Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I updated, and that’s because there really hasn’t been much to report: I was knocked for six throughout December by a nasty cough then wasn’t going to risk breaking my neck by running on ice. But this is 2010, it’s a new year, a new decade and a healthier new me. I got off to a good start, getting out nice and early on new year’s day for the Serpentine 10k in Hyde Park. Oh my, it was ffffffreezing out there! I put on my new Helly Hansen base layer, my new hat and my new gloves (and everything in between of course) and joined the rest of the nutters at the start. I found myself walking round in circles and rubbing my thighs like Vic Reeves to keep warm, but we were soon off.

I didn’t have high hopes for this race, not having run for a few weeks and being heavily laden down by Christmas stodge, and I didn’t surprise myself, coming in at an all-time personal worst. Things were ok to start with, then both of my knees started really, really hurting – the left one below the knee cap and the right one in an ITBS kind of way – so I was struggling around with a grimace on my face. The cold air also triggered my chest to tighten up so I felt all-round crap. I kept on going though.

It was a beautiful day, so bright and crisp, and it’s a good race, laid back, friendly and in a nice setting. Edward and Hector were making their way over to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (it’s fantastic), and paused to wave at me over a bridge part way along, always uplifting to see their smiling faces. The course does a loop at one point, and I was suddenly being lapped by the short-shorts brigade and getting all muddled by the KM markers, but things picked up when I really had done 7k and my knees seemed to ease up a bit. I kept on, plod, plod, plod and made it to the finish line where I picked up my bag and quickly put on my big puffa jacket. Brrrrr. I could have done with a banana or something at this point, but there was just some icy cold water on offer…a hot chocolate at the playground warmed me up a bit

Time: 1 hour 2 minutes 13 seconds

Distance: 10.11 km

Average Pace: 6.09

Best Pace: 3.56

Calories: 681

I just had a look at Fetch, and it seems I ran 599 miles last year. Damn it, I wish I’d read that last week so I could have made it up and over 600! I have taken advantage of our local leisure centre’s New Year offer of three months for the price of two, or something like that, and invested my Christmas and birthday money in some gym and swim membership for the next few months. I am feeling well and truly lumpy-tumpy right now, so I need to get burning those calories and pumping those muscles. I went to my first Spinning class in about three years on Sunday and felt like I hadn’t been away. The instructor was French though, and I couldn’t really hear him, so all I heard every so often was ‘rrrresistaaahnce’, felt like I was watching ‘Allo, Allo’!

Hmmmm. I have been really enjoying my weekly 5k challenge at the Finsbury Parkrun, but it wasn’t to be this weekend as the big fella had had a little too much to drink on Friday night and was certainly not up to entertaining a lively toddler while I pootled around the park. Grrrrr. I did go out though, and did a 5k around my local park, cheerfully shouting a jolly ‘hello’ to all the bundled up runners I passed along the way, but did any of them reply? No, not a sausage, grumpy lot. I pushed myself, imagining I might be able to manage a little PB, with it not including that big hill and all. I did manage to improve on last week’s time a little.

Time: 27 minutes 22 seconds

Distance: 5 km

Average Pace: 5.28

Calories: 308

On Sunday I wanted to do five miles to bring me up to my week’s target of 20 miles, but the rain kept saying: ‘No, stay there! It’s nice and warm…and dry’. I did get over myself though, and headed out into the winter wonderland. I’m so glad I did. I ran down to the canal and the sun was glorious, with rain cutting through it. All along the path I had to leap from side to side, avoiding the huge muddy puddles as I watched determined rowers ease through the water.

Time: 49 minutes

Distance: 8.10 km

Average Pace: 6.03

Calories: 500

When I got home Edward said he wanted to go out for a run too. I was a bit shocked because it must be about a year since he last ran – he cycles to work and back every weekday and plays football once a week, but never runs. Of course, he went out and beat my 5k time to a pulp. Damn it.

