Yume No Chikara

Back! Shattered. Feeling fat ... mum missed me so over fed me (and gave me wine to drink too!) No exercise but shattered from lots of driving and being on feet. 'Twas great being out of the office and my client gave me hugs when I arrived and left! Nice to be missed and appreciated!

Well sort of! I'm escaping from the office so will be offline for a couple of days! Tomorrow once I have Gnome at school I am off to Marlow to visit a client, then home for tea, bed and breakfast at mum's! Thursday I am in the Windsor office and then either tea, B&B at mum's and back to Marlow Friday or tea then home to the boys on Thursday night! So this means the heel gets rested even more! I will take my kit in case I get enthusiastic and want to try a trot on Thursday morning (and Friday if I am there!) otherwise it will be a relaxing break back home! Then back to the grind either on Friday or hopefully Monday!! Don't miss me too much and behave whilst I am gone!

Ok So I did a double again today and it was better than last week's identical session but ... It's 10PM - my heel is sore :-( I was going to do another double tomorrow, but now not sure. So thought maybe a swim but I use a council pool and of course there is a strike tomorrow so I don't know if it will be open. I know I had a hard few days: swimthon Friday 1hr in pool Saturday Shopping Saturday gardening Sunday Ironing both days I hope it's just the hard weekend + today's double that has woken it up rather than it being a problem. Reading is what 12-13days away. I know it will be hard and I know I will hurt due to lack of running but I somehow suspect I will have a sore heel too now :-( Will ponder tomorrow in the morning.

Well another week has begun and it is now offically British Summer Time so it's raining! Woke up this morning and dragged my butt out of bed and down to the pool. As I didn't run yesterday I am doing a double today and tomorrow. My normal pre-work swim is 40lengths followed by a cuppa tea (travel mug made up before I leave home!) and a dash to work. Today I get there, do my 40lengths thinking about technique not time. Climb out, shower and start to change. I then noticed the time. It seems I have improved so much now that I could have had a further 5+ mins in the pool! Doh!! Drove to work in pouring rain and it looked like my lunchtime trot would be an evening tready run. A chap at work is leaving today and brings in a tonne of choc and I sat there salivating! Phew the ran has stopped! Looks like a 30mins trot and if it's good a small bit of choc perhaps??!! Oh and for those lurking and Benz - I AM NOT DOING TRI!! Lunchtime Update: Well as I am doing a double today I grabbe...

The first thing I have to say is very important! Gnome can swim!! He did 2x 25m on his back and almost did a whole length on his front too! I am so proud! He even wants to join me in the Swimathon next year! No not as a team, he wants to do the 1500m himself whilst I do the 5k! How proud am I! Whilst on the topic of swimming I have noticed in recent weeks that I have a lurking habit! Whilst swimming myself I observe others and watch their action whilst "under water". Yesterday when Gnome and I went swimming I noticed that not only was I able to swim more front crawl on Friday, but that my action is improving, it's getting stronger and also my breast stroke is too! I want to keep on improving, gain speed and I want to learn to tumble turn now! That's how much my confidence has increased! So pleased! If I am going to do the 5k next year I need to keep this up too! The results say I came 292nd in my age group for 2500m, just slightly behind the leader who dis 41mins and ...

Well what can I say! That was hard work! I had a pants day at work, ate everything in sight (fueling up - yeah right!) and went along full of nerves. I told myself (like when I do road races) "you've done the distance before, just take your time, relax and do it at your pace!" Got there and changed. We were given different coloured hats so that the counters could keep track. Mine was black and soooo tight!! I was given lane 5 with 2 tall proper swimmers - men who knew each other. Everyone looked like real swimmers and I felt like an impostor! At 6:10 we were off. I was going to set my watch but was flustered at the start so only noticed 6:10 and didn't start my timer. The boys dived in and were off. I climbed in (they started us at the deep end which I didn't like!) and then pottered off using my normal slow breast stroke. I was soon being "lapped" and felt like a plodder in a road race being lapped by the winners. I didn't like it. I tried to focu...

No idea why but I do. Maybe it's because I can see myself slipping back into non "losing weight" lifestyle habits. Maybe it's because I have had disturbed sleep this week with Gnome being ill. Maybe it's nerves for tonights swimathon. Not sure but I feel low and emotional and snappy. Just snapped at someone for no reason and my phone answering technic is way off par.

