Bowie at Breakfast - 28th August

Here's the latest......
George Bowie has been on the Osteopath's table all week getting treatment for a frozen neck. The injury has not done much for his ability to run, but it has provided great entertainment for the rest of the team. Everyone else keeps standing behind him and shouting his name and then laughing as he turns around and buckles in agony. Absolute quality!
Des McLean has surprised everyone with his newfound enthusiasm. He has been 100% committed to his training this week and has been out raing and shine (well mostly rain this week!) to improve his fitness levels. He knows he left it a bit late, but he can crack out 40 minutes in training now, so reckons he can do an hour on the day.
Dr Prockter has also been out and about, despite the wind and rain. She was remembering this time last year when we had loads of sunny days and it was far less of an effort to get out there. She lives on the coast and has been a victim of the very strong winds. The running has been very slow in one direction and very, very fast in the other direction because of the favourable tail wind!
The kids have been out jogging too. The sons of Dr Prockter and George Bowie are going to do their last couple of training runs this week in readiness for the Junior Race on Saturday.

2 Weeks to Go!

Can’t believe its only 2 weeks to go till the 10k now! Doesn’t seem that long at all since I wrote my first blog saying 16 weeks to go! I managed to have another fairly good week of training. Finally it’s all starting to come together!

Monday night I have to admit my legs were feeling really tired, so gave spin a miss and instead did a Tae Bo dvd in the house. If I thought my legs were sore, it was nothing compared to how sore my glutes were the next day!

I made it out a run on Tuesday night, and managed to do 6k in 32m 39s, an average of 11kph. My mile times were 8m 39s for the first, second 8m 49s and third 8m 48s, and my last kilometre or so I averaged 11.4kph so I was pleased to have such a strong finish to my run! (The other half also went out for a run that night and recorded his worst ever 5k time not far off my average speed for the night!)

After resting the legs on Wednesday and having a weights night instead, I went back out on Thursday, this time doing 7k in exactly 39m, average of 10.8kph. It was a really wet night so I was glad to completed a long run in such bad conditions. I did my first mile in 8m 43s, second 9m 2s, third 9m 14s, fourth 9m 5s, by that point having done 4 miles I was averaging 10.7kph and feeling very comfortable, albeit drenched, so I picked it up and ran the last 600 metres as fast as I could, so by time I got to 7k I’d brought my average up to 10.8kph! I managed that last 600 metres averaging 11.5!

Saturday went out for another run, and this time was really pleased to complete 9k, but my time was 51m 48s, a rather low average of 10.4kph. I was doing great up to 5k, averaging 10.9kph but then ran out of steam a bit and couldn’t get much speed going in my legs at all. At least I got a long run in though, and I know I hadn’t eaten enough that morning but I’m putting my poor second half down to lack of fuel! My miles times were first 8m 53s, second 8m 47s, third 9m 2s, fourth 9m 38s, and fifth 9m 37s. It was the longest I’d ran since the Woman’s 10k in May and I was pleased that even though I was really struggling, I still managed to complete such a distance. The other half would like to point out that he recorded his second fastest ever 5k time after his Tuesday night debacle!!! That’s the strange thing about running. Sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason to how you perform so don’t let one bad run put you off, as your personal best might be just round the corner.

After the run on Saturday I went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse to do weights and then to the swimming for a few (slow) lengths and then a nice relax in the steam room. I really recommend the stream room as a god finish to a morning of exercise!

Sunday I managed to get out for a fourth run of the week, however having already done a 6k, 7k then 9k my legs were really tired, so I just ran a mile, in 8m 25s, average of 11.5kph. It felt a good mile although I had nothing left at all by the end of it!

Well this next week will be my last big push, before taking it a bit easier the following week. Not long now…hope that for everyone reading this your training is coming along well!

Bowie at Breakfast - 21st August

Des McLean is off the cigarettes, eating healthy food and has been running regularly. So George has lost his 10 pound bet that Des wouldn't start training and be ready in time for the race.
George was at the gym last night....12 k completed on the treadmill, so he's on track with his running schedule.
Dr Prockter is none too pleased, she isn't a member of a gym and every time she has gone out for a jog, she has been caught in the rain. It's not funny when you are as small as her. For most people, those puddles would only reach their ankles...but it's up to her knees.

3 Weeks to Go!

Well with only 3 weeks left until the GRS I think I have managed to have my best week of training yet!

Monday night I went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse then Spin class, so got the week off to a good start! Tuesday night I did a 5k run, in 27m 7s, which averaged 11.1kph, not my best but not too bad, especially as I had to work late and so didn’t get out till 8pm! My mile splits were 8m 33s, 8m 51s and 8m 52s.

I went for a longer run on Thursday night, and ended up having a very surreal experience! I turned up to the usual place I go running and it turned out there was an organised 5k on that night! (I didn’t have any money on me or else I probably would have ended up signing up for it!) Anyway, I did 3 laps and was running back to the car which just happened to be the finish straight of the race, so I found myself getting cheered on by all the spectators!! I think they were all wondering what was going on when I turned right into the car park rather than an extra 50metres down to the finish line! In all I managed 8.5k, my longest run since the Women’s 10k in May, in a time of 48m 19s, average of 10.6kph. My mile times were 8m 39s, 8m 58s, 9m6s, 9m 24s and then 9m 33s. I am slightly disappointed with my time, especially the last 2 miles, but to be fair those were once the race had started and because I knew people had paid to enter I was making sure I was getting out their way, and so that probably did slow me down!