Oh dear, I am finding it really hard to get on the computer and blog at the moment. Hector’s daytime nap is moving further and further back and, on some days, not even happening. I think this is the slippery slope towards NO daytime naps. Arrrrghghhg!!! Anyway, I now feel 100% better after our horrid sickness bug the other week, the nausea really did linger on, not really encouraging me to jig up and down in the wind and the rain. Hmmmm, wind and rain, I’ve had enough of it, horrible stuff, so I’ve been much happier in the past couple of days when we’ve had two lovely crisp, fresh wintery days.

You may have noticed the words ‘course PB’ in the post title, and you would be right in thinking I have moved a little step closer to my goal of a 25 minute 5k. Just a little step mind. Last week I didn’t make it over to Finsbury Park for the weekly Parkrun, partly due to my nausea but mainly due to the visiting in-laws. On Saturday though, I was determined to get there so we all trundled over on our bikes and the boys played with a handy grabber thing they found in the playground whilst I pushed myself up hills.

It was so lovely to have my own little support team as I rounded the corner near the playground, with Hector shouting: ‘Go Mummy!’ I have recently made a change in the Garmin region and have started training in kms instead of miles – I figured it makes sense as I am currently training for 5 and 10 k races. It really does take a big shift in thinking to get your head round it, but I do think it helped in this race to keep looking towards a five-minute km. Anyway, it’s not incredible, but I’m getting there:

Time: 27 minutes 29 seconds

Distance: 3.25 miles

Average Pace: 8.27

It was nice getting an email from the Parkrun folks saying I’d got a course PB and was fifth female

On Monday morning Edward was late leaving the house due to a dental appointment, so he prompted me to go out and run. I took one look at the rain and said: ‘nah’. He wasn’t having any of it and I eventually pulled on my kit and headed out into the stinging rain shower. I have realised that I probably run faster in the rain, in an attempt to get home quicker.

Time: 30 minutes 59 seconds

Distance: 3.47 miles

Average Pace: 8.56

Now, Hector has got more energy than I could ever keep up with, and I am always looking for ways of challenging him physically, and we recently started going to Toddler Gymnastics. It’s amazing. They have various apparatus out for the children to climb on and crash mats for them to land on safely and – the best bit – a huge inflatable running track! As it blows up the children get whipped up into more and more of a frenzy until they are given the all-clear to jump on. I find myself smiling the whole time we are there as Hector is having such a wonderful time. He just runs up and down, with the odd pause to jump and fall on his bottom and the occasional somersault. We ran there yesterday. It was very windy.

Time: 35 minutes 45 seconds

Distance: 3.36 miles

Average Pace: 10.38

Today’s physical challenge was swimming, so we ran there too – the weather is just gorgeous. Again, it was super windy so the uphill trip was rather tough, pushing a running buggy!

Time: 57 minutes 58 seconds

Distance: 5.47 miles

Average Pace: 10.36

(you can see how my times slow down considerably when I’m pushing a heavy child in a running buggy into the wind).

If the stats look a bit different it’s because I used the ones I had put onto Fetch. Hector has worked out how to switch on my Garmin and mess stuff up, so I have to be quick. He puts it on, walks to the front door, pretends to unlock the door and says: ‘I’m putting on my Garmin and going for a run. Bye-bye’.

Not an awful lot to report really, too sunken in a fog of illness to run, but I am emerging slowly to see the sunshine again. Poor Hector was so ill throughout Sunday night, waking every ten minutes or so to vomit, so Monday was spent dealing with much of the same and generally snuggling and cuddling whilst reading the same books over and over. Last night, I came down with the same lurgy. It’s hard being ill, but harder when you have to carry on as normal because you have a small child to care for. Thankfully, H slept quite well, so I only really had to deal with my own illness. This morning I feel a lot better, but very weak due to the fact that I haven’t kept anything down since yesterday’s breakfast Parsnip soup for lunch I think, and maybe a bit of ginger grated in to settle the tum.

