6 Weeks to Go!

The weeks really are going too fast now, 6 weeks to go, how did that happen?!

Well my blog last week ended on Monday, so for this week, Tuesday I went to Body Balance class which was good fun, then Thursday got out for my first run of the week. I did 5k in a fairly average time of 27m 18s, average of 11kph. My first mile was 8m 28s, second 8m 54s and third 9m 7s. I felt ok during it, although probably could have got under 27m if I pushed myself a bit more!

Friday night went to the gym (as a change from Saturday morning!) Did the usual weights plus a mile Fartlek on the treadmill, running 30 second sprints at 9.5mph then back down to about 6mph! I enjoy doing it like that on the treadmill, I’m so used to running outside now that I can’t just run normally on a treadmill anymore!

Went out running again on Saturday but not very happy with the result! I did 5k but it was in a time of 27m 57s, one of my slowest for a while! I averaged 10.7kph. My mile splits were 8m 51s, 9m 6s then 9m 8s. I just felt like I couldn’t pick up speed at all, kept trying to make myself run faster but it wasn’t happening!!

Anyway, after that slow run I went out on Sunday and decided to do a shorter distance but try run fast to get my legs remembering how to do it! As a result I ran my second fastest ever 2 miles, in a time of 16m 57s! My average speed was 11.4kph, first mile 8m 14s and second 8m 40s.

Well with only 6 weeks to go, and my running still a bit too “hit and miss” for my liking, I have decided to give my body balance class a miss for the next few weeks and fit in an extra run instead, so I can hopefully get out running 4 days in the week. I really think it will help push me along that bit further. I really need to do a long run a week from now until 6th September, I believe I have the ability to do a 10k in under 55mins, but now I need to actually get out and do it!

Friday 24th July

We are all on holiday for a week, which should provide us with an opportunity to get some serious training done for the Great Scottish Run. George Bowie and Dr Prockter have been pretty good over the last couple of weeks, both of them cranking up some serious mileage in preparation. However, Des McLean is still pacing himself. And by pacing myself, I actually mean going for the odd walk round the block. The good news is that he has been off the cigarettes for over a month now and that's got to help. I think it was putting him off that he could only run 200 metres before he was completely out of breath....so well done Des!

7 Weeks to Go!

Got a good week of training in this week, although with only 7 weeks to go until the GSR I don’t really have much choice. All weeks have got to be good from now on!!

Monday night I made it along to spin class again, that is 2 weeks in a row now! Class was fun, there are two different people that take spin, taking alternating weeks so it is good getting a slightly different workout each week! Was at Body Balance class as well on Tuesday night.

Wednesday I went out for a run. I’d been telling myself all day that I was going to do a long run of about 7.5k, and felt really ready for it, until I got to the park and the heavens opened! I stayed in the car until the worst of it passed then went out for my run. I was feeling great, however half way round (once round is 2 miles) the rain came on again and within seconds I was completely drenched! I made it the full way round, squelching in my trainers and was actually feeling pretty good. I could easily have ran on but I slipped a couple of times and then the thunder started, and as the route was covered in trees I decided not to risk it and ran back to the car! Ended up doing 3.5k in 19m 1s, average of 11kph. First mile time was 8m 42s, second 8m 50s, however I was disappointed at not getting to run further.

Got back out for a run again on Saturday, and this time I was determined to do the 7.5k. I managed it….it wasn’t easy though! I did it in 42m 52s, a average of 10.5kph, much lower than I wanted. Felt good up to the 4k mark but then really struggled and to be honest I am actually really pleased that I was able to complete the distance, although at some parts I was so slow I think I actually ran backwards!! My mile splits were 8m 40s for the first, 98m 44s for the second, third 9m 20s and fourth a very slow 9m 44s! But it was the furthest I’ve ran since the Women’s 10k in May!

After the run went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse for weight training at the gym. Usually do 2 nights of weights a week in the house also, so its nice to do them at the gym once a week as a change, plus getting running and weights over with on a Saturday morning leaves the rest of the day to have fun! (and eat a massive dinner!)

On Sunday I went out running again but really struggled, it was pretty windy and my legs were tired from the long run the day before, I ran 2 miles in 17m 42s, a fairly disappointing 10.9kph average. First mile was good at 8m 36s but then the second mile (running uphill into the wind!) was 9m 5s, oh well at least I was out doing something!!

Well it was a holiday Monday for the Glasgow Fair so took good advantage of it! Went running in the morning, did 2 miles again but in a much better than the days before time of 17m 5s, average of 11.3kph. First mile was 8m 31s and second 8m 32s! Was booked in for spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse at night, and since we weren’t in work went to the gym to do weights before it rather than doing them in the house!

Well I have Body Balance again on Tuesday night, then giving myself a well earned break on Wednesday before hopefully managing a long run on Thursday night….will let you know next week how it goes!

8 Weeks to Go

Finally, I managed to get a decent week of training!! Not brilliant, but better than the last few!

Monday night, for the first time in almost 2 months, I made it along to Spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse. It was great fun getting back into it, although I’d forgotten how sore you get the next day from the seat, luckily it only happens the first time you go after a break!! Tuesday night I got along to Body Balance class for the first time in a while also! It was a new routine, as they change it every couple of months to keep it fresh, so I really did feel like a beginner again!

