the extra fruit and veg with dinner!

so i have pontificated long enough and it is now time to go drink the drink!! i have tried to put it off today as yesterday i forgot to shake it and had a weird tasting liquorish sort of tasting sweet version. today i noticed there is swirling green swamp stuff lying in what is left!! i am baulking at the thought but it is either that or the beetroot juice i bought as an emergency supply - and since it tastes like...well i can't describe how bad it tastes! let's just say swamp drink is more appealing!! mmmm yummy! ciao for now!!

ps the green stuff was fine! i just added juice from half an orange and kept stirring it with my straw as i drank it! probably all the spinach donna said she'd used. i like spinach! bring it on!

pink pee!

well what can i say? i am peeing for scotland and peeing pink!! and you don't want to know about my other eliminations!! worried my teeth will go pink or at least my fillings - so been brushing after -just in case! at least to protect the fillings!

well been reading the science bit - the research from which the beetroot article was about. seems there were only 8 participants and the stats bit was really ropey - and i am not great with stats but it did seem to suggest there was a 16% improvement in oxygen uptake which improved endurance. they drank 500mls per day and the outcome tested after only 6 days and compared against a control group. so i am thinking only 6 days to note improvement means i should start to see improvements in my running by next monday!! so until then i will not look at performance on the garmin!!

Today's intake was the usual glass, nice and chilled, with half and orange squeezed into it - i like orange juice! after downing that i noticed i had a little left over (and since donna was bringing a new batch today) i though i may as well use up the rest and give her her bottle back! lunch was to be pea and ham soup so i just threw the rest into the bowl. hmmm not sure how i felt about it! it had that post vom aftertaste! and even a few carrot chunks -though where they came from i am not sure! ignoring the aftertaste, because it didn't taste too bad -just didn't taste like pea and ham, more like cucumber soup - i downed it hot! 'twas a lovely maroon colour too!

now i am preoccupied as to what to make for tea tonight! pleased with myself that i managed to incorporate 5 veg into last night's dinner, i am now at a loss on what to make tonight. i need a recipe book! yesterday i browsed the local store and was disappointed to only find many weight loss recipe books. i was looking for alkaline or pH balanced diets/ cookbooks/ recipes! so onto amazon for a search revealed so many i couldn't make up my mind about - so i ordered 4! oh and pH test strips - well might as well take experimentation all the way! but that won't help me find a recipe for tonight so will surf net to see what is there that complements what my fridge can provide! will keep you posted! maybe talk to donna later about recipes too!

Juicy!

Ok been really lazy after mara.. hardly run. lucky if i am doing 18 miles a week and mostly at weekend! been feeling really tired and lethargic too. maybe not running enough to keep up stamina. anyway the hypochondriac in me thought i may have "footstrike" anaemia after mara and the training so i went and got bloods done. the good thing is the came back normal, the bad thing is i have no excuse for such pish running!

this is more noticeable on the sunday runs with mo! we started off at a similar level - mo recovering from injury and me from mara. now 6 weeks on mo is leaps ahead of me [and yes she always was way ahead normally] even tho she is doing as little milage as i am.

so i have decided that something has to change!! i will try make a more concerted effort to fit more running in but this is difficult doing 2 jobs and running a family and my mara training was only 4 days a week [even when doing 40 odd miles] so i am not too bothered as long as i try for 4 and maintain 3 as a minimum when time is short but make them a quality run!

the other aim [and probably the most important one] is my diet! it is dreadful! i am ashamed to say how poor it is on fruits and veg! even tho i am happy to say most of the food i eat is organic [don't start me on that soapbox - that's another blog!] this NEEDS to change. to help me in my efforts my best pal donna is going to juice me up! this decision was made after reading the beetroot research in the news all week - after all 16% improvement is not to be sniffed at. it can make a significant difference to any pb and even if it helps me shorten the ever increasing distance between me and mo then it is worth a try!

i also keep getting constant pester emails from a website i subscribed to ages ago and never get round to unsubscribing from. to be honest i think my subconscious likes the wee reminder [or should i say chastising?] to get me to rethink my diet. the site is all about alkalising your body, and at the moment mine is probably so acidic i could probably give the genetically modified ripley a run for her money lol, so i though i'd look at this diet again.

i hate having to think about foods i hate making efforts to buy fruits and vegs then watch them rot in their bowls till i throw them out - yes i need an easier alternative. why can't supermarkets just sell packaged alkaline meals as easily as they sell the packaged junk?

anyway donna to the rescue suggested i try her juices! now remember i don't even like most fruit and veg and when she listed all the horror ingredients i baulked at the idea and wondered what i was getting into! but needs must!

i started yesterday. and maybe it was psychological but who cares cause it is working but after just one glass i felt i was breathing better - that is only way i can explain it! like i felt more oxygenated! i even noticed when i took the dog a walk the 24 stairs i climb at the start of my walk to the path i was hardly breathless! normally i am gasping at top. can this be possible after only one glass [actually a glass and a half]?? and here comes the bigger shock - it was not only palatable - it was actually nice!! - and it contain all the things i said i hated and contrary to what i thought i couldn't identify the taste of any of them in the juice!

so here goes to day 2!! i will take a glass a day and see if this makes an impact on my running. as i log all my times on my garmin it will be great to make comparisons of before juicing and after! watch this space!!