I did get out for the second Finsbury Parkrun. It was such a beautiful day, far nicer that the previous week, but fewer people turned up. How odd! I decided to just cycle over on my own, and do the race then head back straight after, much less hassle than a family outing. Despite the glorious sunshine, it was cold so I put on my long sleeves for the first time this season, but felt really hot a few minutes into the race! Things went well, but I kept thinking about that bloody hill, I was determined not to stop this time, and didn’t. Instead I kept a steady pace throughout but somehow managed to finish in a slower time than last week, even without the pause on the hill! Someone was taking photos and I unfortunately got captured by the lens at a few points, not a pretty sight.

Time: 28 minutes 14 seconds

Distance: 3.12 miles

Average Pace: 9.02

Best Pace: 6.06

Calories: 323

I think I need to change my Garmin to KM and start doing some KMs at 5k race pace to really get a sense of what I need to do to hit 25 minutes. Even with the slower time, I was the 9th woman in, so it’s the sort of race where you can excel if you put in the work.

I was determined to make it out for the first Finsbury Park Parkrun on Saturday, so we all downed our porridge and got ready to bike it over there. As we were putting on our helmets the rain came down in buckets. Edward was all set to stay behind, but Hector wasn’t (and never is) put off by a bit of rain. It was so bad we even had to shelter under a tree for a bit, but it eased as we made our way up the hill to the park. As we rounded the corner I saw a few runners huddling under the eaves of the cafe, all looking a bit bleary-eyed and with that sort of ‘what the hell am I doing here at this time on a saturday morning?’ look on their faces. Edward and Hector sauntered over to the playground and I did that runner’s loitering thing you do before a race, where you check everyone out whilst doing a daft token stretch and trying not to look to awkward.

Eventually we were directed over to the gate where the race will start each week, and were given a few pointers before the start was called. I was delighted to see that the first stretch was down hill so we could generate some speed, but soon found myself overtaken by pretty much everyone. Quite quickly I settled into a pace alongside another woman whom I plodded beside for the rest of the race. I had been very excited about this new race and have dreams of cracking my PB here in the future, but I soon realised this is not really a PB sort of race. About a third of the way round, the path takes a sharp turn up a steep hill. During the first lap I found some incredible grit from somewhere and glided up no problem, leaving my fellow runner behind, but during the second lap I thought I was going to throw up! I had to pause for a moment and lean over before resuming my trek to the top. How embarrassing. Shortly after the hill I was on the home straight, so picked up the pace, gasping and panting all the way. As you cross the line you are given a token with a number on it to hand to the computer-wielding volunteers at the end, who scan your personal barcode and add your finish time to the website later in the day; all very high-tech.

This was my Garmin’s reading of it all:

Time: 27 minutes 41 seconds

Distance: 3.16 miles

Average Pace: 8.46

Best Pace: 5.28

Calories: 329

Not a PB, in fact a little bit slower than  my last 5k race at Trent Park, but not so bad considering I stopped to avert a pukey disaster.

On Sunday I headed out for a ‘long’ run, but this was cut short by not being able to see where I was going due to the rain being horizontal and mostly directed at my eyes.

Time: 41 minutes 20 seconds

Distance: 4.37 miles

Average Pace: 9.27

Best Pace: 6.55

Calories: 445

Back from our lovely trip to Venice where, as we were leaving, things were being put in place for the Venice Marathon which was being raced today. I imagine it’s a challenge to put on a marathon in any city, but in one that is largely water and tiny streets then it must be the biggest challenge of all. Ramps were being suspended over the steps to bridges and a temporary bridge was slowly arcing over the Grand Canal and, as we headed back to the airport, we saw lots of sporty-looking types gathering at what looked like the expo, an air of excitement all around…and some rather gorgeous snow-topped mountains in the background. Ahhhh.