I was busy Wednesday night, so Thursday night went out determined to do at least 6k. I really am starting to realise that positive thinking has so much influence on running. The other half has been telling me this for ages but I never quite believed him before. If you go out thinking this is going to be hard, it is.

But because I’d been saying all week I was going to run 6k, I was ready for it and actually managed 6.5k, in my best time yet! I did it in 35m 35s, averaging 11kpm. Its actually the first time I’ve run a distance over 5k at an average speed above what I need to do a 55m 10k (10.9kph!), so I was very happy afterwards! My mile splits were good also, first 8m 35s, second 9m 48s, third 8m 46s and fourth as I was tiring 9m 3s. (If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all.)

Since I didn’t get out on Wednesday night, I did a Friday night run instead this week. After a long run the previous night, I decided to do something different so I ran a quick mile and then did hill sprints. I somehow managed to do a mile in 7m 49s, my fastest yet! My average was 12.4kph, now if only I could do that 6 times over! After that I did 4 hill sprints, then back to the house for my much needed dinner and shower!

Saturday morning had a slight change of routine, went to the gym first then running! Did all my usual weights at the gym, managed to increase a couple of them also which is always good! Both the other half and I were fed up timing our runs to the exact second so for something different we ran a mile on grass (so strange running on grass when used to pavements!) and then ran a mile fartlek, including a hill sprint within it!

I had planned on gong out another run on Sunday, but ended up spending all Saturday afternoon in the garden (digging up the grass to create a flower bed! Very Rock and Roll!!!) so I was in a lot of pain on Sunday when I woke up, then spent the afternoon in B&Q buying flowers then planting them, so wasn’t able to get out. All in all though, it was a much better week than the last few and I’m glad I was able to get a longer run in.

This week now I need to run a 7 or 7.5k at 10.9kph or higher!

Running tip if you like Meatloaf – play the full version of Bat Out Of Hell then I’d Do Anything For Love, then repeat, and you’ll have covered 4 miles! Got me through my run on Thursday anyway!!

Tuesday 7th July

It's not been too bad a week for the training....so far. We say so far because we don't have high hopes for getting much in the way of running done over the weekend. George Bowie and Des McLean are doing Bowie at tea-time live from T in the Park on Saturday, so they will be heading up to Balado in the camper van on Friday. So friday, Saturday and Sunday are all going to be write-offs. Not necessarily because of the late nights or because the food and drink consummed isn't the perfect diet for an athelte in training, but because it'll be wellies only for the whole weekend. They may not have the greatest background knowledge of the intricasies of appropriate footwear but even they know that you cannot run in knee-high rubber boots.

But George has been sensible enough to take account of the difficulties of training on a muddy festival site and is fitting in extra runs at the front end of the week. Des on the other hand has decided that he will launch himself into a strict regime of regular jogging, once T in the Park is out of the way. Watch this space!!

9 Weeks to Go!

Well unfortunately I had another not so good week with the training, really need to get more running in. A combination of not feeling well, concerts and just simply too hot meant I didn’t get anywhere near the amount of training in that I would have liked this week!

I had planned on going to Spin on Monday night but had to cancel as wasn’t feeling well, then was out at AC/DC concert on Tuesday night (ROCK!), so Wednesday night was the first training I was able to do. Managed 2 miles averaging 11.1kph in a time of 17m 20s, first mile 8m 30s, second mile 8m 49s. It was a really hot night and I really struggled so I am pleased to have done it at that speed! No chance of running on further though, breathing was getting really difficult!

I met a friend on Thursday night and as it was so nice we went a walk for about an hour and a half, any benefit of that was no doubt undone by the ice cream we had afterwards!!

Lack of sleep caused by the hot weather really started to take its toll on me on Friday night and I could barely walk the 3 minutes home from the bus stop! I slept most of the evening and throughout the night and felt much better Saturday morning, until I tried to go running and made it as far as the end of the rood (about 300 metres!) before having to stop as my legs were seriously lacking any energy! The other half ran on (after checking I was ok!) and then after that we went up to Glasgow Club Easterhouse for the gym. I was able to do my weights as normal, even managed to increase the weight on a couple, and then after than ran a mile on the treadmile (with the fan blowing on me full power), so felt slightly better that I at least did something!! I’m definitely not made for hot weather training.

Sunday morning I got up and out for a run before it got too sunny. Pleased to say I managed 5k, in a fairly average (for me!) time of 27m 47s, averaging 10.8kph. My first 2 miles were good, fist mile 8m 38s and second 8m 52s, but then I had a dreadful 3rd mile at 9m 20s, I am just so proud of myself for making it to 5k and not stopping as I very easily could have done!

With only 9 weeks left now I know I really need to get out running more, and longer. I haven’t ran more than 5k since the Women’s 10k at the end of May, so running a 6 or 7k in training soon is a must! I am booked in for Spin and Body Balance this week and no more excuses, I’m going! Once I get myself used to the routine that I was doing before then hopefully I will find it easier running beyond the 5k mark! I just hope the Scottish summers we are used to come back as I really can’t cope with running in the heat!!