Winner!

I won my first race on Saturday! I came in as first lady in HPTT and a new pb of 22:03 to end the year. First lady sounds strange and I can't help thinking that this means I got married to the president without realising it... I am very pleased as I never thought I would be good enough to win anything and little madam was pleased too (she can't understand why I enter races when I have no chance of winning).

It has been a good week's training. Tuesday run club was a 5 miler along Armley Road. Pushed it a bit at the end, but my legs were still aching from the long run on Sunday. Wednesday was a gym session and I did a 25 minute hill session on the treadmill before attempting a pilates class. It is a while since I have done pilates and I had forgotten how awful my balance is!

Christmas Day there was no time to run!

On Boxing Day little madam and I went to support our clubmates in the Chevin Chase. This is a hilly muddy 7 miler. I was more than a little envious when we watched everyone setting off and we were standing there cheering. I wanted to be out there! Then we went up to Otley Chevin and I saw the hills and the mud and was glad I was just cheering and taking photos! Still, I think next year I would like to do it if I can. Little madam fell in love with Suki the dog and spent a long time running after her and stroking her ears. (I did manage a 5 mile run on Boxing Day evening, but it wasn't muddy and only a little bit hilly!) VARR members did brilliantly - Dave came in 19th(!), Tom and H were jetlagged, but still did great and Khara's cross country training is doing her loads of good judging her her time. Kay and Debra also did brilliantly and it was great to see them all doing so well.

HPTT was fun on Saturday. We had to be there early to help set up. I had lectures from Dave and Rick about setting off faster and warming up and making good use of the flats. It worked though. I raced my training partner on my Garmin and having set him up for 7 min miles, I didn't get behind until the final lap. The cheers and encouragement from the people there really helped and I was amazed when I ran past and someone shouted "first lady". I finished and forgot to stop my watch (it's having to collect the tokens - does it to me every time!), but I realised it was a pb and was amazed to have won. I know it wasn't a strong field and my time would not have been anything on a 'normal' week, but I still did it!

Sunday I went out for a long run on my own. I was planning 15 or 16 miles. I forgot to take any water and my gels and really struggled at one point when I got pins and needles in my hand and went really dizzy. I walked for a couple of minutes until I felt a bit better and then headed for home as fast as I could. I did the same route as last week with a couple more hills and extra distance added in to make a total of 16 miles in 2:15. I was really pleased with my time until I worked out that this confused me as to what long runs I should be doing as training - 20 milers or time on feet (3:35-3:45ish). It is not going to take me an hour and a half to do another 4 miles. I will try and get some advice from more experienced people. I wonder if I am doing my long runs too fast or whether I have set myself too slow a target (probably the former lol).

Something that I have noticed this week is how much easier the hills have been. Just a little bit of extra training (and some positive thinking) and I am finding that the slopes that used to tire me out just don't seem like anything and the steeper hills, although still tough, are more doable than they used to be a couple of weeks ago. Very strange...

Treadmill Allergy?

Now it's the school holidays (woo hoo!) I have to train at the gym a few days. The treadmill has been something I have not been looking forward to. Since I discovered the joys of outside running, I have found it increasingly hard to get on there and stay on for anything like the same amount of time I am able to stay outside for. I know it has its place in terms of constant speed for tempo runs or intervals or hill sessions, but....

So Thursday night I hit the gym. And tried to do a hill session. First my knee played up and I had to get off and stretch. Then I tried the cross country programme, but got bored. So I ended up faffing about and walking quickly for about an hour in total. Mental block. Not good. When I get a mental block on something I really do get a block. So I tried again on Friday morning while little madam was having her swimming lesson and it was better. Jeremy Kyle took my mind off the pain a little and I did a 24 minute hill session. Not too fast, but stretching enough to feel like I had worked.

Tuesday had been intervals at the club. Running up and down the dark arches around cones and on slippy oil patches... Then a zoom back to the gym pushing my tired legs to move quicker. This is my new technique for training my legs to get used to running tired. I am trying to do it on most of my runs now.

Saturday was lovely. HPTT. Not many people there. Little madam was given a marshalling job to do and I couldn't get the vest off her at the end! I hadn't realised how fast I was running because it didn't feel fast, but I finished in 22:18 which is only 3 seconds off my pb. When my time came through I was amazed! We stayed til the end and helped to tidy up meaning that we both got 100 volunteer points which is nice. Then we all went for drinks in a little cafe nearby. I had a lovely chat to some of the regulars there. It is so nice to feel like part of a community. The lovely morning was topped off by little madam achieving her level 7 swimming award.