During our little break we did lots and lots of walking, trying to avoid travelling on the vaporetti which seem so much more expensive than last time, in fact everything seemed more expensive, this strong Euro is a real pain in the wallet. I had lots of time to think about running, but didn’t actually do any (I would almost definitely have got lost) and I have come up with a short and long-term plan to shake things up a bit. With the fabulous new Parkrun taking place just up the road in Finsbury Park, I will have a regular 5k to test myself against, so I will aim to beat that much desired 5k PB of 25 minutes. I think a realistic time scale might be to achieve this by my birthday (December 30th). As a longer goal, I would like to do a Spring half-marathon and my aim is to do it in two hours, something I did in training for the London Marathon, but failed to do in my last ‘official’ half-marathon. Another goal is to shed this extra bit of weight that has crept onto my lower half – it made today’s run feel ever so sluggish.

This morning I got out for a run-around-in-circles-in-the-parks type run which, as I say, felt a tad tiring, but it felt great to be out again and tackling the head winds with gusto.

Time: 1 hour 1 minute

Distance: 6.44 miles

Average Pace: 9.37

Best Pace: 5.49

Calories: 679

Phew, feeling much, much better and a good run makes me feel like a proper runner again.

I got on the case with some vitamin C and zinc tablets and snaffled some of Hector’s mega stash of satsumas and grapefruit when he wasn’t looking (he gets through so much fruit, it’s unbelievable. Good boy), it does feel like it’s heading for my chest though, so I’d better watch out. I decided to give the running thing another go this morning, but didn’t leave the house until I’d given my shin a jolly good rub with the old Neal’s Yard Salve and popped on my compression socks. Things felt good as I set off, my lower legs feeling like they were in a constant and loving embrace, ahh.

It’s a beautiful day here in London, so I headed over to the marshes to enjoy the ‘countryside’, and soon realised I might find myself in the middle of a race, as I spotted km markers and brightly coloured marshalls scattered at various intervals. I stopped and asked one of the  marshalls what the race was and she said it was the Enfield Running Club’s 10k, shame I hadn’t realised it was on, could have been fun. It was interesting to see the setting up side of it all, people rushing about and getting into place ready to direct the eager runners. I paused on the footbridge to watch this for a while and also look at some men who were climbing up a pylon, they seemed to be doing some fixing – I know from those 197os public information films that it’s highly dangerous to enter into such activity without permission.

I had felt a bit heavy-legged and sluggish during the first couple of miles, and wondered if I had it in me, but that magic thing happened at mile three, where I felt settled and energetic, warmed up. As I crossed the lock, one of the marshalls asked if I was in the race, looking surprised: ‘Yes’ I said ‘I’m really fast!’ Things were going well, but I didn’t want to push my legs too much, so decided to head home when I reached Tottenham Hale. I did have to do the up-and-down-our-road-for-a-bit thing to reach the six mile mark, but I did it.

Time: 58 minutes 38 seconds

Distance: 6 miles

Average Pace: 9.46

Best Pace: 7.10

Calories: 651

Rubbish. My Octoberthon that is. I have run this week, but gingerly, fearing the dreaded shin splints. Arrrghghghg! I’ve also done something weird to my neck/head. Sometimes I wake up, having slept in a funny position and can only look to one side, but normally it clears up as the day progresses. Well, this happened to me on Monday and has got worse as the week has gone on. I can’t look right or left or upwards, yes, I am a danger to myself and everyone else, especially when I try to cross the road. Now things are taking a turn for the worse as I fend off a killer sore throat and ‘the sniffles’. There’s lots of it about.

I am off to Venice this week for the Bienalle, so my running will be interrupted anyway, but I should take this opportunity to think about what I really want to do with my running. I caught sight of myself in the mirror last night as I put on my pyjamas and thought ‘Oh shit, how did that happen?!’ something needs to be done, and sharpish!

On a positive note, the wonderful Parkruns have moved up north London way, with a new run starting in Finsbury Park on October 31st, so a weekly, timed 5k run…for free! What a great incentive to get 5k fit and beat that PB to the ground.

It’s hard! Octoberthon is going well in many ways, but it’s such a challenge getting out every day. On Tuesday I didn’t manage it. It rained and rained and rained all day and Hector and I were all ready to go at one point and it started chucking it down again. We spent some time at the library and I decided I would head out when Edward got home…only he didn’t get back until just before nine and I didn’t fancy the streets at that time, mingling with the ladies of the night and their associates. Oh well.