Race day!

Retrospect

Well I haven’t raced big miles since may 2005 when I did Edinburgh to north Berwick in 3hr 13m. my pb for the balloch Clydebank half mara in march 2005 was 1hr 43min much to maz’s surprise which had gained me entry to the 2005 new york mara! But due to the drastic year that lay ahead of me I missed the mara in nyc and was lucky to be able to just keep on running! Happy to say I was yet to run the real run [as the geddi maintains - yer nae a real runner till yev done a mara!!] so at last in 2008 I was coaxed by jill to enter the Edinburgh mara the following year! Bloody ages away I thought - yeah good idea - gives me something to aim for. So far away I’ll probably pull out anyway!! Ahah - red rag to a bull there I was training away and happy to be enjoying the training and managing to fit in 4 days a week!! Ok it was nothing like the training I did in 2005 but hey I wanted stress free easy version and that’s what I did. To the point that I actually enjoyed everyone of my long runs. In fact I feel the distance thing is my cup of tea although maybe not to the same extreme as my running buddy Debbie [read her post www.debsonrunning.blogspot.com to see what I mean] but hey never say never! Mo and I constantly say yes we will do something ultra in a couple of years and I do quite fancy something big - Duracell bunny big!! Anyway back to Edinburgh 2009!!

The big day!

The course was scenic travelling down from the centre of edinburgh along a coastal route and finishing at musselburgh racecourse - mostly flat with a good downhill start.

However the weather was not as expected of a May day in Edinburgh and even with the coastal breeze was akin to running in the desert when you are not used to such heat. In fact, none of my training runs came near to such temperatures! When i got out the ca on arrival it was already 15 degrees. On return it was 23 degrees!

Well where do i begin?

Mistakes

1) ate breakfast 3 hours before start too early!

2) wore new shoes today [same make and model] only 10 miles on them - never had a blister on 22 and half miles in old shoes!! these blisters started at 10miles!!

was doing sub 4 hour pace till 20 miles ran out of blood sugar, running on marshmallows on zigzags with buzzing in my ear!

lessons learned

1) eat more food

2) drink the wine i wanted to [150cals per glass]

3) no new shoes.

andrew and dec had a great time sunbathing!

thanks donna and carole for running me in!!!

Splits for the anal!
1- 7 49 too fast
2- 8 07 still too fast
3 - 8 09 yep
4 - 7 57 shouldn't have chased that guy with the nice arse!
5 - 8 12 still too fast
6 - 8 38 more like it
7 - 8 38 yeah
8 - 8 36 cruising
9 - 8 45 yep
10 - 9 00 perfect
11 - 9 06 slipping
12 - 9 21 slipping more
13 - 9 31 still calculating no bad!
14 - 9 36 oops
15 - 9 52 the rod's set in
16 - 10 03 yep
17 - 9 58 - got boost from seeing maz!
18 - 10 14 - held boost after seeing rob , lewis and victoria!
19 - 10 42 the beginning of the end
20 - 10 58 had it!!!
21 - 26 - don't ask!!

andrew did some sad spreadsheeting for me , just to make me feel worse....the 20mile pace should have turned out a 3hr 57m talk about whipping a dead horse. Away to boil some needles and squirt some juice!!

this is first time i have lost whole nail and bed immediately! the whole thing was floating in that blood blister completely detached!

To boot at mile 19 there was nae water!! and no one to complain to either. and that was after 2 miles of blistering heat in an open field!! murder! NEVER AGAIN..

…well till next year!

donna juice never tasted sooooo good thanks! xxx

carole ran the last 4 miles with me talking me in all the way [even the "move your ass woman" comment had good effect]! if you hadn't i'd have still been there 2 hours later. thank you petal. xx

Maz ran a stormer! She thinks she broke 3 h 27m - phenomenal! Jill also ran a stormer coming in at 3h 43m but did her knee in during race and ended up injured, limping home to the finish line. Kas too was happy finishing under 5 hours in this heat. i saw her running last half mile as i was hobbling to car!

This is the hardest physical thing i have ever done!

We are all celebrating today with lunch at in west end!

my first marathon

aint even done my first one yet however......this will change tomorrow! tomorrow i become a "real" runner as my running mate the ever wise geddi tells me. so armed with everyone's good advice and all the training i could have fitted into my very busy life i make this giant leap for mekind and run the edinburgh marathon!!