I did and will do nothing!

Another Double! Lunchtime - 5K in 37:59 Really delighted with this as I only did 30secs more than yesterday but 0.6m further! Felt really good, breathing as about normal, nose still snotty (but hey!) and HR lower than I would normally have for this run and only 5% higher than yesterday. 12.43,12.15,11.50 plus a bit for splits. The sun was out, the sky was blue and the daffs were trying to come out! Great run - it's days like this that remind you why we run and why we love it! Magic! Evening - 1m swim in 52:30 (new PB) Had a meeting at work, felt shitty so decided to change my gentle swim into 50-60 easy lengths up to an hour. Pool was busy with kids messing about but I kept going. Stronger than yesterday too which felt good but still not as I was pre-lurgy. 50lengths in 41mins! So I decided to go for the mile (64lengths) and ended up with a PB by 7.5mins! So again delighted! Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Either a rest/walk day or lunchtime trot. It's parent's evening...

Yippeee!!! I know it's a shock to me too!! Cold is almost gone but Reading and the Swimathon are calling so I decided to give it a whirl so to speak! I got my number for Reading the other day and read with a giggle the advice that said "If you have suffered a cold or fever in the 4 weeks leading up to the race then do not run". I assume this doesn't apply to seasoned, stubborn, birthday Pixie's!! No way I'm not running just because I've hardly run this year and have had a cold, car crash and a sore heel!! Anyway I digress!! This morning I woke up and felt fine! No blocked nose, no sore throat, no coughing and no nose bleeds for at least 12 hrs! So I packed my kit and off I went! First stop the pool! Pre-work swimming as with any exercise is great for waking you up. I've now got this sussed too in that I make a cuppa tea in my travel mug before I leave home, open the lid to let it cool whilst I swim which means it's perfect for drinking and warming ...

Yesterday was the Ashby 20, a Gold Standard 20m road race run by my club (Ivanhoe Runners). Ok so I may not have actually have been to club for a year but I am still a member and still wear my vest with pride! It's like a badge of honour ... I'm a Club Runner (even if I am slow, I mean very slow!) Well anyway. The Ashby 20. I was chief bag lady at the start so I sorted the bags into number order and handed them out as the runners came back. Not a very exciting job I have to admit but it was lovely to see the fast people run in and then to recieve loads of thanks from exhausted runners delighted with the race! The RW folks have given comments like these: Really friendly marshalls and fantastic goody bag. Thank you! A great introduction to the distance... and I hardly noticed the hills! It was all very friendly. Thanks also to the organisers for doing a great job. A real London warm up, graet to run with people you will be mixing with in five weeks time.Excellent organisation fro...

Morning! Well I've woken up this morning and I can breath!!! Yes the Snot Monster has left; he's left a very sore throat mind but hey!! Does this mean that I may possibly get some training done soon! Reading is errr soon 3wks tomorrow! 21 Days! So well prepared!! hehe!

After the disaster of last night which included me staying half awake, coughing and listenig for Gnome, I took the morning off sick. I get into work today at 1 to find that having called mum last night to ask for a bed, Monday's day trip has been cancelled. This really annoyed me because not only had I made plans for a bed, but today is my grandma's birthday and I didn't send her flowers as I wanted to give her some on Sunday. I'm supposed to be helping with my club's race Sunday too .... Feel really annoyed as mum was so pleased to hear I was visiting having not seen them since Christmas. So I will see if I can do a short trip down and cancel club. I may need to go to Windsor Friday but that's not for certain. Bliddy work. I'm not coughing so much now but still snotty and flemy and feeling poo and I've had a "Not feeling well, really fed up" choc attack too so now feel worse :-( Grrrrrr

Well today started off we me being full of cough and cold. I left work early (4Pm) as I had done my stuff and was annoying everyone coughing, had a headache from coughing and a sore nose from blowing it! Cam home and slept for a couple of hours until hubby went to work then got up. At 8 I put Gnome to bed then made a card for mum. This is a really bad picture but here goes .... [ to follow as Blogger no play ball!] I used watercolour pencils then a paint brush to blend it and a damp pencil to highlight. OK so it's no master piece but I'm really pleased!! I bought some pastels today too ... a treat for me getting my silver seven! I don't draw often but I like it and I'm improving! Anyway just as I finished and had decided to go to bed there is this little call from upstairs ... Gnome had been sick. All over the duvet and bed. Luckily I had a spare duvet, it's the summer one but clean and dry. Get him back to sleep and then twice more he is a bit sick. I'm now sat...

