Hey all,

It was my birthday last weekend and as a birthday treat to myself I did a 22 mile run ha ha!!

As soon as I started I could still feel the 20 miles from the 2 weeks previous in my legs but battled through the tiredness, with concentrating on other things like my running technique and having a great girly chat.  At around 12 miles I started to get the negative thoughts knowing I’d still got 10 to do it wasn’t a good sign, but I tried really hard to push them at the back of my mind and with Michelle there managed to forget them.  At 18 miles I started to hurt again and it was a bit daunting that I’d still got 4 miles to go, by this time there was a gap between me and Michelle again, but it did me good to manage my negative thoughts and just kept thinking positively with things like my family, what it’s going to be like at the finish of the marathon etc.  Then at 20 miles, I had a second wind and the last 2 miles felt great not sure why but I really hope I get that second wind again and it lasts for the last 6.2 miles on the day ha ha!

My mood hasn’t felt as low after this long one and I haven’t felt as tired or so I thought, just been for a 5 mile run and it was tough I felt very tired!  It felt like my legs were someone else’s and more like 10 miles, it just seemed to take ages!

That’s it now for the long miles there’s nothing else I can do but tapper and keep my legs ticking over, with just over 3 weeks to go arghhhh!!

Have a great weekend x

 

Hey all!

5 days after doing 20 miles and I finally feel back to normal ha ha, it was such a hard but great run!

We have started to do our longer runs in stages and it feels so much better doing it that way than just thinking right I have got to do 20 miles in one go!

On Saturday we did a route that we knew would be about 12-13 miles, we made sure we would pass our cars after the first stage so we could top up our energy drinks in our bottles that we carry, had half a banana and a munch on some of the sweets we carry.  We also had a little stretch as I could feel a niggle in my hamstring, which thank god went after I stretched it out.  After our pit stop we then went on to do an out and back to get our 20 miles.  I felt fine up to about 16 miles, I then started to slow down and we ended up doing the last 4 miles separate, but I could always see my training partner Michelle in front of me so that kept me going along with some of my favourite running songs.

At around 17 miles everything from the hips down hurt, plus my feet were really aching as well, then it got to the point where everything just went numb and it was more to do with mentally getting through the last couple of miles.  But we did it, we got to 20 miles and I felt so proud of us!

After we finished we went and had a well deserved coffee and cake, but we couldn’t sit still it was really weird our legs were so restless and aching it felt like it would have been easier to carry on ha ha.

The restlessness started to go away and then the real aches and pains kicked in, I have started spraying the shower on my legs on a freezing cold temperature after a long run then gettting into a nice warm bath and it seems to settle the aching a little.

No rest for the wicked though and I was out on that night to celebrate a friends birthday, I really don’t no how I got ready and went out, thank god for full fat coke and prosecco as I don’t think I could have made it through ha ha.

Sunday I didn’t feel to bad, just a bit tired so we had a family chill out day.  But Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have felt like my mood has been low and I have felt really tired, but I have read this is all part of the training and I feel loads better today.

We have 10 miles this week, i’m hoping it will be a breeze!

Have a great rest of the week and nice weekend.

x

Hey all hope your all well!

After 3 weeks of international travelling ha ha I’m back, first France for 2 weeks then a few days in Barcelona but the running has still continued! Here’s what’s been happening.

The day before I went to France we did 16 miles, we both felt great it was tough but not as tough as we thought, we have a great route that we have started to use and as long as we keep chatting or playing music we’re ok!!

I ended up taking my running stuff to France as I still really wanted to keep the miles up.  On the Monday I did a recovery run of 3.5 miles it was a tough loop where we were staying really hilly, I had it in my head to do 10 miles that Saturday, so I planned to do 3 loops of the course I’d done on the Monday.  Well that was the plan but after 2 loops it was tough going, I think it was the fact it was hot and I was still tired from the week before, I ended up doing 8 miles in the end, I was pleased with that.  I did a couple more runs the week after but only 4 miles each time as it was just to hot, it feels like you have done a lot more in that heat.

As soon as I got back the very next day I was going to do 18 miles!  I went out thinking in my head to do 18 but wanted to listen to my body as I’d had 2 weeks of lots of wine and cheese ha ha and also the travelling the day before can take it’s toll.  But I managed the whole 18, thank god for Michelle being there and our little bag of treats that we munch as we go as I really struggled after 16 just felt low on energy and my legs were really heavy, to the point I was struggling to lift them up to get up the kerbs ha ha.

I will say though touch wood I am recovering quickly after my runs and with lots of stretching I’m hoping that’s helping to keep any niggles away!

