Yume No Chikara

On my last attempt to run, Wednesday, I felt awful as I had to walk so much amoung other things so today I went for a walk! Now this walk included some running, and the running was a lot better than Wednesday. My sinuses hurt with every foot fall but the legs and breathing were a lot better. Strangely though because this was a walk I didn't mind walking with running intervals (rather than Wednesday's run with walking intervals!). It's strange how the mind works isn't it - because this was a walk it felt good. Was very pleased with myself. Also had my hair cut so had 2 short walk/runs then came home and had a bath. So lunch was soup and bread at 2.15 by which time I had started to feel wobbley (even my hand was shaking) but I wasn't actually hungry. I guess my blood sugar levels had dropped hence the shakes but the body still had the christmas excess so not hungry. Very strange. Tomorrow hubby is at work from 6AM (so no New Year pish up for us!) so I intend to

This cold is really annoying me now. Last night I had a really bad dry cough (no the wine was not the cause!) as well as the runny nose. Today my abs feel like I spent all day in the gym working on them, my nose is red and sore and the tissues are rapidly going down! Somehow I don't think my planned 13m run will happen tomorrow! I may just go for a long walk instead - dunno see how I feel and how cold it is. Oh and welcome to blog land to the newest blogger on my list - Fruity Reindeer! Yes another Runners World nutter and FLM05 entry! My FLM run up includes: Helsby Half - 23rd Jan Bramley 20m - 20th Feb Reading Half - 6th Mar ETA for Helsby was 2:20 but given the cold I think I will put that back to 2:40 which is still a big PB as mine is 2hrs 59:24 from Reading in 2003 and compared to where I am now Reading is flat! So ETA for Reading is now 2:15-2:20. Bramley is different! I've never run 20m, even when training for Abingdon I didn't do a 20M run and of

Yes that's right I'm feed up! Not so much because Christmas has been poo 'cos it hasn't but I've had a cold since last Monday and this means I haven't run since week ago Saturday. Still got a head full of snot but not coughing so much so will try a trot this afternoon. For christmas I did get 2 sports nutrician books by Anita Bean which I've been reading to help with the recovery process and carbo loading too. Also got the normal pressies of clothes and chocolates! Oh and about 4lb extra! Hope everyone else had a good time - I'll report in after my trot as it is a short 3.5wks to helsby and 16.5 wks to FLM!!

had today off work too, slept again this morning and coughed. now I feel good, still got the old cough but fine. Except it is now 11.30PM and I ain't tired! I've hovered the house, done washing and ironing and tided a bit too. Just not tired! Possibly something to do with the hours and hours of sleep I've had these last 48 hours! So now what! Well I've played Galacta on the PC (Old DOS based game but fun!) and I've looked at my new Access Training database. I've updated the calender on the wall for 2005 to include race dates and club nights up to FLM and all the 2005 school dates. I've even started the course work from the Fit2Run course I'm doing and that only arrived today! So what next! It's too late to call anyone, can't start a book as I know I have 2 Sports Nutrician books for Christmas and want to read those straight away. Nothing on TV, no films to watch ... arrrggghhh it's driving me mad! For the last 5 years I've ha

Well today I have ... slept, eaten, drank, slept eaten finished my tapisty cushion, drank wine and done some wrapping. Had a bath at 3 and got out of my PJ's and started to feel better. Washed my hair at 7 feeling much better (and that was before the wine!) I WON'T go to work tomorrow as I feel tired still and run down and well I don't want to, I want to get over this lurgy properly so I can see the family feeling healthy, enjoy Christmas and start FLM training in earnest feeling refreshed! I didn't go to club tonight and felt bad about that seeing as they were having a Christmas drink after but that's life sometimes. I would still like to do a long run this week but sensible head says make it a middle length depending on health. I think I will be OK but we will see. Whilst wrapping I realised I was 2 small presents short. I have all our pressies but Oliver wanted to give people a present which meant a quick re-shuffle and now I am short. Tomorrow I will