Well not really but it's as exciting as work gets these days! Monday I will be off on my travels! Yes I get to go to Windsor!! Wow!! I mean how good is that!! Well Ok it's a day out of the office and an excuse to see my parents! Now as you were!

A silver Seven is a sticker ... Weigh Watchers give you a Silver seven for each 7lb you lose. Today my total went to 7.5lb so I got my 1st Silver Seven! I then went to Boots and got some Linctus for my cough! That be the cough that has caused training to be cancelled! I knew I shouldn't have stated my exercise plans for the week!

Last week I was complaining that this lurgy wouldn't go or indeed become a proper cold I could get over. Today I am still complaining! Throat is now sore (tyrozets rock!) and I am snotty and tired despite a decent nights sleep so I've taken loadsa drugs today. I therefore declare today to be a rest and long soak in a hot bath day! Just a shame I have to wait until tonight to have the long soak bit as I have to go to work! I'm annoyed. I have Reading in under 3 weeks and this weekend I was supposed to be running then cycling then running then cycling with Beanz and marshaling at the Ashby 20. Now I don't know! If the lurgy comes out then it will be a no but if it just lurks like it has done and throat gets no worse then a yes. If it lurks but throat stays sore then maybe no to the ride in the fresh air. AARrrgggghhhhhh! Somebody tell me what to do please! Edit ... and now I have what sounds like smokers cough, but I don't smoke! Looks like a few days rest for me :-(

Hmmmm ... you know that lurgy I mentioned? Well it never really went. Never got worse and never left my head hence I've been exercising. The last few days my throat has been a bit sore now and then but nothing major and fine when swimming. Today I had the occasional cough but again fine overall. Until I got to the pool of course! Plan was 1hr including some "speed-work" and ended up with 200m warm up, 20-25mins sort of jogging sort of admiring the super fast man swimming sort of coughing then 200m cool down. About 45mins in total. My throat was really dry despite drinking 500ml water whilst in the pool and tickly so I wanted to cough the whole time. So I wrote it off as a bad job but better than doing nothing. As for that man ... well he did the length of the pool in 17 strokes (individual hands into the water) , barely splashed and was so cool! I was trying to watch his technique under water but he was too fast! It was like watching the front runners in a race (normal ra...

Well Friday's run was fine, Saturday's swim was fine. Sunday I did very little apart from about 90mins of standing up ironing! Heel is now "there". Not painful or hurting but I am aware of it. Coach says back to the pool ... so kit by my side is redundant today. So back to pondering! I think the ironing is the cause. Fizzio did say that there may be some slight reaction but as long as it got less and that it wasn't as bad as before then fine. Part of me says run anyway due to Reading - then coach says no the swimming is keeping me fit! Part of me says Reading may give me a sore heel but hey after that it's just the Trailwalker so stress not and run! But other than that I am healthy and the swimming is coming along nicely and seems to use up lots of calories as the scales are showing nicer figures these days!!

It's bitterly cold outside, strong winds and the sky/air is white with snow! I ain't going anywhere! But I do need to plant some seeds ... but the conservatory where I was going to put them is still too cold so I may have to delay another week. I have my water butt to get outside, but the wind will probably blow it over! Also wanted to put some plastic over the veg patch to "warm the soil" and dead head the hydrangea which I hadn't done before as leaving the old flower heads is supposed to protect them from frost! Hey hoo! Looks like ironing instead! Oh and there is a blood zapping session the day after Reading which means I can be good without affecting my training! Cool!

OK so plan today was lunchtime long swim followed by blood zapping. This was a great plan apart from a couple of details! 1) Lunchtime on a Saturday the pool is converted to an inflatables session for kids! 2) Blood zapping is tomorrow! So I went to the pool anyway but later than planned ... just got back in fact! This means I have to sort tea very soon rather than having a rest!! I still planned to do a long swim with a minimum of 80 lengths. In fact I did 110! The stats are as follows: 1 mile (64 lengths) in 1hr 2.5km in 91mins 10 lengths very slow cool down. New fastest times for the mile and the 2.5km! [beams] As is now routine I stopped at the end of every 10 lengths of a slurp of sports drink (high 5). At the end of 50 lengths I stopped, got out of the pool, stretched my calves and had some water. So given this I think I should be able to go sub 90 for the swimathon as long as I eat enough that day! Hmmmm wonder if it will be staff lunch that day?? [scratches head] So as the bloo...

