Yume No Chikara

earlier today I almost talked myself out of my scheduled run due to a tender knee. Then I fell asleep on the sofa (something to do with really carp nights sleep for 3 nights in a row). So there I was watching TV thinking "I should have run" "I'm tired" "I have the tready I could still run, or do I get up early and run tomorrow?" Then as you do 10:30 and I wander off to do my run of 30-40 mins 5R:2W steady pace. Started well doing 7.5km on the run and 4.5km walking. I started to think of doing the 7 sets for just over 40 mins and making the last set faster. Then set 4 and I notice a distinct wobble in my legs and that I'm clock watching and struggling with the pace. Time to call it quits. So I finish off at 2miles in 30:18 having done a 4 mins walking cool down. Yes I'm pleased I did it as I would have been annoyed if I hadn't (specially as I have the tready now so no excuses) and I probably would have brooded and not slept well (again!) if...

Plan: LSD 75mins 3R:2W The conversation went like this .... Head: Slow down! Child: No shant! this feels great! I'm really running! Look I've got a spring in my step! yes this is fun! Head: Granted this is true but this IS A SLOW RUN it's 75 mins slow down or blow up! Child: Nope Shant! Too much fun. 45 mins later ... Head: You must Slow down! Look you are starting to wonder when you can next walk and you are still breathing fairly hard when you start to run agian. Behave and slow down. Child: Maybe in a bit - this is till fun! another 10 mins later ... Child: Oh OK you win I'll slow down, well I slow down for 1 of the 3 mins, OK?? Head: NO! Child: huh! Not fair, I'm enjoying myself (mutters under breath)... hmmm legs are tired, hip flexor starting to ache maybe I should slow down. 60 mins after leaving the house ... Head: See thats' much better we can breath properly now! The result was a total run of 5.5m in 78 mins. That's 5.3m in 73 mins of walk run and ...

Yep it's done! And the garage is tidy! The instructions said NO to a garage and I think this is due to dust so I need to finda cover. Also in the summer break I will paint the walls and floor to minismise dust. Once done I couldn't resist a very quick test - quick as I wasn't wearing any running gear or a sports bra but it was fab! Really excited! Then I spent 90 mins digging the garden - a patch of flower bed about 3ft by 2ft that was as solid as concrete! Good work out! Then tea - timed to ensure that come time for hubby to go to work I could slip into my running kit, potter about the garden for 30 mins or so and then do my run! As bear has advised to do my intervals I will - but I may add some additional steady running to make up for not running yesterday (not that making the tready was an easy day!!). Plan : 5 mins jog warm up the 5x 3mins @10k pace (8km ph ish) with 2 min recovery followed by 5 mins walk cool down. I also intend to do some toning (situp etc) after. So ...

Plan: 40 mins run 5:2 Run: Nowt! Got up and spent an hour or so sorting gnome's stuff out as he is of on holiday for the week with his Gran and Grandad on their canal boat. Walked the 10 mins each way to the paper shop then off we went. Got home had lunch and the tready arrived!!! Oh yes! So I spent the next 4hrs (less 30 mins to sit down and drink a cuppa tea!) clearing the garage and making my tready! After which time I had had a good workout and was knackered! Hubby then decided we would go out for tea! I drove so no booze but vey nice and large dinner was consumed! So it's here! 99% finished, just need to tighten some bolts and earth the plug then organise the garage again! Problem is do I do my 40min run from today or the intervals? Monday is my next long run (so I don't have a long run next weekend when Gnome is back as I would have missed him as it is!) Oh and I passed the last section of the Fit2Run course and have the final bit to do! Also I have enrolled on the fr...

Summer is here (well for today at least!) so I am doing my long run today! 70 mins of walk3 run2. Not sure where I will do it - work, Ashby or home, depends on how early I get out from work!! I would like to go down to club and say hello tonight as well - we'll see the run is the main thing. Maybe I could walk run to Ashby then have a swim and walk home? Nah that will take far too much time up and I have to get gnome ready to go on the boat with the in-laws tomorrow morning. (Half term next week and no child care means we need to get rid of him!)