Yes I've finally got that lurgy that has been lurking. Yesterday at work was hard - felt rough and the chaps in the team sat next to us were trying to get me to see sense and go home from about 2.30-3PM. I left at 5.30. As those who know me will be aware my team was relocated this year. Whilst down in sunny Berkshire we were a team of 7, now we are 3 + manager. 1 chap was on holiday yesterday and today so despite feeling rough this morning I went in. Felt guilty at not coming in and leaving 1 + manager to deal with our 4 clients alone. So you can imagine how I felt when the other chap calls me at 9.15 to say he "has a fever" (he was fine yesterday) and isn't coming in but may be in that afternoon. I was so pleased that I had made the effort to struggle in when other CBA. He didn't turn up as I expected. I did leave early (2.30) as my head had gone, nearly crashed driving home as I couldn't concerntrate, my reactions where slow and I was tired from th

Oliver has had a cough/cold for about a week - last night I had a sore throat and this morning I'm cottonwool head and coughing! Just in time for Christmas! This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the ice cold (but not Sweden cold!) temperatures outside which make me cough more! Then seeing as it is Christmas there is the food - and with a cough I can't "run it off"! Hubby got his Christmas pressie from work: M&S Belgium biscuits (large tin of) MacVittes large tin Carr cheese bics Carr belguim bics Tub Chedders or one of the 2 packets of M&S belgium choc shotrbread I don't stand a chance!

Legs noticably tired now .. will do 30-45 mins recovery run tomorrow morning as I have a nice long drive (probably with a couple of stops!) Feeling a tad smug - what time would the 10m have been on a flat course and under race conditions?? My "4mths to a 4hr marathon" book that has a 4.45 schedule says long runs as 12.25-12.55 pace so within that nicely! Although I am aiming for about 12mm if I can as that will make a sub5 mara (11.23mm pace) easier. But to be honest I was aiming today to finish the distance and had allowed up to 2 1/2hrs so had 13mins spare too!!! Will do about the same distance next friday whilst hubby is asleep and before we go "back home for Christmas!" Will spend the rest of tonight with feet up (doing my tapistry that I WILL finish for grandma's christmas pressie - not long now, help!) and then a nice long bath and sleep!

yes that's right! Just back from 11 hilly miles! Beat my 10 mile PB (GSR pancake flat course) by 10 minutes! OK so it still took me 2hrs 17.05 for the whole run but hey longest run for 11 months! What did I learn .... Dextrose tablets are very good - but take them from mile 1 then every 1-1.5m and not after the 1st 3m! SIS is OK but I had to walk to take it! Xstals kept me going in the last mile when I was wandering if I walked!! Had a nice hot shower after my not so nice SIS rego drink and now I need to get dressed cos I'm cold (!!) and I think egg, beans and toast for lunch!! Very pleased pixie!

Ok so today I have the day off ... Oliver's last day of school and the plan was I would take him down to mum's this afternoon but he has a party tomorrow so the drive is planned for tomorrow now! This means that today I can do my long run (and therefore not waste time at mum's!). 1St it's the school run then tesco quickly. Today I am trying the following: currently drinking 1pt lucozade and I will run with water. Back up fuel of a couple of SIS gels and something new! Xstals are small tablets containing lots of caffeine and stuff that were created for snowboarders to give them energy up in the mountains. I had a couple yesterday afternoon to see if they caused any problems - they didn't apart from lack of sleep last night! Anyway today I will trot up to Ashby (about 3.5m) round the top of the town (including a couple of extra hilly loops for extra knackeredness!) then back home via Packington and then into the villiage past Champney Springs Health Hydro S

Ok so this is not quiet so earth shatteringly dramatic as the creation of the universe! Anyway I've decided, I've made up my mind, it will be! What you say? Oh sorry! As I have said before I want to lose weight, I'm a diet junky, have no will power and I am currently commiting food suicide! So this is my plan. 'Tis the season to be Jolly! That means from now until after Christmas I shall relax and enjoy without being a huge pig! No need to worry about left overs as we are away for Christmas so once I am home I have no excuses! After that I will: * Leave purse at home! * Pre-pare lunch after tea ready for the next day! * Drink more! * Write down what I eat! * Clean my teeth more frequently e.g. after eating anything! Hope that helps! You may also notice that this " running " blog may also become more foody (just like Derah!) but seeing as it is all about being healthy and fueling a healthy body to run and train and get to FLM that shou

This about sums marathons up nicely! No need to comment further I don't think!

