HA HA BLOODY MARVELLOUS! First 10k race done.....

And it was bloody marvellous! Hard but really good fun. The weather was truly awful but the rain did not stop me, I guess the adrenalin helps you ignore it. I told a lady in the queue beside me (also her first race) at I was hoping , worst case scenario 1hour 30mins... Best case, 1hour 15 and at this point she looked at me agog... She tried not to look surprised at the times I suggested but she was and so were the other very fit runners around her who heard . Well... The day was windy and wet and I had seen hail so I thought this was a realistic time for a first timer in this kind of wuthering heights backdrop. The fantastic news is that I completed it in 1hour and 16seconds. I am still sitting here with a mile-wide -smile. So happy with that result and only walked a teeny tiny bit at the top of the killer hill just before the finish. Mind you, if I had tried to keep going at that point I might have come in under the hour... The mind boggles. I have to say a massive thanks to the boss who ran with me for the first mile and a bit and kept my pace good, showed me how to just go for it on the wild moor stretch where others were pussy footing around the puddles and bog whereas he just piled on through and if he got wet... So what. So I did the same and I reckon this helped my time nicely. Also ended up 200 th out of 263 runner and happy with that as I thought I was going to be last for sure. Also big thanks to the bairn and LLLee for standing at the bottom of the last and truely horrible hill to keep me going as I was flagging. This was a hard race . Soooo glad I did it though. Have some photos and will post them in a bit. Off to the local pup for a nice meal and maybe a glass of bubbles...!mmmmmmmm.

One much needed sleep to go...

Having spent the night in hospital beside the bairn, a physically and mentally exhausted me has prepped all her gear and is about to go to bed to get some much needed sleep before the race tomorrow... and apparently it will be a shocking day-high winds, rain , mist.... Delightful! It might mean, though, that I don 't actually see the hills I have to negotiate so that might help. I am not sure about what to wear for the rainy, cold day. The chap in the running shop today said the best thing for running in the rain is just your skin.... Well I do not intend to run this starkers so instead I have lined up an entire shops worth of clothing options currently lining the upstairs bannister and will bring a few options with me. Note -I am obsessing over the small stuff to forget the big stuff... Like finishing the course and in a time which means I can keep a degree of dignity. The bit I am actually looking forward to is the boggy moor. Should be fun. I am , at heart , not scared of a "bit of weather" having grown up in the constant drizzle of North East Ireland and having been shoved into a freezing North Atlantic Sea from a formative age so I should be ok tomorrow. Fingers crossed please and keep the faith.... Big time!

Should hills really be this much fun?

Only 3 sleeps to my first 10k run and yesterday I did a hard but thoroughly enjoyable 4k with lots of HILLS! The scenery helped a lot and the run started off with a gentle jog and then we attacked an almighty hill which had to be walked up at some very steep points but it brough us up to the same glorious view which I have taken a couple of photos of and will attach . This forest is my own little Rome as I covered 7 hills in total. The last bit of the trail had a couple of short, sharp hills which the boss stormed up and waited shouting "dig in" type things so I did and got a bit of a rush when I got to the top of each one... So it is possible to enjoy hills. The only thing is.... The 10k includes long ones and a very sharp one at the end of ...10k!

5 sleeps to go...

Quick post to say did the gym session as planned, tried not to stress the knees as hill work tomorrow if weather holds(has been a glorious day today and was hard to stay in the gym this evening and not venture outside as saw quite a few runners ). Anyway, job done for today.

The plan for the week -6 sleeps to go....

6 sleeps and in reality 4 days of training until the race. Not counting Saturday as that will be a rest day. LLLee thinks I am going a bit bonkers about it as I seem to be relating everything to the mammoth task ahead of me on Sunday. Of course, this is mainly for effect as it is only a bloody 10k which I have ran before and I will love it no matter what but having a bit of fun with the drama of it all. Even managed to remark during 'Lawerence fo Arabia' desperate desert scene that his terrible plight was pretty much what I would be facing on that last hill before the finish. So the plan for this week looks like this; Today - swim . Rubbish one actually cos the pool was full of kids splashing about , which is what I would prefer to do and the swimming teacher watching my dodgy attempts at goggle swimming and then reverting back to breast stroke with a whole heap of bad habits and poor technique there too I am sure. Anyway, at least I exercised a bit. Tues - gym, resistance training and bit of cross training , interval style. Wed - hill running with the boss and probably the most important session before the race. Thurs - depending in how I feel, weights and core or bit of gentle swimming. Fri - longish run with LLLee , maybe 6 to 8 k? Maybe less. Sat - absolutely now't. That's the plan anyway! {:

Back &forth over the river bridge-a sure way to make the golfers scratch their heads

Decided to do a quick recky of the 10k race site as I wanted to know (a) exactly what type of "hills" I was really going to have to face and (b) find out where the start was and of upmost importance, where the loos were. Did not want to go round the drivable bits of the course as I still want to be pleasantly surprised (or traumatised). As i got closer to the race village i noticed the terrain moving from really flat, to mildly undulating and then distinctly hilly... The race village was pretty, the terrain was truly, truly hilly and the last ( I don't really know distances but it seemed like around a MILE) stage was a very, very steep climb... However, it is not a question of will i do it but of i will do it and it might take a bit longer but so bloody what... A year ago i did not think i could run a 3k let alone a hilly 10 k! I I will think of the amazing Chrissey Wellington who says pain is transitory, my colleague, Maddie,IRON woman , the boss, IRON MAN! The Lee genetics which I have not inhereted but still try to plug into and finally those wonderful marathon runners, running for whatever charity , Jane Tomlinson and her wonderful family... I will Keep the faith this week , crack on and do first 10k race.... Yippee!