I’ve just had a week off running because of going away for a few days again, but did lots of walking so my legs didn’t get much of a rest ha ha, think I needed the rest I did get though as my body has been giving me signs to rest such as sore throat and feeling really tired.

Back to it now though and it was a drop down week this week, just 10 miles this morning which felt like it went really quick ha ha.  I could feel my legs were still a bit tired today and it was a hot one, glad it was a drop down week as I think I would of definitely struggled if it was more miles today.

Next week we go up again to 20 miles arghhhh, can’t believe there aren’t many more weeks of training till I tapper and then the big day!!

Have a fab weekend x

Hi all!

I did it, I ran 14 miles and felt good!  Me and Michelle were buzzing after, we felt like we didn’t struggle or have any bad moments.  I feel like it’s given me more confidence for the longer runs to come.  That was nearly a week ago now, since then I have managed to do a 7 miler which again I felt good during it, a gym session and today I did a 10 miler! This morning my hubby asked how far I was going and I said oh only 10 miles, he laughed and said you do realise what you have just said ONLY 10 miles ha ha!  It definitely felt harder today than last week, my legs were feeling very tired and heavy, I was expecting them to feel like that at some point soon.  I suppose I’ve just got to get used to running on tired legs!

Next week we’ll be going up to 16 miles, I feel ok about it at the moment, but i’m sure i’ll feel a bit nervous next week.  At least i’ll have something to look forward to the day after the 16 miles, a nice holiday to go on!!  Yes I am going to be sad and take my running stuff ha ha, I need to keep my legs ticking over and would like to try and do a 10 miler there, but we’ll see how hot it is first ha ha.

My new trainers are still good, they feel so much better than the mistake I made with my last ones!

Lots of rest this weekend with my feet up I think, let my legs recover for next week.

Have a nice weekend x

 

 

Hey all,

So I feel I have recovered well after my half in Wales, I did a 10 mile run last Saturday and I was really surprised with how good my legs felt.  I managed a 4 mile recovery run on Monday and then did a 5 mile run yesterday.  I do feel since making the long runs a regular thing I am recovering a lot quicker each time.

Back to my half in Wales, wow what a hard half I forgot how hard it was actually.  The first 10 miles went well, I had to walk up impossible hill it’s just a horrendous hill and I take my hat off to anyone that ran up it ha ha.  After mile 10 I felt like I was running out of energy and by mile 11.5 I stopped at one point and felt very wobbly and my eyes were blurred, I think i’d bonked and struggled on the last bit but managed to run it in and did a 2 hour 20, 1 minute better than 2 years ago!  Note to self make sure you sort out and take your own nutrition and don’t leave it up to the hubby ha ha!

This Saturday I am heading into the unknown and doing 14 miles arghhh, I am nervous but also interested to see how it’s going to feel.  I have nothing planned for the rest of the day on Saturday so I can literally just chill if I feel like I need to.  I’m hoping it won’t be to bad though ha ha.

The one thing I realised after my half is that I made a big mistake with the hot pink trainers I brought, my feet were killing me and my toe nails were sore and one is actually bruised.  I decided to research what trainers would be best for me, as I have a high arch in both feet and as mentioned before I overpronate.  I found some that I have ran in this week and i’m really pleased with them, they have loads of room and my feet don’t hurt.  I’m glad I changed them this early on and didn’t just stick with the others, as I think my feet would have been in a bad way the longer the miles got.

Have a nice weekend x

Hi All hope your all well.

So it’s only 2 more sleeps till my next half marathon and the official start to my marathon training arghhh!!

I really enjoyed the 10k fun run I did last Sunday, me and Michelle just enjoyed it and plodded around ha ha, it was nice to not have any pressure and not chasing a time.

We have come away to do this half marathon, it’s part of a long course weekend where tonight (Friday) is a swim in the sea, a 112 mile bike ride tomorrow which the hubby is doing and then the run on Sunday which is my turn!  Unfortunately my hubby has only gone and forgot our fructose and electrolyte energy powder that we add to water, which I have trained on for a long time and it really suits me as I find with gels they give me a bad stomach and don’t agree with me.

I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to get some at the expo when we registered, but no one had any they only had gels.  I’m having to add gels to water and hope for the best, I am a bit worried about it as it’s a long way to go on something that I have’t tried before, but i’m sure i’ll be fine!

I did this half marathon 2 years ago and did it in 2 hours and 22 mins, it’s such a hard half i’m not sure why i’m doing it again ha ha.  There’s a hill in the middle of the run and I named it impossible hill at the time ha ha, I’m going to try my hardest to run up it this time.  I’m not to fussed about a time, but it would be nice to do it faster than 2 years ago!

I’ll let you know how I do on Sunday.

Hope you all have a great weekend x

 

 

Hey all!