to say that I am worried about my food intake and that I am also thinking more about food as fuel and a recovery tool. I'm looking at different sports drinks and gels and even started to use a recovery drink. Someone once said to me that the hardest part of the London Marathon was getting to the start line. Having failed to get there last year I'm being much more cautious this year! If a recovery milk drink helps then I will drink it even if milk is vile stuff! Mum has bought me 2 sports nutritian books for Christmas which I will be reading as soon as I get them. I doubt if they will be as good as Paula's book (finished that last night!) but whereas Paula's book was inspirational to get my butt out of the door and work harder, I hope that these will stop the self distruct mode and also aid in the training process. I will, of course, note anything of interest here including any recipes. I do have the Olympic cookbook - must try some of those recipes too! Anyw

I will be more positive and I will think before I eat and I will drink more! Here's hoping it works!

Hubby is working nights this week and next. Tonight I wrote the Christmas cards for my side of the family: 1 college friend 1 school friend the ex child minder my parents my grandma that's all it took - how pathetic is that? Posted Hubby's cards this morning - 9 off them all family. I have just 2 family cards left to write. Seems very wrong at this time of year when family and friends re-unite and get together to have so little to write. I have many more "virtual" friends from the Runners World website ... see them at races (for a hug) and they are like long lost friends, but it's an online friendship that is somehow different. I wouldn't be without my forum friends - I love them all, they are all so suportive and understanding and there is always someone there to help or listen when you need it, no I'd never be without them. Just seems very sad a lonely tonight - empty bed, son asleep and no-one to write cards too, no-one to say "whop

Lets review: Running is going well, work is very busy but I'm learning stuff, diet was going fab yet since last week and the mega stress I just can't control my eating. I'm just eating without thought even when I know I am full I eat. Now I feel fat, full, frumpy and a tad sick. Why am I doing this? There is no reason! Last week I at least had a reason - I was stressed beyond belief (not that that is an excuse) yet this week is calmer (still busy though) and I am eating, I'm even buying food to eat whilst saying to myself ... WHY??? grrrrr

Well the last few days have brought me good running results (won't mention self-distruct "Hey it's Christmas" mode) with a new 3M PB and 10K PB (in fact I was also in line for a stonking 10M PB on sunday too but miss judged my route and ended up doing just 8.5m!) So as a result I've been planning - I've even entered a 20m race, my first ever!! So here is the end of the year: Mon 13-Dec Rest Tue 14-Dec Rest Wed 15-Dec Club approx 5m Thu 16-Dec Rest Fri 17-Dec Long 10m Sat 18-Dec Rest Sun 19-Dec Rest Mon 20-Dec Easy 6m Tue 21-Dec Rest Wed 22-Dec Club approx 5m Thu 23-Dec Rest Fri 24-Dec Long 12m Sat 25-Dec Rest Sun 26-Dec Easy 5.5m - round the block at mum's! Mon 27-Dec Rest Tue 28-Dec Rest Wed 29-Dec Club approx 5m Thu 30-Dec Rest Fri 31-Dec Long 12-14m Looks a lot of rest but I've found that running 3 days actually works better than running more frequently. Means I can put in quality tempo sessions at club (which ar

{having just downed 2 bottles of white with the old man} I WILL do 10 miles!! Friday's club night was good - 30 secs faster than the wednesday of last week ... today has been domaestic godess! Tomorrow I get up, have breaky and drink lucoxade (however you spell it) and the plod whilst hubby watching boring old racing. In case you haven;t spoteed - too much wine! :-)

The last two days have been hell ... maga stress at work. The problem is for me stress = eat = feeling fat = upset = stress etc etc I spent all of yesterday doing that same thing - something that should have taken 5 mins, something that another colleague had done in a template format to make a 5 min job, and it was ALL wrong. I could have easily cried at times yesterday I felt that hopeless and crap. So God knows what my weight will be doing by the end of this week (which is also TOTM which also means food!) Supposed to be going for the works curry/christmas do tomorrow night - think I will skip it (Well Oliver is unwell and needs his mummy!) and go to club instead! Talking of club last nights run was a de-stress run! I actually lead for most of the 1st mile - then it was decided that I'm too errr "quick" when crossing roads!!!! hehe Anyway Brian took over and decided that seeing as Cheryl and I (we started within 1 week of each other) had improved that we