New post about food -very brief....

Frozen prawns still in freezer, not consumed as yet. Thinking of defrosting them after my run tomorrow as there are some frozen Yorkshire puddings which could suffice after my planned 10k practice run mid week. Any suggestions for the prawns? Was going to do some kind of stir-fry but open to simple suggestions. By the way, if you haven't tried Yorkshire puddings and gravy yet, then YOU MUST as they are bloody gorgeous! Tarra!

On the eve of the London Marathon, my thoughts go out to all those first time runners. Well to all the runners actually and very best of luck. My own mini landmark is fast approaching with only a week to go before my first 10k race. 10k in itself is ok (well still at my upper limit really) but very do-able . The problem is two-fold. 1. It is a race and 2. it is a very hilly race and I haven't really done hills so went out with the boss to tackle a couple in my new trail shoes. The whole day had been interspersed (spelling?) with pretty torrential rain storms but by the time I had my gear on and was ready to run, a wonderful window of clear weather appeared and ran a lovely but hard 4k with my heart about to burst out of my chest on the hilly bits at some points - but this was a much, much needed mini hill training session and the only thing which made me feel good was despite my pace slowing to a virtual crawl on some steeper inclines, my recovery seemed ok. One hill was so steep it was known as the "gut buster" and although i felt close to wretching at one point, i can confirm it has not busted this little gut, however , it was a real experience and the views at the top were spectacular. Doh.. No camera again but doubt if I could capture some of the lovely scenery around here anyway. Gorse is glowing, bluebells and wood anenomies making an appearance and best of all, the swallows are back!!!!!! Massive warm wishes to all running the marathon for charity tomorrow. I will be wishing you lightness on every step. XXX. P.s. how do you keep cats off your car? Cruelty free answers only please to ensure no-one gets offended.....

12k and crispie buns for 40

Despite the most miserable drizzly day I had a session with the boss and he does rain and expects others to as well so got my gear ready and set off. Running on my own in the rain I might not have even set off or at best, I might have managed to scrape a 2or 3k at a push but running with the boss you(a) don't complain and (b) pretend it is a sunny day and to be honest, the run just slipped past. There are days and runs like that and they are just great . M y knees were fine (although the frozen prawns are in action as we speak) and although the first 5k was a bit slow, we did the 12k in just over 1hr 10. Really needed to put in a long run so thanks boss. Well enough of the training on to my second favourite subject - FOOD ! Off to make crispie buns for 40 for a 60s do at the Village Hall. I reckon I need more photos on this blog so if I don't manage to get any photos of my runs then I will put in my food ! You lucky blogsters ........ !

Frozen prawns on the knees .....ahhhhh lovely!

Sitting here with a bag of morrisons frozen king prawns on each knee , ethically sourced I hope but to be honest the food shop was taking too long and they were the last things on my list as I spotted a suspiciously free checkout isle so grabbed the first bags I could find. Anyway, they are doing a grand job on the knees which were a tad hot after my slightly bizarre treadmill run in the gym today. I didn't intend to run, just do a bit of interval training on the spin bike cos my shirt was a bit short which meant my bum was on show which is not at it's best due to the Easter excess but it will begin to shrink, of that I am truly determined! Anyway, the gym was really quiet so I decided to get my miles back on track (ish ) by doing a 5k treadmill run. Started with a 5 min fast warm up and then ran for 2k on a very slight incline but was busting a gut by then (as i always seem to in the first couple of k...?) so walked for a bit on a steep incline and then ran on and off at a fast pace to finish the 5k in a really slow 35 mins (mind you, I never really trust the treadmill readouts as they always say my runs are ridiculously slow). Anyway, a few weights and core stuff and that is another session in the bag. Prawns on knees just incase I can manage another 5k tomorrow to make a less-than adequate- but-there- you-go mileage this week. better go before the prawns are cooked.

A question for my Russian friends...?

A question to anyone really who had happened upon this blog and lives in a country celebrating Easter... Do you all pig out on chocolate too, and buns, and lots of bad food that makes you stop exercising and then makes you want to again to get it out of your system? Eventually, I dragged myself to the gym to do a knee friendly workout - cross trainer, moderate 10 mins, vicious intervals(spelling?)for a minute on and off, total of 20, then 8 mins hard on spin bike, then weights with testosterone filled blokes hovering in disgust as I used "their" weights bench. I love it when I invade their space, they don't know what to do..... Ha ha! Anyway, happy with work out if not my fitness level but onwards and upwards. Only 3 weeks to the first (and very hilly) 10k! Oh s**t. Anyway, nice to get a running buddy for the next 10k(thanks Nicky) and sending big love to vandalicious popodpoplous, my lovely friend who has had a bit of a chest related set back and I hope she is fighting fit in time for her holiday xxxxxx.