Yesterday I had to stay late at work so went straight to the gym for a run ... I almost ran from home but the idea of getting grief from the gnome didn't appeal as I was already tired (but as Spans says how often do you feel worse for a run?!) Anyway I get there and it's warm (small gym minimal air con!) so I do get on the tready (no-one else is about!) and my aim was 40 mins of 5:2 R:W at about 7km ph. To my frustration as this is a small gym the damn thing is hard programmed so you can't do more than 30 mins! So I do a 5 min walking warm up, then stop and start again! The Plan then changed to the 30 mins session as the idea of faffing about with re-starting the tready again didn't appeal! (Shant have that problem soon!) So off I went, as my runs last week were at 7 I decided to do 7.2km ph - a minimal increase in speed but an increase all the same! Set one fine! Set two slight tightness in the legs. Set three and I start to notice that my right leg (the one that got i...

Tready due Saturday! At least I think that is what they said! I managed to put my phone on loudspeaker and got all flustered! SO fingers crossed and boys get ready for heckling!

Well according to my HRM I could be either! I'm sending it back and after a full refund :-( Today's run: started off at 110 at the door then within 20 mins I was at an impressive 58! Then 15 or so mins later I thought I should call the ambulance as I was at 240 where it sat for about 10 mins not sure if it had a connection or not, by the time I finished (70 mins walk:run) I was at 98. Anyway it resulted in 4.8m of walk:run (3:3) and was tiring! Not sure if the tiredness was 3 days of running, no breakfast or the longest (time) run in a month but I was tired! Never at the "Not gonna carry on" stage but still I had to work hard! It started of Fab! Probably too fast at times (I went under 10mm (downhill!) on my 2nd run section) but during those moments I felt fantastic! I felt like a real runner, fast, smooth and fit! (if somewhat tubby!) my fastest was 9.15mm pace (the GPS was working fine just the HRM wasn't!) and my running bits probably averaged in the 11-12.30 p...

Yesterday I did my scheduled speedwork - 1st time I had really done what I would call a proper session of speedwork. ! walked the 10 mins to the leisure centre then jumped on the tready. Spans had listed a pyramid session of 1min hard, 1 walk, 2hard, 1 walk, 3 hard, 1 walk then 2 then 1 - you get the picture! I did the "hard" at 8Km ph and found it easier than I thought I would whilst still being trying. I finished the session off with loads of crunches and leg exercises and stretches then walked to school to collect Gnome feeling good. This morning I woke up early and the sun was out so I did my 30 mins early (5R:3W) and off I went too keen to realise I had forgotten my GPS so again it's an I think for distance - I think it was about 2.5m but not sure! I used my phone for MP3 music and had some funky music on which I soon discovered was too fast for a beat but great to run too! The last run was harder going but I did keep going and then I finished off with a 10 min walki...

Last night I went to the gym to do the 1st run of my Spans Plan. I was planning to run the night before but the belly ache stopped me doing it :-( So the plan was 30 mins of 5R 3W ... so I popped on the tready and did a 5 min walking warm up then off on my runs. I started at 7.5km ph than realised that was too hard, almost 10K pace and NOT what was on the schedule so I dropped down to doing my runs at 7km ph. The 1st set made the legs moan - the muscles were tight and were not happy (brain started to approach panic mode) but after the walk they eased off. Think it was lack of use over the months and then tiredness from the weekend's run. All was going well and then BANG, the tready decided that the Quick Start option that I had chosen meant 30 mins MAX, right in the middle of a run :-( so I had to do the emergancy stop an start again! As a result I have no idea how far I did! I also finished with a 5 min walking cool down so think it was 3.5-4km. Not far but I was walk/run so not b...