Ok so I've already admitted to being a diet junky but I have another confession! I seem to love buying magazines (and wasting a lot of money too!) yet never seem to read them all! I have a large pile forming! Then I save them to look back on X or Y article only to never open them again! I suppose running is like an addition to - Benz is addicted to marathons though which may or may not be such a good thing! Running is addictive though - you get a high from running even if it's been a rubbish run you almost always feel better having been out! There always seems to be the "must I?" moment before you drag your butt out of the door ... the obligitory 20 mins of hell at the start of the run ... the awful runs when nothing goes right and then there are "those runs" when everything is heavenly! OK so these are few and far between but they do happen and when they do you realise why you love running! Anyway my latest magazine purchase is "Health

Food .... no more to say. {Pixie bends over to allow visitors to kick her Butt for being so damn stupid} Very annoyed and fed up with myself :-(

annoyed, peeved, displeased, narked, cheesed off ... take your pick! Whichever word you chose discribes how I feel about yesterday's run! I'm really annoyed that I failed to achieve what I set out to do! Even though I know full well that I wasn't up to 10m on the day I really wanted to do it so I could see how I was doing, benchmark my training as such! I felt I could do 10m in about 2hrs ... even though my PB is 2hrs 14 on a dead flat GSR course. Even though I wasn't going to race the 10m I felt I could still beat my PB, I was totally confident! In fact if I had carried on at the same pace as I was doing I would have probably beaten my PB anyway. I would love to go home today or not have to work tomorrow and go and run 10m to find the answer! It's been annoying me since I finished my run (especially as the last full mile and the stray 1/2m was the fastest part of my run!) - problem is I know I can so the pain will continue. Is running really good for yo

well I've had a busy few days! Christmas shopping is now complete for a start! I now have a contact lens trial (and at £30 a pair (for 30 days use) they can stay a trial!) and Oliver has a bad cough just in time to pass it to me for Christmas! Yesterday's planned 10m run - hmmm now what to say about that! Sunday morning I was woken up early by a panicing 7yr old coughing and claiming he couldn't breath. His panic made him worse and it took several minutes to get him to relax again. Once mum was up I went off, deciding to alter my route to a 2 lap plod so that I could get home quicker if needed. First 1/2m was fine then my legs started to feel heavy. I decided this was the normal 20 min barrier problem (you now the 1st 20 mins are always crap, get passed that and life is fine!) but after 1.5m I had to walk. I was running at 12-12.30 mm but felt really really slow and laboured. My legs just seemed incapable of going faster, but the few occasions when I did get them

Club run tonight - first run since sunday and first club run for over 2 weeks. Very few people were there tonight so my normal group of 5-6 people was 2! This meant I had to run faster to keep up, but I was amazed to find that until the last 10 minutes I wasn't struggling that hard. The hills were so much easier today and I kept up and we didn't stop at all! 4.7m in about 50 mins (I forgot to start my watch!!) so I am really pleased! Supposed to be doing an XC race on sunday but thought I may do 10m on the road because A I need the miles and B I'm scared of getting injured! Now I'm even more keen to do the 10m on the road to see what time I do .. my 10m PB was set at the Great South Run last year and is 2hrs 14, at todays pace I should smash that. Mind you that will probably fate me to crash it! Tomorrow I'm off work (and Friday and boy am I glade!) and I am going Christmas shopping. I'm off to Nottingham as I've heard it is the best place to go but I

Sunday I did my first proper cross country - a club league event. I was last. There was only about 160 runners so I was very last and the car park was all but empty (apart from my lift!) when I finished. It was damn hard work too ... I aimed for 80 mins given that it was described as "a proper XC with testing hills on both laps" - considering this part of the country think that hills in my mind are slight slops I was scared! The morning brought rain too, lots of rain so it was also a mud bath! I still have mud in my toe nails despite 2 baths and 2 showers! My actual time was 82 mins so I was really pleased if somewhat demoralised at being last! I was also convinced by the end of the race that I wasn't going to do XC I would stick to roads (well at least until FLM is over with!) and that if I did do XC I needed spikes not just off road shoes! Yesterday I felt really quiet good - I was expecting to be stiff like last week but was fine! Which shows improvement in it

