Rain stopped play

After missing yesterday's run due to being absolutely knackered, I was up at 0810 this morning to get ready for my 10 miler.

I got in to my spandex and shorts and opened the front door...and it was hammering down! I decided to give it 20 minutes to see if cleared and it eventually died down to a drizzle. At 0840 I left the house and started my run.

I made it about half a mile in to my journey when the heavens opened again. I was running in the direction of an enormous black cloud and I thought I do not want to be 5 miles out from home with that hanging over my head so reluctantly (honest!) I decided to turn around and go back home and it's been raining pretty much since! It's the first big run I've missed and I really am disappointed. I want to make good, solid, steady progress with my training and it's frustrating when outside influence stops me doing that.

I'm not going to be able to run next Saturday so the plan is to mix up the training schedule this week to a Monday, Wednesday & Friday run before trying the 10 miler again on Sunday - weather permitting. The midweek distances are yet to be decided as I may do a little more than scheduled because of missing runs this weekend.

Up at all hours!

I was up at 0330 this morning because I couldn't sleep, so I ended up watching TV until about 0430 before going back to bed and finally getting some shut eye - so there was no way that I was getting up to run 5 miles before work!!

So again I was running after work tonight and it was cold enough for my spandex to make a mid-week appearance...along with a pair of gloves too. So 5 midweek miles needed to be conquered and they were, and in good time too. My calf muscles are killing me tonight which is strange as it's not the longest run I've done. At least I can rest up tomorrow.

This coming Saturday's 4 mile run sees the end of the 8th week of my training schedule...only another 21 weeks to go!!!

3 and easy!

I didn't run on Sunday because I was absolutely knackered! I had a busy old weekend which is why I did the long run on Saturday - Forward thinking!!

So after a little extra rest, I was out for a 3 miler tonight. I did contemplate giving tonight a miss too because I feel like I could sleep for a week at the moment, but then I thought I don't fancy doing Thursday's 5 miler without a run in between. I got in from work just after 1930, got changed and hit the road.

During the first mile, I was running in to the wind and at one point I felt like I was just going up and down rather than making any progress going forwards!! The second half of the run was easier as I was running with the wind behind me.

Thursday is a 5 miler before a 4 miler on Saturday, followed by my first 10 miler on Sunday...the furthest distance I managed before my injury earlier on this year - here's hoping for a better result this time around!!

A quicky!

Just a quick one today...I did 9 miles!!

Remind me, why am I doing this??

I did it again...I set my alarm for 0600 and when it went off, I reset it for 0700 and spent the whole day dreading the fact that I have to run after work!! On my journey home from work, I even went through reasons not to run tonight but it wasn't raining and it wasn't that cold so I was struggling!
I got in from work at around 1930 and Tracey was on the phone to her Mum so I couldn't even stall by talking to her. I thought 'stuff it - I'm not getting out of it' so I just got changed and hit the road for tonight's 4 miler. The first 2 miles were fine, steady, but when I turned around to come back I was running in to a headwind which made life uncomfortable. It has its pros as well as it's cons though...I didn't have to try too hard to catch my breath as the wind was blowing it straight in to my lungs!!!
After a rest day tomorrow, I'll be running 9 miles on Saturday (instead of Sunday) and then 4 miles on Sunday.
I've had a few moments where I've been close to thinking if I miss the odd run here and there then it wont make too much of a difference - but then I just remind myself as to one of the reasons I'm doing this...to raise money for CLIC sargent. It's such a worthy cause so please please click on the 'sponsor me' section of my blog (www.thebigone2010.blogspot.com) and give what you can towards the £1,500 target.

Early bird

I was determined to get my run done before work today to avoid having to do it later, so the alarm went at 0600...and then 0610 before I watched it move to 0615. Then I got up and changed and was out the door at 0630 for a 3 miler.

It's weird because when I get up, I feel like the only person in the world that's awake, yet when I go out and start running there are quite a few people up at that time - I even saw 2 other nutter's out running!! The wind was in my face for the first 3/4 mile so it made it even more uncomfortable than usual. I carried on though, breathing like a eejit until I got control of it about a mile in.

I made it round the route with no major issues or incident and in decent time again before getting back for a nice warm shower. It's a 4 miler on Thursday before the 2 runs at the weekend - 4 miles and 9 miles - but I may switch them over again and do the long run on Saturday as this Sunday is going to be a busy one!

Hip, hop!

I got up at 0900 and left the house at 0930 for today's first 9 miler. The weather was perfect, not too cold and it stayed dry.

Again I found it tough at the start today, finding it difficult to get my head right. Where I would normally tell myself that I have run the first 8 miles before so it shouldn't be a problem, I couldn't help but think that every step I take on the outward journey I have to make again to get back. I know that's an obvious thing to say but to keep telling yourself that at the start of a run really does make it more difficult.

I made it to the 4.5 mile mark and it was time to turn around and come back. The next 2.5 miles went by without too much to report but then I started to ache...in my hips!!! I felt like an old man...not good for a 31 year old!! Still, I kept going.

At the 7.5 mile mark I suddenly got a craving...for a cup of tea!!! I could have killed for a cuppa. I pushed on though and made the full 9 miles without stopping and in a decent time too. As soon as I got in, I asked Tracey to make me a brew, which she duly did and I went for my cold bath to ease my achy bones. It wasn't until I had showered and changed that I realised that I had some inner thigh chaffing for my troubles which stings like hell - so now I'm walking around the house like I've had an accident in my drawers!! Remind me again...why am I doing this??!!

And the rain rain rain came down down down

I wasn't working today so I didn't get up until 0820 and the rain was pouring down and the wind swirling again! I heard on the weather report that it's going to like that pretty much all day so I didn't hold out much hope of running today.