Today my goal was to upgrade my phone and get as much free as I could - i.e. I'm a cheap! So off I toddle to the CarPhoneWarehouse. Normally they give £20 for "Trading in" your old phone, charger and manual. This month it's £40. As a loyal T-Mobile customer I get a phone up to £100 free. So I got the Nokia 6230 with Mp3 Player and DAB Radio and camera for free and the chap gave me the bluetooth adaptor for the phone (thats £50 instead of £40). He then goes on to try and flog me TalkTalk which is there cheap landline phone service. After a while he says I can have free accessories worth £20 so I agree knowing I will cancel tonight! So he says he will get me a free facia and cover which I agree to .... but the cover was £14 and the cover was £20! So I got the lot for free! Very nice thank you!! So I have installed the bluetooth at work and uploaded 2 songs and will test out the MP3 player at the gym tonight! Sorted!

I hope! Well I last saw him the week of FLM as my next appointment was missed by 24hrs! I have checked that I have an appointment today! 12:20. As my BUPA money has run out I will be saying "sorry last visit cos I have no money!" I will be showing him my training plan (and taking in what he says whilst still planning to follow Span's plan!) I will also be asking for as much self help advice as possible to prevent me seeing him again (new year money wise with BUPA is August!! So I have to last until then really!) I will report back later! later that day ..... Well I've been and seen the lovely Andy and he is pleased and says I can carry on without him! (PHEW!) I showed him my Spans Plan and he said it was "perfect, exactly what he would have suggested" and asked who did it! Just told spans and she is all embarressed now! So THANK YOU SPANS!!! Anyway I have some exercises to keep up to improve my muscles round my hips and improve hip stability. He also sugges...

Right the folks here is week one: Steady Run 1 30mins ratio 5 run: 3 walk Steady Run 2 30mins ratio 5 run: 3 walk Interval 5min walk warm up pyramid session of: - 1 hard: 1walk 2 hard: 1 walk 3 hard: 1walk 2 hard: 1 walk 1 hard: 1walk 5min walk warm down Long run 70 mins (ratio 3:3) I will be using my GPS outside to log distances and speed whilst waiting for the tready, and when on the tready I will note the details (training my mind and memory at the same time!!) These stats will then be noted on here! All excited now!!

Just back from JJB (sorry!) and the tready is on order! Up to 28 days delivery, was offered to take one away today but I didn't want to damage th car or my back in moving it! I did hint that Friday would be ideal but they said they could not specify a day/date :-( AH said the last time he ordered something on 28 days it took 3-4 so fingers crossed! I will keep you informed so you can ready the shouting at me boys!

Been speaking to Coach Spans and she's gonna Sort me Out!! I am really looking forward to this... I will order my tready next week and then I'm set! A proper structed plan is what I need to A get me where I want to be and B ensure I use my tready! 'Tis goona be hard work but fun! I know it! Also I have Running Duck visiting this weekend. We're going to Conkers tomorrow with V-Rap and 3 of her monsters and my monster (now know as Running Gnome!) Picked up the car yesterday - now know as the Gnome Mobile! It's lovely!

Today I get my new car! All very exciting as it will be the 1st new car registed in my name! I've also been pondering the exercise thing. The pondering goes like this .... BT work has a good deal of logic to it BUT I just don't have the patience to walk 90% of the time in order to maintain a lower HR! I'm sure it does work but I don't think I can do it. Also (following on from a thread on RW today) my max HR is 206 which means BT work at about 144, as I said most of this is walking. Now BR suggested that you don't get your true max HR doing a test (which is how I got my 206) that you are more likely to get it at the end of a 5K race when you are really going for it (and therefore get the spaced out, sick, dizzy feeling!) Now I have never got to that stage, even when doing my max test cos I'm a wimp! This could mean my MHR Is higher than 206 hence 144 is too low. But sorry I can't see myself testing this theory either! So a work around as such is required, to...

Green Cones! coming to Measham!! Yep I'm getting one tomorrow - doing my bit for nature and all that! Well it is free - well a free trial anyway! BBC shows men how to iron!! As Prince Harry goes to Sandhurst and has to iron his own shirts the BBC take it upon themselves to educate those who don't know how to iron a shirt - now where is my hubby! Son gets a new name He decided that if we were meeting up with Running Duck, V-Rap, Tinkerbell and Anglemouse that he needed a name. He is now "The Running Gnome!" Elsewhere .... I've been busy in the garden. As today was a rest day (i.e. no running!) I pottered in the garden for a bit. So I did some planting, I plant more: Carrots Spinach Peas Herbs (Chives, Basil and Thyme) Lettuce Peppers and put the Tomatoes in the grow bag (attaching them to canes too!) Also I replanted some sunflower seeds for Running Gnome as the slugs ate the last lot!! One of the ladies at work has also promised me a courgette plant or two! T...