Friday night the other half and his friend went to play table tennis at Glasgow Club Easterhouse so I went to the gym and did weights again, then Saturday went a 2 mile run, managing it in 17m 5s, an average of 11.3kph. My first mile was really fast at 8m 14s, an average of 11.7kph, but as well as being really fast it was into a strong head wind so I ran out of steam a little and took 8m 50s for the second mile! Still was a good overall time though!

I managed to get out a fourth run on the week on Sunday, and it’s the only one I am slightly disappointed with. I had hoped to get out for a bit of a longer run again but it was really windy, and I felt at times I was in a cartoon running as fast as I could but just staying on the same spot! In the end I did 2 miles in 18m 14s, a pretty low average of 10.6kph, first mile 9m, second 9m 13s.

I managed to do 20k over the week which I am really pleased with. Having managed a 8.5k in the week, I now hope to do close to a 10k this week!

Thursday 13th August

The Countdown is On and the Bowie at Breakfast Team is starting to get into the runners mentality. There is some serious mileage being racked up by the squad now that we only have a few weeks to go until the race.
George and his son Ross have been out together, Bowie senior is training for the Half Marathon and Junior is doing the race on the Saturday. Dr Prockter and her boy have been pounding the streets too, although they have admitted that they are both just aiming to make it over the finish line in their runs, rather than aiming for an impressive time.
Des is currently exhausting himself looking for excuses for a) not training and b) having to walk the second half of the 10k because he isn't quite as fit as he would have liked.

4 Weeks to Go!

Well now less than a month to go, I hope everyone else’s training is coming along better than mine!

After a not very good weekend of training, I made it along to Spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse on Monday night but then came down with the cold and did not manage to get out again all week.

On Saturday morning I finally woke up feeling better and got my trainers on! I didn’t have much energy to run fast but decided I didn’t care, was just happy to be out running, and so achieved a 6k, in a time of 34m 56s. No-where near target at 10.3kph, but under the circumstances I was really pleased with it! My mile times were 9m 11s for the first, 9m 19s for the second, and 9m 31s for the third.

After a long slow run on Saturday (and being out most of the day Sunday!) I decided to go out Sunday night and just try a short fast run, and completely surprised myself by equalling my fastest ever 2 miles time, finishing it in 16m 47s! That was averaging 11.5kph, which equates to a 52m 10k! If only!! My mile times for 8m 19s for the first, and second 8m 28s!

I was really surprised to do it so quickly as I felt I was struggling after the first mile, and certainly with being ill during the week and such a slow run on Saturday I hadn’t expected to be able to run so fast!

This week I really need to run at least 8k, being saying that for about 3 weeks now however…wish me luck!

Friday 7th August

You know that it's getting close to the run because ALL of the Bowie at Breakfast team are now in training. George himself has been keeping pretty fit with his boxing and is now introducing some longer runs into his regime. Dr Prockter has been running right across the summer but Des has been putting it off. However, he did say that once he got back from his holiday, he would get back out again. So, true to his word, he did a couple of runs this week. He was managing 3 miles and has committed to building up to 4 or 5 over the next couple of weeks. He's still off the cigarettes, so he's sure he can get up to match fitness by September the 6th.
And on the 5th of course there's the opportunity for the younger ones to take part in the Junior Race. George's son Ross and Dr Prockter's boy Callum are both participating and have been out pounding the streets.

5 Weeks to Go!

Only 5 weeks left till the 10k, and I had another mixed week. Started off good but finished not so good!

Monday night went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse for weights training then spin class. Felt a really good workout, so a good start to the week!

Tuesday night I did my best run of the week, doing 7k in 38m 25s, an average of 10.9kph, bang on the pace I need for a 55min 10k. I did my first mile in 8m 30s, second 8m 52s, third 9m 2s and fourth 9m 3s. It felt a really good run, I always knew I was going to make it to 7k, and after it I wished I’d ran on further as I feel I had more in me!

Wednesday night as the legs were recovering from the previous nights run, I left my watch at home for once and just did a couple of kilometres then 4 hill sprints on the way back up to the house!

Well I didn’t get back out again until Saturday, but I wasn’t feeling great over the weekend, and as soon as I started running I realised I wasn’t going to be able to manage much! Ended up turning it into a half run/half walk! After that really wasn’t in the mood for the gym so ended up having a boxing session with the other half back home. He held the punch mitts and I did a few rounds of jabs, crosses and uppercuts!! Was great fun, although my arms are still recovering (as are his ribs!! hehe)

Went out a run again on Sunday but still wasn’t feeling great so only managed 2 miles, in a time of 17m 38s, average of 11kph. My first mile wasn’t bad at all at 8m 35s but I ran out of steam and did the second in 9m 1s! To make up for missing the gym the previous day I then did weights back at the house.

My aim for this week is to run a 8k at some point, so hopefully the motivation of only one month to go will get me through it!!