Its been a busy couple of weeks with work, kids and training!  Last Saturday I did a very hot tough run with Michelle, we manged 11 miles but I struggled as it was so hot, we are lucky that we get to run in a big park so there is lots of shade.  We ended up just making up our own route to stay in the shade, which made the run go quicker ha ha.  It was a tough one though, the heat just takes it out of you.

My new trainers felt great on the long run and my niggles weren’t as bad as they usually are after a long run.  I went for a 5 mile recovery run Tuesday this week, again it was a hot one so I just took it really easy didn’t bother with my watch and just enjoyed it.  I think I look at my watch to much sometimes and put myself under pressure with what minute mileage I’m doing.

I decided to do the same this week for my long run as I was doing it all on my own, I took my watch to keep an eye on the mileage but didn’t bother looking at how fast I was going just decided to enjoy it and listen to my body as been as I was on my own.  I did 11 miles, I was hoping to do 12 but I was back at the car at 11 miles and that tempted me to stop ha ha!  I really enjoyed the run actually, it helped that it was cooler this week, I feel like I’ve recovered well and haven’t really ached, lots of stretching this week though.

Here are some of the moves I use to stretch, thought i’d share them with you in case your struggling to find the right ones to do Stretching for Runners

Lately I’m finding that I am getting swollen feet and ankles after running now that I’m upping the mileage (probably didn’t help I went out in heels on Friday night after my run ha ha), so i’m trying to get my legs and feet up high of a night time to help with the circulation.

Today it’s 2 weeks to my next half, hopefully this time I get to run it ha ha and officially the start of my marathon training arghhhh!!!  Before all the pressure of the training starts i’m doing a great 10k fun run next Sunday, i’m going to make sure I enjoy it as I think there’s going to be some hard times ahead ha ha!

Have a great week all x

 

Hey all, hope you have all had a great week so far!

I am feeling loads better since my food poisoning incident ha ha.  My first run back was last Thursday, I only managed 3.5 miles I still felt tired, but I was determined to get back to doing the long runs on the weekend.  I set out on Saturday with Michelle to do 10 miles but we both agreed to see how we felt along the way and cut it short if we needed to.  We did 9.5 miles in the end, I was really pleased with that as been as I was ill the week before!  I felt good on the run up until the last mile where I struggled more mentally I think than physically, plus it was a hot one, which is always worse as the heat really takes it out of you.  I’m going to have to get used to the heat, as my marathon training starts in 3 weeks arghhhhh!!

I’ve still got a few niggles especially in my left leg, so I decided it was probably time for some new trainers to see if that helps.  I’ve had my old ones for 6 months now and they say that they should be changed every 6 months, so i’m hoping this new pair will help sort my niggles out and see me through my marathon!

Well your not going to miss me running in these hot pink trainers are you ha ha!

They feel lovely and fit perfectly, I hope they will do me proud on my 11 mile run this Saturday :0) If you are in need of new running trainers make sure you go somewhere they will fit you properly and suggest the best ones for you, as I over pronounce when running and these are one of the best trainers for me to support the over pronouncing.

I saw this on one of the sites I follow on Facebook this week, I thought it was a great guide and thought I’d put it in my blog this week for you all to have a read if your just starting out running or the motivation is fading.

9 TRIED AND TESTED WAYS TO START RUNNING AND KEEP AT IT

Have a great rest of the week and a lovely weekend x

Hey all, hope you had a great weekend!

I was really looking forward to doing the relay with my husband yesterday, we went and registered on Saturday and got our numbers and was really excited, went for a lovely meal (or so we thought) at the hotel with just one glass of wine ha ha and at 4am in the morning woke up feeling horrendous and was very sick, it just got worse as the morning went on.

I managed to get a message to my husband that I wouldn’t be able to do the run and that he would have to do it all, luckily he had trained to do all 3 and did an amazing time of 5 hours and 20 mins!  Our relay team came 12th out of 20, he did amazing!

Because we had to check out of the hotel by 10am I had to manage to get myself, my mom and both kids to the race finish so we could go home straight from there.  I’m not sure how I did it but we got to the finish in the end and I had a really funny turn, I ended up in the back of an ambulance that was on stand by for the people that was in the race!  My oxygen levels had dropped and I ended up on the oxygen, but luckily all my vitals were fine and I was given the all clear to go home.  They said it looked like it was possibly food poisoning from my symptoms, thank god for my mom being there to look after me and the kids.

I’m feeling a bit better now, but I’m so gutted today that I couldn’t do the run, oh well I’ve got plenty of long runs ahead of me ha ha!

I’m going to have the week off doing any training, let my body fully recover and then do a 10 mile run on Saturday with the girls!

Have a good week x