Theresas training

guess what - haven't written in a while. that's truly because the running isn't worth writing about at the moment. cannot believe how badly I'm running at the mo. thought it was on the up a bit after I manage to run most of the 12/12.5 miles a couple of weeks back, but that must have been a piece of luck! headed off down to a wee place called Auldgirth near Dumfries for a long weekend - twas Brian's birthday and he fancied a bit of fishing. Unfortunately his fishing went as well as my running! He didn't catch anything whilst we were down in Dumfries, but then we came back, he headed down the Whiteadder (about 20 min drive away) and then caught two salmon! sods law.

Anyway whilst down there I managed to muster up the enthusiasm for a 9.5 miler on Fri 17th and a 6 miler on the 18th. Sunday 19th I intended to run but got too lazy instead. Then Monday 20th I headed out at 7am, as that was our last day in B&B and I wanted to get out, run, come back, shower, pack up and have breakfast at 9. My first few steps were not a run, nor even a job. Pain in every muscle in my legs led to some funny kid of tip toe gait. Must have looked interesting. Only went for 4 miles - it got better as I got into it a bit.

Then we came back - Tuesday was the last of the east lothian summer series, and the one I've done best in this year I think. That said I was over a minute slower than last year and I thought I was running badly then! Nice wee jaunt round John Muir, followed by a bbq. Very enjoyable. Managed to catch up with Sheila M for a wee bit - she's just back from Brazil and has run about 2 times in the past 5 weeks. Beginning to think training is over rated give her performance on Tuesday and Alison's on Thursday. It so doesn't seem to make a difference to other people if they stop for a while - I keep going and manage to go slower and slower. Things aren't shaping up well for the race on 2nd September. Shame and it's my fav 10km of the year (usually - not sure it will be this year though).

Thursday night - intervals - my second session out of the last 6 and boy it shows. we did 12x400m, each in 2min45 and extra 3mins after each set of 4. Managed to do them all but at particularly poor speed. At least my poor speed was consistent at 2mins per lap. Reading back in my blog did 1.51 or 1.52 for each towards the end of may. Excellent - not sure how but have added an extra 8 or 9 seconds. think there must be something in the air......

And today. Plan was to do 12. It was really windy and quite hot/sunny as well. Didn't manage so well on the first hill up towards top of Brunt hill, then down to Spott and headed over to 2nd Ford on way to Pitcox. Didn't do so well on the next hill either so decided to turn around and head home. Ran past some "thing" that was on in Spott, which had teas. that would have been a better way to spend the day. Anyway managed to watch a bit of athletics (ok so all 3.5 hours of it). Much easier watching than doing.....here's to easier running!

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well - not so sure that anything is getting any better - and so decided I may as well take another holiday! Heading off for a few days, although as ever the trainers will be in attendance. Will need to suss out some decent routes....

headed out on the sunday after the last entry - sunday 5th august. Managed to persuade Brian to come along too. Intended to do 5 but cut it down a bit as managed to find some excuse to get home (probably to eat some more chocolate). Ran along the beach where I got to stop a couple of times as Brian was watching a Peregrine attacking the sea gulls. we cut back along the soggy salt marsh and through John Muir but only did about 3.5 miles. I felt loads better than the day before.....until Brian said that he felt we were going lots slower than usual. Hmmmm - maybe I should leave him at home????

Tuesday night was the ELSS race at Musselburgh. Got an ok handicap - ie thought I'd be somewhere near it based on last years time. Headed off ok and then got a big stitch. So....when will I learn that I just should not eat for ages and ages and ages before I try to run fast? yup was a bit peckish just over an hour before so thought an oatcake or 2 would be ok, but no. terrible, terrible, terrible. stich eased off about 4 mins before the end of the race so I could speed up a wee bit again but I was slower than last year, and slower than the handicap.

Thursday I headed along to intervals. 5 sets of 4x200m in 1min15. Struggling to do the warm up - knew it wasn't going to be a good session! Did the first 2 sets, took an extra long break and did the last 2 of the next 4. That seemed to be sensible and managed all of the rest. in a moment of fun someone (wonder who?) had hidden Ian's relay batons. He was quite puzzled for a while, when he thought he had misplaced them but the "good" members (keen for further punishment) helped "find" the batons (whilst Ian was in checking if he had left them in the changing rooms). Twas quite funny though! Fay and I were allowed to sit out - Ian ran himself, and I got to shout out the times. Quite a responsibility but would do it again - almost like getting revenge! Was a very close race too.

Saturday was Haddington half marathon. Given my recent performance I decided against entering - no way was I going to attempt to run a race, long distance and with hills, when I can't manage 200m easily! So headed out for a bit of a hilly long run in the morning. It was loads better than the last week, with a couple of minor, short little walks at the top of the two nastiest hills, but otherwise ran about/at least 12 miles. So please with that. Then headed over to Haddington to watch those running the half - so much better than running! Dunbar performed well - although a woman came in 3rd and bet all of the Dunbar runners (and most of the field obviously - new women's course record for a very good run!).

Sunday I went to run round the bottom of Doon Hill but chickened out when I saw the cows. Ran aimlessly round some fields until I found a path - then headed on down to Dunbar, Spott roundabout and through the trees to meet Brian at the recycling. We'd been doing some interior clearing up and had decided to recycle a "Billy" bookcase from Ikea that really, really had seen better days, including recycling quite a lot of its contents. The fun continued when we got home and tried to move the wardrobe from our bedroom downstairs. I don't think I've sworn so much in a few years. So it started out with a bedroom that needed to be redecorated - now we have a couple of holes in the walls in the hallway that require some attention....at least we got it down though, without really hurting ourselves! And I managed to watch the London triathlon - good time management!