By 0930 there was a break in the weather, it stopped raining and the wind died down so I took a chance, got changed and started my 4 mile run. As I started, the rain began to fall - but only gently. I considered going back as I didn't want to get caught 2 miles out if it was going to chuck it down again. I decided to keep going and thankfully, the weather held off for me. I completed the run in good time. Today however, my body felt so heavy and lethargic. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I didn't run on Thursday, or that I am just very tired...or maybe it was to do with the meal out I had last night!!!

Anyway, I got in from the run and had a nice hot shower to freshen up and when I finished, the weather seemed to brighten up so I went to the shop to get some milk for breakfast. I stepped out of the shop and the heavens opened up - I got soaked and had to run back!!!! So much for feeling clean and fresh and relaxed!!

Faster than a speeding bullet

I got in from work, got changed and went out for my 4 miler...and stopped after about 50 yards! I wouldn't normally be put off by a little rain, but tonight it was raining a bit heavier and the swirling wind was blowing it horizontally in to my face as opposed to down on my head - which doesn't make for great running conditions. I decided to down tools and go back home as opposed to run in those conditions and run the risk of injury.

I will be running again on Saturday for 4 miles so hopefully that will go a bit smoother than tonight's effort.

It doesn't get any easier

It's getting colder and I'm not ashamed to admit that it's getting tougher too. Tonight was only 3 miles but it was hard to get motivated for it. My alarm went at 0600 and then 0610 before I reset it for 0715 and decided to run after work instead. The up side of doing that meant I got some extra time in bed this morning...the downside was I got to spend all day thinking that I have to run when I get home!!

When I got in at 1930 I got straight in to my shorts and T-shirt and hit the road for the run and again it was freezing. I tried to get round as quickly as possible, just to get it over and done with, and because of that it took me ages to get my breath under control. Still, I made it round and got straight into a hot shower when I got in.

Thursday I am scheduled to do a 4 miler and I'll be trying to get it done before work this time!

Blisters are doing it for themselves...

...forming on my own two feet, hurting like hell!! Yip, I have blisters on the arch of each foot and one more on the end of my big toe - the perils of being a runner I guess.

The alarm went off at 0800, 0810 and 0830 this morning before I finally dragged my backside out of bed...it is Sunday though, meant to be a day of rest not a day of running! 8 miles on the menu today and I was out in my spandex at 0850, and my goodness was it cold. So not only have I got the increasing distances to deal with, the weather is getting colder and colder. At least it didn't rain.

I felt good during the run this morning, after the mandatory mile and a half of trying to get a rhythm in my legs as well as my lungs. Once I had that rhythm, I pushed on through the first four miles before the turnaround. I kept my breathing under control until about a mile from home, when I started to open up my stride. My knees weren't too bad, although they did ache slightly towards the end of the run but I pushed on, lengthening my stride a little more until I reached home - I even felt like the last 300 yards were my version of a 'sprint finish'!!

I did the 8 miles in just under 1 hour 20 minutes - which, if sustained, will have me completing the big one in under 4 and a half hours. I've just set myself my target!

Hitchin' a ride

Last night we had guests over for dinner so it was a late finish, hence I didn't run this morning. It was effort enough just trying to get up for work!

I got in from work around 1545, frozen from the scooter ride home, and got straight in to my shorts and shirt (and running jacket!) before going out for today's 3 miler. I really did not fancy the run today because I was cold and very tired, but if I am going to run the big one in April then the hard work has to be done now - whether I like it or not.

About half a mile in to the run and I hear a 'toot-toot' as Tracey drives past me, back from the shops. At that point I had a passing thought that I could flag her down and just get a lift home! Unfortunately though, no sooner had the thought entered my head, Tracey was past me so I just had to keep going!! 3 miles later and I was home. Knackered, but I was home.

Tomorrow is 8 miler number two and I cannot wait...until it's done and out of the way!!

Listen up

As you may have noticed, I didn't do a blog entry on Tuesday. This was because on Monday, my right knee was aching and I ended up icing it for the evening. My right knee is the one that caused me problems earlier this year when I was training for the half marathon. I though to myself I am 4 weeks in to a 29 week training schedule, having done no running for almost 6 months, and I don't want to over do it and completely knacker my chances of running the big one in April next year, so I listened to my body and decided to give Tuesday's 3 miler a miss in order to rest my knee.

So this morning, the alarm goes at 0610 hours and I lay there thinking that I could easily use my knee as an excuse to miss this one too and just turn over for another hour's sleep. Then I thought that by doing that I'd just be kidding myself and making the next run just that little bit harder. So I rolled out of the bed, got changed and hit the street for a 4 miler. Again it was freezing this morning but it didn't take long to get warm once I got going. I managed to complete it in good time this morning, about 35 minutes or so, so I was pleased with that...and so far there's been no reaction in my knee. Again I forgot to run my cold bath last night so I just showered when I got back and I expect to ache a little more than usual tomorrow because of it.

Next on the agenda is 3 miles on Saturday before another 8 miler on Sunday. Next week it cranks up another gear!

Championes ole ole ole!!

First things first...we won the pumpkin carving competition at last night's Halloween street party - whoop whoop!!

We got back from Mum & Dad's about 1845 and after a quick hair cut I was out for the last run of the week, which was a 3 miler. My bones were still aching from yesterday's run and after a mile tonight I felt like quitting! But then I thought that I can either spend 20 minutes walking back and getting cold, or 20 minutes running the next 2 miles and keeping warm, so carry on I did. I managed to get my breath under control after about a mile and a half but I didn't feel too comfortable running tonight...maybe it was just running after eating a big Sunday dinner!!

4 weeks down and 25 to go. Next week is a 3 miler, 4 miler, 3 miler and another 8 miler...