No not like that! This morning I was really really fed up annoyed and stressed at work. Everything was getting to me, people were being stupid and I was not a happy pixie! Anyway without the need to have a snack attack I got over it and went for a run at lunchtime. I was planning walk run again but stress dictated that I would be better off doing a slow steady trot rather than short annoyed speedy hard bursts. So that's what I did. I got up and went for a slow steady trot of unknown distance (GPS Battery died!) and a low HR (for me!) of 174. I went down the Grand Union Canal out of town and back again. What I did notice is that steady was good, and I went further down the canal than I expected. Not sure if this was a case of me forgetting what the canal is like or if the 3 wks of cross training have seen my fitness improve! I will measure tonight and let you know!!! Heel was fine whilst out and has been fine so far! Fingers crossed it remains that way! Distance Update Well it was ...

Eyes a lot better. Toe feeling better this evening - was very very sore this morning. So what do I do? I scoff my food and get belly ache. Then veg on the sofa, and half fall asleep and not run. REALLY annoyed with myself. Especially as I know tomorrow I won't run after work because it will be nice to see the family and Gnome won't go to bed before 9 and I'll be tired. This means that I HAVE to take kit to work. I have to run at work whatever the weather and just be careful on the canal path. The plan had been tready running to get back to it and allow heel to get used to running again with the extra cushioning of the tready but no I go and blow it. Reading is 3 weeks this Sunday and I know I can get round but I would rather get round in one piece. Also I want to give blood this weekend which means I have to do my long swim Saturday then give blood, because I'm not going to do a long swim the day after giving blood. Gnome swim yes maybe as that's not swimming it...

First off today's health report! Today I went to the chemist for cream for sore and now painful cracked toe which is apparently athlete's foot. Who's foot it is I don't know, one thing I do know it's not St Paula's even though she is out of the games due to a foot injury!! In addition I was after eye drops. Yesterday one eye was very blood shot and partially sealed in the morning. This morning both were and I looked like I had been on an all night bender! Very red eyes and massive pupils! They were sealed in the morning and sore :-( After several doses of Optrex for Infected Eyes I am pleased to report they look soooooo much better! Just hope the toe heals as quickly! Right back to business! Athlete in training the title says so what has the Pixie been up to today. The original plan was an hour of pool jogging, but the eyes made me think I should just swim normally with my goggles on (or googles if your name is Caff!! hehe sorry about that!). I guessed I would l...

Well this morning I have two things to be happy about! 1) Heel is happy! Not a twinge! Looks like my awareness of the injury (fanks to poor Wild Will) meant that I stopped and fixed it quick enough for it to go away as quickly as it came!! That said as I am a sensible Pixie (slaps Benz for implying otherwise!) I will be pool running today and will then do 20mins of jogging tomorrow (leaves note for Bear ... that's 20mins of jogging within my total session that may include some walking :-P) and (drum roll please!) 2) My scales say I have lost 4lb!!! I'm now 10st 13lb which is the lightest I have been since we moved up here in August 2004!!! (is it really almost 2yrs?!) So very happy!

I'm allowed to run!! Yippeeee! Fizzio said I can run 15mins!!! And I got to cancel my next appointment! I am sooooooo happy! Never thought I would be so pleased at being told I can run for 15mins!! Will be on the tready tonight!! Later that night .... Well I watched Gordon Ramsey and got comfy on the sofa and thought "dare I?" Part of me really wanted to go out whilst another part of me said what if? I was thrilled to be given permission to run yet worried that it would be sore and I would make things worse for Reading. An argument with inner-self continued briefly whilst I picked up some kit. 10:10PM and I was out on the tready. Suddenly it was like seeing an old friend who you haven't seen for months! This is the 10th week on 2006 and I have not run for about 6 of them! So any way I was very sensible! I did a short warm up then 5mins jog (7.9kmph), 1 walk, 5 jog (7.9kmph), 1 walk, 5 faster jog (8.4kmph) with the last 30secs at 9kmph followed by 1 min slllllooooow jo...