Tuesday night the world was conspiring against me to stop me heading out for a run. Festival traffic made the bus late, waverley station renovations mean the train is on a bit of a random platform - these two issues led to me missing 6.05 train by 1 minute. Fab - 30 mins to while away in Waverley while waiting the next train.....I phoned Brian for a moan. Decided to head on out anyway, esp as had a meeting after so was only planning on a 5 miler and should be able to get in 3-4 in the time I had. In the end it all turned out ok - met up with the others after 15 mins and Jenny headed back with me to add on a bit to her run. Lovely. Now all we need is some decent weather!

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hence the lack of writing for the past week even though I've been back at home.... anyway have certainly been on holiday mode this week, although think I'm doing quite well. Washing basket is only full, not over flowing. And managed to do the housework today (although it did really really need doing - had a whole spare cat's worth of cat hair on our living room rug - let me know if you see any naked cats around as I think I could help them out!)

Anyway, was in sunny ole France whilst the whether in Britain has not really been great. Went away in a big group of folk and did some cool stuff whilst there - included eating a lot of bread, cheese, croissants, pain au chocolat, cheese, bread etc. Did manage to keep up the running - did 7 runs in the fortnight I was there, just to keep ticking over did about an hour a time (very slowly though). Managed to cajole Brian into keeping me company on 3 of those - although he didn't half moan a lot. Annoying but - he hadn't run since the Haddington five mile race and then kept up for about 6.5 miles in pretty warm weather, including quite a stretch on the beach. Pain he is!

We were lucky in the area we were in - near the beach so could run along it. So much better that other beaches I've run along - this was hard and flat, without those annoying rimples you get that hurt your feet on some beaches. Better than running on road for sure. Also found a nice wee trail in some trees that must have been just over 3 miles that we ran along a couple of times. There were loads and loads and loads of cyclists. Not just your ordinary little family of people out for a wee cycle on a sunday but groups of fully lycra clad, professional looking folks practising for the next tour. Bizarre. A few runners as well though. The abundance of cyclists meant that there was of course an abundance of nice, smooth cycle paths everywhere. Fantastic for runners - you just need to keep your wits about you a bit!

Anyway - important notes for anyone else going to France in the near future:
1 watch your feet - you thought Dunbar was bad for dog shit? you ain't seen nothing yet. There is poo everywhere! The pavements are actually just paved with it!
2 you sometimes get to pay extra to eat your food outside? amazing huh - check the menu.
3 doesn't really matter what you eat or where - you will be surrounded by smokers who will breathe their smoke over you all the time
4 if you are vegetarian - hope you like omelette, chips, cheese and bread. Although did manage to have a fantastic couple of salads when I was out...
everything is served with chips, everything
5 the pancakes are to die for - have them just with sugar. or get one of those alcoholic ones that they set light to at your table. They look cool.
6 if getting a train from a non-major train station make sure you check all the wee notes in the timetable. Or better still ask the person at the kiosk lots of questions about trains there and back - this will ensure that you don't attempt to catch the last train only to find out it's not going your way because its not a sunday or a fete day. the seem to have some bizarre ideas about when they run their trains!
7 go to Euro Disney if you can - I so need to go back
8 don't buy expensive wine - the cheap stuff tastes just as good
9 get proper french chocolate - preferably go to see the factory (counts as sight seeing) and buy some afterwards (counts as a souvenir)

Won't say much about the running since I've been back - clearly not a lot to tell! Last week was dead chuffed as ran for about 10 miles (longest I'd run for about 3 weeks) and managed to run up all the hills on quite a hilly route. Fab I thought. (From Knowes, up across old a1, by Biel, up the hill at Biel and along to Pitcox, up the hill at Findlay's spring water (the worst ever I think) down to second ford and up hill towards Spott, up house at red chimney and up hill in field and finally up the hill to my house. Wow. Great. Monday night went to Pilates but unfortunately my instructor didn't so thought I'd head out for another run - again made it up the hills. Ran up towards Doon Hill, round the back and up to the top of the Brunt and then back down to the house.

Then club on Tuesday - think Val was on a mission. The try to tire Theresa out mission. Man I think she nearly killed me. Ran through John Muir but it felt pretty fast to me! and that was Val out for an easy run. She thinks it was down to my just coming back from holiday - very nice of her to say so.....then sandwiches and pizza. Yum. Wednesday Val and I spectated at North Berwick Law race - fab. It's such a good race to watch and cheer all the club on. Funnily one of my friends at work ran it for the first time, loved it and ran a good time. But had great difficulty walking on Thursday and Friday - especially negotiating the stairs!

Thursday, unfortunately had to go out for a meal in Edinburgh instead of managing to do intervals. Shame.

And then today. The worst run in ages..... one of those where every footstep is hard work from beginning to end and your brain is busy telling you negative, can't be bothered type thoughts all the way. Should have cut back but didn't. Big mistake. Ran about 12 miles. (or about that time - could have been about 3 the speed I was going). Anyway got back just in time to catch the highlights of the Salford triathlon. That was the aim. Then carbo loaded - maybe my legs just didn't have enough fuel (ha - for those who know me, will figure out that that's unlikely to happen!!!!)

lets hope tomorrow is better!

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