As little man was at boys brigade tonight I got the opportunity to go to the gym/do some proper exercise (rather than a 10 mins run!). Did 20 mins on the stepper - normally at 35 steps p/m but 30 today and hard work. Legs still feel tired from FLM and I CBA to try harder! 1500m on the rower - aimed for 8 mins and did 8:12, last 2 mins where hard work. Can't say how hard as I forgot to put on my HRM! 15mins tready!!! [I was on the stepper watching someone else on the tready (yes THE tready - small gym!) and thinking, me me me let me have a go! Especially as she was running lots!] I started walking slowly, then slow, then fast, then a trot etc etc. During the 15mins (then 1min cool down so 16 in total) I did 1min at 10kmph, 30secs at 10.5kmph and 30secs at 11kmph. Felt great going so fast!! I don't usually venture that fast but it felt good and actaully fairly easy on the breathing, HR (as in not bursting through my ribs!) but again legs were tired and they restricted the times....

Yesterday we went off to Motorpoint in Derby to look at cars. After a longer than planned journey (traffic for the footy and getting lost!) we arrived. We looked at loadsa cars (being a girly I can't say much about them!) and after several hours and a McDonalds we went back and test drove then agreed on a Ford Focus Zetec C Mac estate (or something like that!) It's 4.5" higher than the normal car so you feel much taller and "above" everything. Son loved it due to the "hidy holes" everywhere and the fact he had his own light, cup holder and tray! We also got reverse parking sensors *after hubby's incident the other week!* and a multi CD changer for longer drives. Pick it up Thursday 4.30 so just in time for the rush hour traffic!! (assuming I can find the place again!! hehe)

Up bright and early so that we could go organise some vinyl for the bathrooms - sorted and cheaper than original choice! Then Junior club - really fun today and as I don't have FLM to worry about I was happy to join in lots. No niggles (beams from ear to ear). Then I sneaked into the gym and did 5 mins (yes JUST 5) on the tready - still smiling! Then off to have me hair cropped - on foot as I walked to club so walking home - 15mins each way. Then off to town. Bread maker has gone pop. So I carried said bread maker (7.5kg) the 15mins walk back to Argos happy in the knowledge that they would insist on sending it back for repair. Nope they exchange it so another 15min walk carrying 7.5kg of box back to the car - arms now 6" longer and shoulders aching! Grab some stuff round town ... back to car (so that's another 15 mins each way!) Pop into CarPhone warehouse and very nearly get sexy black Nokia 6230 with DAB radio and MP3 player and Camera as a free upgrade. Resist and go ...

As I had already declared that I was not going to run today I was normal instead! I went to work then drove home and walked to school to collect son, then walked home. We watered plates, cleaned the inside of the car, mowed the lawn, inspected the veggies/plants and went for a walk. Today was the 1st time that little one was brave .... he was outside with me and then went for a skip and a cycle on the pavements on his own. I was a nervous wreck listening for every car that went by but he was happy! He took time and care crossing the roads so I may let him do this again! We have speed bumps gallore so any cars etc are going 10-20mph max so plenty of time to spot a child (she hopes!) but I still worry. He isn't street wise because in Theale there was no way he could be out the front without someone watching as the cars drove past at 40mph despite the fact it was a cul-de-sac and we were at the end! I also finished (well 99%) his F14 Tomcat fighter plane model. It just needs neating u...