I've mentioned before that I am a diet junky, but one thing that this addiction has taught me is the signs to watch for. As of last Saturday I had lost 5lb - that was in 12 days. I was delighted. I knew that I had possible been a little low of calories but reconed that a kick start was good, after all a lot of diets/healthy eating plans started with 2 weeks of lower intact to kick start the plan and make you feel good with a high weight lose. So I carried on as before. Only the last 2-3 days I have noticed that I have been really tired and yesterday and today I have eaten a lot, not as much as I have before or as much as I could have eaten but a lot more than the last two weeks. So the analytical head has come into force. I haven't been running or exercising lots; I may be in work earlier but I am leaving early then dosing most of the afternoon with Oliver. This means just one thing.... I've cut back too much . I haven't lost any weight since Saturday (I may

On Wednesday Saint Paula was in town to sign her book, some people waited up to 5 hours to get a book! I was unfortunate in that I only had 30 mins lunch so was unable to join the queue, however Paula is a lovely lady and stayed behind and signed some extra books - I was lucky enough to get one of these extra books! Yesterday I started reading (only managed the 1st 100 pages) and I have to say that she is totally inspirational! I wanted to go for a run but with my 7 year old to look after I couldn't. She is such a single minded lady, so focused and detirmined. By the end of the night I was convinced that my failing in running isn't the lack of training, miles or skill it was detirmination and application! If I am lucky I may get a mile in today (yes a single mile) by running to collect Oliver from school. On Sunday I have another XC event and I'm going to be staying focused and thinking of Paula all the way! Can't wait to get home, make myself a cuppa and carry

It's amazing what you find out there in blog land! From SoVeryTired's blog I located more RW Forumite links! I will update my links soon - no really I will! In the mean time as the slowest of the slow RW Runners - hello and goodbye, must do some work!

I think I could be best described as a diet junky!! I know the basis of most diets as I have tried them all ... for the word tried read "I've read the details and pretended to diet for 1-2 days and claimed to diet for weeks". I finally decided that enough was enough and I have to lose some weight to make FLM training easier. So, seeing as Rosemary Conley is the patron of my charity, I decided to go back to basics. I've been counting calories! My aim has been to keep between 1200 and 1400 calories although I think a few days have been less. I've been writing things down and improving my mental arithmetic too by adding the figures up! So far I've lost 5lb without being hungry all the time and still having treats and wine! Just shows how much extra I ate without thinking! Anyway today someone reminded me of a site I had seen before but forgotten. FitDay is an online diary as such where you can record all you eat and it will keep a track of the calories

Saint Paula is in town today! I work in Loughborough which is where Paula is based athletic club wise. She holds an honoury degree from the University and is today getting "Freedom of the City". In addition she is signing her book at the local bookshop, only the queue is 2hours long for waiting! She was supposed to have finished at 1.30 and is still sat there signing ... I've asked the shop to let me know if there are any "left over books" signed by her fair hand and I'm praying they will call me to say yes! I'm on 30 minute lunch breaks due to leaving early to collect my son so there is no way I could have waited! Everything crossed!!

Yes sounds silly doesn't it but when you get that stiff leg feeling you know you've worked hard! You know that yesterday's run was a hard session and must have been good for you! Normally I would rest the day after a long run but just now I'm having to take advantage of every run I can. So this is what happened yesterday. I rush home from work to collect my son from school, got home earlier than expected so changed into my running gear and ran "the long way" to school .... the long way is a whole 0.9m and took 10mins and 8 seconds. I was really pleased with this given the stiff legs muscles! Having run there we walked back, walking at the pace of a 7yr old child is slow, and we took the proper way home so this wasn't included in my training! Later that night Oliver (my son) went to boys brigade so as with last week I doned my head torch and off I went! This week I wore Oliver's beany hat and the difference that made was amazing! I didn't realise

Yesterday I did "The Suicide Sixish" - it's a 10Km cross country run that involves lots of mud and hills and a river to ford! I was running with friends from the Runners World Forum including Glenn who had agreed to pace me round (and will be pacing me round the 4 Villages half in January too!) The race started off will and I was really impressed with myself! I was feeling strong and (for me) fast and was coping really well! I was OK going up the hills and speedy going down them, even overtaking some people! I was able to pass Glenn by a lot going downhill but he was always there shortly after we leveled out!! Then the first real section of sticky mud came and I realised that my shoe was in danger of coming off so walked as I had no chance of undoing the laces!! So that slowed me down but it wasn't exactly easy - I was glad I wasn't running that bit or I may have landed on my butt! Glenn patiently waited for me at the end - I could see the look on his face t