Peachy beach run

Easter weekend brought the delights of my first beach run and boy do the dunes hurt but really have to say what a beautiful morning run, more or less empty beach, just a couple of people walking their dogs but left them at the start of the beach and ran into the total emptiness of the strand with nothing,no-one, nada, to spoil the peace and quite. Actually, a very empty beach if I think about it with no birds and precious few shells or seaweed. Doesn't matter though as glorious wide stretches of sand and dunes behind. Now then.... The dunes! They are buggers. Really hard to run in that kind of soft sand and of course, they are undulating which means dodgy sand and hills, a nasty combination but kept saying the odd burst up a dune was good for an interval training substitute. Off the beach I ran up a little forest path and then back down for a little bit more beach running, e magnificent Bamburgh CAstle i the background, passing those same doggy people for the third time before heading home. Tremendous effort but legs and knees hurting like hell. 2and a bit hour drive home later that day ha not helped my stiffness. Let's see if I can even walk tomorrow...

Lovely weather , lovely run , rubbish day at first

A beautiful day sandwiched in between pretty cold miserable weather helped lift a rubbish early part of the day . Did the 5k river run and the river looked really beautiful today. Still and sunny, no wildlife (well some rabbits but they don't count). I relaxed into a slow pace letting myself begin the first half of the run at a bit more that a crawl, started to pick up as the hill with the portaloo at the top appeared and after a little diversion (really needs a bit of a clean that loo although mostly frequented by geriatric golfers, you would think they were the demanding sort who expect a clean porta loo) carried on at a better pace and back by the river, broke into my habitual "sprint".... Of sorts, finding that second wind. Do I really seem to hit the wall on every run right at the start of a run, no matter how long or short? Off to the seaside for Easter so I'll attempt some beach running. Total k's so far this week: about 20 and a mixed little bunch they were too. Will try to squeeze another one in and then see what next week brings:} Happy Easter and good egg eating to you all !

According to Rod, the first cut is the deepest, well, according to me, the first mile is the bloody hardest

Despite the most miserable drizzly day I had a session with the boss and he does rain and expects others to as well so got my gear ready and set off. Running on my own in the rain I might not have even set off or at best, I might have managed to scrape a 2or 3k at a push but running with the boss you(a) don't complain and (b) pretend it is a sunny day and to be honest, the run just slipped past. There are days and runs like that and they are just great . M y knees were fine (although the frozen prawns are in action as we speak) and although the first 5k was a bit slow, we did the 12k in just over 1hr 10. Really needed to put in a long run so thanks boss. Well enough of the training on to my second favourite subject - FOOD ! Off to make crispie buns for 40 for a 60s do at the Village Hall. I reckon I need more photos on this blog so if I don't manage to get any photos of my runs then I will put in my food ! You lucky blogsters ........ !

Where I run.....

Happy birthday to meeeeee!

Do runners improve with age?

Iam asking this as I sit waiting for my birthday to arrive in 2 hours time. Would.'t it be nice if that was the case. In my eyes, the main thing is not to get any worse at the very least. I was feeling a little 'off' to say the least before I went for my run this evening with the boss. I don't think he likes excuses normally but he and his good lady had experienced the same thing yesterday so a bit of sympathy seemed to show up. Very welcome as the first couple of miles were hard. Then as we turned down a woody off road path (really a short cut rather than running the full 6 miles)Iseemed to find my stride and enjoyed the last mile. That is around 14 k so far if the week starts on Sunday but knees are a bit tender so not sure how much more I can do this week. Let's see shall we....! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME(:

New shoes at last

An early birthday present - (dinky danke) of new shoes , trail shoes and insoles. Tried them out today on the long circuit (5k) which took another 28 mins and resulted in a teeny tiny blister but nowt to cry about. At least i realised that the insoles don't go on top of the ones already there ...eventually ....as trainers felt extremely snug until I took the original pair out. Beautiful afternoon to run and a lovely clear view of the vale. Wildlife count , only 1 angry oyster catcher (probably too close to the nest) and really felt like it was hard going at two points with the usual doubts of 'will I really run all the way today?' happening on both occasions but pushed through and as I patiently waited for my second wind, I got it around joan's house and the last half mile seemed to just slide by beautifully. Wonder why that is..? First mile slow , second up and down , third glides by. I still never really know how much fuel there is in the tank during the last mile and I am reluctant to push incase I have to do the 'walk of shame' on the last few hundred yards but at some point I will have to really push myself. Maybe this week. Yep, this week at some point. Will let you know how it goes. Mind you we are expecting snow at the end of the week so that might mean the walk of shame for the full 5k! How is the weather with you my Global friends?