I injured myself yesterday when I did my run :-( No not my leg! I had my mobile clipped on to my tights and it rubbed. I was only running for less than 12 mins I have a sore ... it hurts :-( A sign I need to lose weight I guess! Never done it before and I always wear my mobile! Mind you I am after a new one cos this one doesn't keep it's charge very well now and a new one would be nice! No running for me today, I will walk to school (assuming I get out of work in time) and I will aim to do some other stretching etc when I get home (not very hopeful cos I haven't done any yet!) Still pondering the tready.

to leave on time and have another short run tonight. Depending on how quick I can get home and change I may venture to extend the run a bit (and pray I get to school on time, he's always out late but if I am late he will be on time!) will update later!! Still not sure what to way to train. These 2 weeks are hard either way and although I can fit in the odd 10 min run they have to be quick as I have to get to school. Leave work at 2:30, pick up at 3:15 ... and 25 mins drive - 35 mins depending on traffic! So BT is a no on these weeks. Hmmm ponder ponder ponder - some one help me!!! Spans??? Well: The traffic was kind and I got home in time to change and trot. Today I did 1 whole mile! 11mins 34 then a casual walk home with Oliver. Again a slight "tight" feeling like a bandage about half way up calf so I iced when I got home to be safe. I won't run tomorrow but will walk if I get home in time (no changing time so should be OK). Junior club to help out at on saturday and...

Nothing to get excited about but I ran! yes I ran without a care, I ran 'cos I wanted to and it felt soooooo good! I did wear my HRM but that was habit I didn't pay attention to it! It was a very short run as I was collecting son from school so 0.8m in 9mins 20 which included walking up part of the short but bastard hill we've now found (good for reps in the future!). Leg was fine although I did feel a slight bit of tension at one time (very briefly) as if I had a bandage on too tight, and it was above the injury site so I think it was muscles going "oh what's this!". I stopped at stretched at school whilst waiting for son to come out (got some "weirdo" looks) then we walked home, I made a cuppa and iced for 30 mins to be on the safe side! Nothing to report now so I'm guessing all is fine! As I am on the school run if I can get home on time I can run to school (5 mins quicker than walking!) but next week I won't be parked at work so unless I ...

That says it all! ----------------- Today I have done bugger and all. No exercise, no work at work, no plumbing (machine still where it was!) and basically been lazy! On the bright side I have finished my Fit 2 Run course work (think it is the last assignment too!) after several extensions due to injury preventing me from doing the exercises! Oh and for those without a bable fish - the Japanese above is Yume No Chikara or the power of dreams! It will be the theme for my new design which I also didn't do today! But Hey there we go!

Well the quads are still a tad tight/sore (mainly the right one) so I guess that I am still recovering from FLM and that the Friday run and Saturday drills where probably too soon! So in the mean time I will try to do some strethes and maybe some toning (failed so far!) some gardening and plumbing (yep still haven't sorted the washing machine!) I have to races entered this year so plenty of time to rest, recover and gain some proper fitness, strength and speed! I may do the Mortimer 10K in September (depending on the date) but that's all I have in mind!

... and I do nowt grrrr. Quads still tender so no run, Son being a swine, pile of ironing that is reaching the ceiling and I CBA! So today I have failed to make bread (bread maker on the blink after just 7 months - so got Tesco bread instead!) and made an Aduki bean stew which appears (from small sample) to be yummy (and now packed into 4 containers for work). Still haven't sorted the washing machine either.

Yesterday was as usual Junior Running club, and as I wasn't in "be careful you want to run FLM" mode I actually did all the running about and warm up and drills and funny walks (AKA walking lunges). Needless to say I was not only shattered but my quads and butt are laughing at me today! I mean my quads are as stiff as the day after FLM if not worse!! That figures hey! I also planted my strawberries and pottered in the garden meaning a long and weary day. So today my planned run was shelfed due to my inability to walk around with ease! So I cross trained in the garden! Planting the raspberries , some radishes , new cucumber and pepper seeds and taking a trip to the nursery for some tomatoe plants. Whilst there I spotted a Purple Pixie ! I was very tempted to buy it but due to the large volumne veg pots my patio area is rather restricted in space! Today I have also been testing out my plumbing skills! We moved in here in the last week of August 2004.Today for some unkno...