Saturday night I went out for a quick 5 miler. I like training twice in one day and HPTT is so short it doesn't feel like I have run much even though I know it is doing me lots of good.

Sunday was long run day. I chose the route - up round Kippax. OMG. The hills. Oh the hills. Ow ow ow!!! It was very tough going and my legs are very tired today. Rick kept me going and we pushed it for the last couple of miles. We did 12.6 in 1:45:33 which considering the wind and the sheer number of 'inclines' was brilliant. I am trying to convince him to lower his target time now... He is convinced that my hill problem is psychological and that I can do it if I really try. Not sure how much is in the mind when my legs feel so bad, but positive mental thinking must be worth a try!

Today - no running. Running had been the intention, but with quads that complained about walking, I thought the short spin session I had booked would be more than enough for them. Hoping I am recovered enough for tomorrow night's club session.

Pre-training rituals...

Do not, I repeat, do not do a long run after spending the previous evening drinking huge amounts of alcohol! I don't drink very often at all so when I do it goes straight to my head. So a long run on Sunday after an evening out was tough going. Went with Rick again. It's really great having someone to train with. We push each other on. We did 9.6 miles in 1:18 (avg 8:08 pace). I kept getting told off for upping the pace though. I hadn't even realised I was doing it. Apparently I really speed up when I hit the top of a hill. Must be relief or something...

Rest of the week was good training too. Tuesday at run club was just a nice social run - 7.75 miles avg 8:51. It was nice to do a long run and just chat to people. Thursday I did Stonegate Road avg half marathon pace. It is such a tough hill, but I know I need to do it and do actually enjoy it now.

Saturday was Santa Dash 5k at HPTT. What a laugh! Everyone looked daft and even though the weather was absolutely awful it was great fun. Little madam had fun laughing at Rick in his fishing net tights and was jogging around with him. That was before she slipped in the mud and landed on her backside... Dave was coaching two boys I used to teach and they finished in a great time of 26 mins. We went for breakfast in the uni afterwards where St Gemma's had put porridge and drinks on for us. Saturday evening I was feeling a bit fed up so did another 5 miler and felt much better afterwards.

Today I just did a short run as tomorrow it will be intervals or fartlek depending on the weather so I didn't want to do 2 hard sessions on the trot.

Running on ice

Think I would have preferred to be dancing with skates on, but you can't have it all!

I have never run when the ground has been icy and snowy so this week was interesting.

Tuesday was club night and I went with the boys in the fast group. Arriving at the gym it was sleeting and I thought I was going to end up running in the snow, but it had just about stopped by the time we set off. It was a bit slippy underfoot, but we still managed a fairly fast one. Got back in time for a shower and dressed ready for our monthly meal out. (see previous post for prize!).

Wednesday and Thursday I couldn't get anything done. Thursday was a snow day and no school for us as we couldn't get there safely and school ended up being closed anyway. Friday I braved Stonegate Road after school. There was still quite a bit of snow on the ground which had turned to ice so it was kind of a fartlek session with me tiptoeing carefully over the ice and running faster when the pavements were clear.

Saturday was HPTT. Icy patches made me very cautious because I was very worried about falling over and hurting myself. So a bit slow this week - 22:25. I was 2nd lady again today though which was a nice surprise. The boys did better. Dave got a new pb and was 2nd (well done!) and Rick got a new pb by 20 seconds which was amazing in the ice. Santa Dash next week...

Today I went for a long run with Rick from run club. We met at Asda and ran up to Scholes and back through Cross Gates. It was freezing cold and my thermal tights didn't warm my legs up at all. For the first few miles it felt like I was running with lead rather than legs. The route he took us on had a few tough hills (always my favourite lol).We did round about 11 miles altogether which was good. I do need to go further though.

This week I will need to try to get out a couple more days. Four days a week is not good, especially when one of them is only 3 miles. I need to up my mileage if I am going to run at my best in the Brass Monkey. I know that my main aim is Edinburgh, but I want to run well in the HMs and 10ks I have in the meantime. I'm not too bothered about running quickly in the 5ks at HPTT, but it would be nice!

Run Club Prize

I am so touched. I was awarded a prize last night at run club for 'Rookie of the Year'. It was so lovely and I am glad that I am doing a good job. It's great to be a member of a club and everyone is so friendly. I think I am finally getting the hang of running with other people too and enjoying the pace.