Well that's what I feel like when I am in the pool with my jogger on! Today I am hoping to get to the pool and be ready for 6 when the public swim starts .... quick warm up then 50mins jogging (pyramid style intervals) then a cool down so 1hr in total. Will report back later! Later .... Well Gnome is poorly again so Daddy got to play nurse meaning I still got me swim! I think I am turning into bear .... muttering under my breathe about "swimmers in full make-up, chattering and swimming sideways or stopping at the end/sides" got a bit annoyed today!! Anyway 100m warm up and the 55mins of interval training a la pool! Bliddy hard work I must say! I was well exhausted! Glad I had my water too as I got quiet dry in the mouth. Intervals were followed by 150m cool down as the clock said GET OUT! I climbed out and stopped on the stairs to stretch my calves and soon realised I was parch seriously dry in the throat and it was catching in a coughy sort of way. Fortunately I had a co...

TG is so funny! The domestic post is just brilliant! I so feel what she is saying! I can see her ranting and getting all worked up and animated. I almost feel like I'm walking round the apartment with her .... and then the classic ending! hehe Oh and for everyone I know I found a one liner that a friend once told me and I want to pass on (especially to dappy birds in Liverpool) it applies to all my friends: A ring is round and has no end and that's how long you'll be my friend. Anon.

[Beams foolishly] Me been swimming! Me found myself on a mission! Me done 100 lengths! Yep that's the full 2500m required to do the swimathon! SOOOOOOOoo happy! and tired!! Not sure of exact time as I was so happy to finish I forgot to check watch until after I had finish, finished my drink and been stretching for a couple of mins. That time was 1hr 35 so I guess about 92-93 mins! SO goal for swimathon is sub 90! I even managed to do 4 lengths of front crawl in one go too! The majority of it was breast stroke, mainly because I really wanted to get to 80 lengths and I knew front crawl is more tiring for me. How 80 became 100 I am not quiet sure but it was only really the last 8 or so lengths that I struggled to keep going. I now have a bit of ironing to do then the roast dinner and then an evening of TV, bath and collapse in bed!!

makes a whole load of difference! Yesterday I stayed at home, the headache didn't go until about 3 and the 3rd lot of drugs. Woke up this morning and the headache was back but less sore, so took some paracetamol and ibuprofen together and that sent it packing fairly quickly. This meant I was able to keep my promise and take Gnome swimming after lunch today. We've just got back! Yes another 70mins of messing about! He's starting to improve a lot and wants to swim more often which is great. I'm all for encouraging fitness! Add this to his plans of walking Hadrian's Wall with V-Rap and the kids next year and I can see a fit Gnome in the future! Another reason to lose the weight - to keep up with him! Most of the time in the pool was messing about, with me trying to impart some wisdom on him and help him swim. Today he managed to swim both on his front and his back a whole width of the big pool without any floatation aids! Ok so he wears goggles and now (like his mothe...

I have fantastic friends! Thank You

Well today has been a funny old day for sure! Woke up feeling awful in that I only went to work as I had the fizzio. I could easily have crawled back under the duvet, head ached, eyes hurt, throat sore and body ached. The works. This meant that food wise I started the day of rather resticted as I couldn't swallow! My lunch and my second lot of drugs I was feeling better. Trip to fizzio confirmed he was very pleased with my back but KEEP UP THE EXERCISES!!! He also confirmed yes I did have PF. Also said keep off running for another couple of weeks but looks like I stopped quick enough so hopefully that will be it!

That's my pondering today! Yesterday I had a bit of a headache and today I woke with the stick slightly sore "cold" like throat. Then when I was at work I felt that coldy icky yucky feeling. I've eaten now and feel better in that the icky feeling has gone but still got the head and the throat. Swimming stuff is in the car as I was planning a 40 mins pool jogging session. Now I don't know. Will see how I feel later on. I want to swim but then I also don't want to make any lurgy that I may be harbouring any worse! We'll see! So did you guess??? Yes of course I went! Well it was just me head and if I was running outside I would have run! Anyway 55mins of which 40 was pool running and then several good lengths of swimming which is starting to feel good and fitness for swimming is improving too! Now I have a stinking headache and can confirm my throat feels like crap! That may have been my last exercise for a few days :-( Other news .. I wasn't going to say...