Last night I had to go out for my run at 6PM. It was pitch black and cold! Problem was I've only run that route once before (the other way round and in daylight!!) so I didn't know the lumps and bumps of the road or how much lighting there was. Strangly though this made me run slower as I was very cautious rather than faster like a scared rabbit! Still another 4.8m under the belt. I'm currently having to do the school run and collect my son as we have no child care (long story) so exercise is at a minimum anyway, and this is why I ended up with a night time run. The worst bit was that I was alone and there was no-one at home to call in a panic. My son was a boy's bragade and they had my mobile so could call if there was a problem or if I didn't turn up but still it isn't the same. But at the end of the day to get round FLM I need the miles so I must take advantage of any running I can. What is good is that I am able to make my faster sections last longer n

Friday night came and I was presented with the SDM! The previous owner had had her handbag stolen with the watch in so the SDM was of no use to her - it was to me! One of my problems with running has been that I run alone. It doesn't bother me running alone - you get time to think and peace and time to take in what is about you. I enjoy it BUT it also means I turned into a 1 speed pixie. I knew I could run faster as I have always been a bit faster in races with others about and always managed a "pixie sprint" finish, but I never seemed capable of running faster alone. My legs just seemed to have 1 pace and that was it! The club has forced me to run faster so that I didn't get left behind and the ladies captain (a runner of 18 yrs experience, a qualified personal trainer and a 3 hrs marathon runner) has made a point of getting me to vary my speed. This has already seen me improving which is great. Today I went for my first sole run with the SDM and it was bril

Shortly after I moved from Berkshire to Leicestershire (or Derbyshire if you work for the Royal Mail!) I joined the Ivanhoe Runners. Great group of people of various speeds all of which are faster than me! The Club Chairman (Dave) also owns The Derby Runner and as such generally speaking provides a lot of the runners with their kit. Now back in June/July I bought a new Timex Bodylink Hearr Rate Monitor which comes with a GPS for calculating your speed and distance if required. At the time I couldn't afford to get the GPS too :-( and I've recently be wondering how or where to get £160 to purchase the additional component. On Wednesday Dave advised me that he had just been given a nearly new one for just £60!! Now that I can justify! Tonight I am hoping that I'll get my new toy! Here's hoping!!!

Ok so you noticed that the completed site isn't completed! Well life hasn't allowed the luxery or motivation to pull ones finger out and do the update properly (I have several pages of code on my PC though if that counts!) So in the mean time I thought I would follow young PantMan and provide a brief profile of me! Age : 31 Star Sign : Aries (stubborn!) Location : Leicestershire, UK Occupation : Techincal Support Engineer (AKA Dogs body of IT) I've been running for about 2.5yrs now and although I have completed marathons before (1 running and 2 walking events) I have remained consistently slow! This isn't helped by the few (28 ish) excess pounds I carry about with me or my short legs! (I'm only 5' 1.5") Why is this relevent to this FLM05 Blog? Well to succeed in my mision of a sub 5hr marathon I need to consistently run 26.2m at a pace of approximately 11mins 27secs per mile! Like every other runner I do have "A PLAN" only my P

"If a man is walking naked sideways through a door he is always going to Bangkok" "Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day" "Man who live by sea called cliff" "Man with spade on his head called doug" "Man with one chopstick go hungry" "Man without spade on head called Douglas" "It is a wise man who knows he is a fool" "Man who go to bed with sex problem wake with solution on chest" It's amazing what you learn off the Runners World Website! Seriously though if you do want to take up running then do visit the site and the forums for a wealth of information and advice!

Whilst I am busy (?) planing my new blog I've asked about and got some more to list for you!. I will be including a pukka links page with these blogs plus other notable sites but in the mean time ..... FakesSwede First Time Marathon PantMan 20six londonmarathon.web-log.nl MarathonDan Running Commentary Blood Sweat and Tears MarathonWill Please keep an eye on this site and the ones linked above - who knows we may inspire you to enter the London Marathon in 2006!

This blog will be updated soon to reflect my attempts to run the London Marathon 2005! See you soon!