On Wednesday the weather really picked up, it was one of those autumn days that makes me smile: crisp, fresh and sunny, so we headed down to the canal.

Time: 33 minutes 13 seconds

Distance: 3.17 miles

Average Pace: 10.29

Best Pace: 8.21

Calories: 358

Thursday was just as lovely, if a little bit windy, so we did the run-to-swimming-lesson-and-run-back-home run. I do enjoy this, it’s so much more enjoyable than the bus, but it’s hard putting on slightly damp running clothes after emerging from a deliciously warm swimming pool!

Time: 50 minutes 45 seconds

Distance: 4.74 miles

Average Pace: 10.42

Best Pace: 7.40

Calories: 453

Friday was another gorgeous autumnal delight, but I waited until the evening to run and really regretted it as the skies opened up just at the point where I said: ‘Ok, I’ll go running now’. I stared at it for a bit, procrastinated some then realised it wasn’t going to stop and I should just go for it. The rain did something great to my speed motivators as I kept up quite some pace for the whole three miles. It made me realise I might just crack that 25 minute 5k I would love to achieve. My enthusiasm was knocked somewhat as I neared home and heard some lads shout out: ‘Come on big arse!’. Hmmmm, thanks for that.

Time: 25 minutes 29 seconds

Distance: 3.02 miles

Average Pace: 8.26

Best Pace: 6.04

Calories: 298

Yesterday we all set out early on our bikes to Hampstead Heath where we enjoyed a flask of tea and our lunch near the lovely Pergola and then wandered through the trees and had a play in the playground. I saw Ricky Gervaise at one point running through the heath, looking like it was hard work. Glad it’s not just me that finds the heath a challenge! Talking of challenges, the outward trip to the heath is full on hills, hills, hills and I realise how useless I am at cycling; I might be running fit, but cycling makes my legs scream. As a result I decided not to run yesterday, I was simply worn out.

Since I did my big walk a couple of weeks ago I have been experiencing a new pain in my left knee, on the inside, some sort of patella thing I guess, probably just caused by all that walking and stair climbing. The funny thing is that it only hurts when I walk, it’s absolutely fine when I run and was ok when I cycled yesterday. This morning I set off to Finsbury Park as I fancied running along the path that we rode on yesterday. My knee was hurting though. I ran as far as the park, stopped and stretched and decided to run back home. As well as the knee, my right shin was aching too, so I didn’t want to push it too far and cause long-term problems. Damn it. I don’t know if it was because I had decided to run back home or if it was because I had warmed up, but the pain and the ache both eased a bit on the return journey…

Time: 33 minutes 30 seconds

Distance: 3.19 miles

Average Pace: 10.29

Best Pace: 8.03

Calories: 337

It’s ever so slightly harder getting out for evening runs during Octoberthon than it is in the warmth of Juneathon. I didn’t manage to run yesterday with various rain issues and the general business of attempting to get H to do his business in a potty (I wish there was some kind of sure-fire way of getting this thing nailed, it’s really tough-going), so I got my kit on as soon as Edward got home and went out for a dark run. By dark I don’t just mean the sky, I also mean my attire: black from head to running shoes, I really must get on the high-vis case. I don’t like this sort of run: it’s dinner time, Edward has just come home and I would much rather chat and eat and relax, but I have an Octoberthon to stick to, so needs must.

My reluctance to be outside did mean I found myself running faster, though the uneven pavements are a bit hairy in the dark: I felt like I was going to trip up at any minute. I stuck to the residential streets and scared pedestrians out of their skins as I galloped up behind them at full speed…maybe I should invest in one of those ‘honk-honk’ type horns to let people know I am coming, actually that’s not such a bad idea when I’m using the running buggy as well, there have been a few moments of almost calamity when people stroll into our path, unaware that we are going fast, fast, fast!

Time: 29 minutes 13 seconds

Distance: 3.03 miles

Average Pace: 9.38

Best Pace: 6.34

Calories: 302