Run Britannia!

In a bid to transform myself into an early morning workout obsessive, (which I'll need to be to clock up the miles needed to actually get a decent time in the Royal Parks) I made to commitment to meet my running BFFs,  Emily and Laura at 7am on Sunday morning. That's a 6am wake up call on my usual Day of Rest (i.e. 11am lie in!).

Needless to say, it was a struggle turning off the snooze button and lacing up my trainers. Even Stella didn't budge in her basket as I left this morning.

I did feel very smug to have arrived at High Street Kensington before any of the morning trains had even kicked in for the day.  Less smug seeing hoards of Olympic volunteers merrily striding down the streets looking polished and ready for action, while I was still yawning and checking if I had my t-shirt on the right way round!

We had decided to trial Sweaty Betty's Run Britannia, a program of sightseeing runs (5k or 10k) through London running over the Olympic period.  Although we were slightly apprehensive at first thinking we may just be running alongside very fast, very experienced Sweaty Betty Staff and uber runners, we were greeted with huge smiles from the team and set off at a manageable but challenging pace. Note: I am slow, clocking 11 minute miles, so needed a push!

We chose the Royal Park run, which seemed fitting for our training, and with beautiful weather and early enough to be a bit cooler - we meandered through Kensington Park Gardens, via the Royal Albert Hall clocking up 10kms, with a few tips on form and pace along the way from coach Hannah.



Those tips clearly paid off immediately as I clocked up my fastest training 10km! Shaving nearly 4 minutes off my last race time

Back at the Hight Street Ken branch, we were presented with fantastic goody bags (the coconut water went down a treat!) including water bottle, bag and flash neon laces. Nice reward for the weekly long run indeed, thank you Sweaty Betty!

Planning on a few more sessions, taking in up Soho and a bit of window shopping around Harrods - fitness, fashion and soaking up the Olympic atmosphere? Perfect.

The Crew

Saturday Crew

I count myself very lucky to have a number of mates who also happen to run. They understand the obsession with lycra, the constant worry over every niggle in your knees pre race, they actually want to hear the mile by mile account of your last triumph and understand how crazy it makes you when injury flares up and you're stuck wearing flats with your beloved trainers gathering dust.

But strangely I have never been into running with other people if I can help it, even the fellow obsessives. I like the fact I don't have to make conversation. I can change my pace without the worry of being too slow or too fast and I get to occasionally fall in a heap post massive hill climb or muck about with the dog and turn off the GPS. But even I, the solo running purist, had to admit, it can get a tad dull.

That all changed recently when I started running with a colleague from work who has similar running experience to me and doesn't mind mixing up the chat with a good dose of iPod time too. Now with the Royal Parks training underway and both of us registered and hitting up the training schedules, I'm counting myself even luckier to have a bit of company on those long runs which can get very tedious when you're clocking up 10+ miles!

Our first Saturday session this morning was a scorcher, first sight of the sun we've had in weeks and we managed six miles before 10am (this is early for me on the weekend!). Stella the Dog avoided an altercation with a mastiff puppy in Holland Park and we all managed not to pass out. Not a bad result for our first meet!

Posted with Blogsy

The CHASE is on!

Yes, we're back on the blog at it again! Signed up and ready to get our training ON! Royal Parks Half Marathon on Oct 7th this year- and this time with another 30 or so colleagues from Random House so no doubt we'll be a force to be reckoned with.

We're all running for Chase, and I'll be adding the fundraising details to the blog this weekend once we've got our charity page set up. Brainstorming a few crazy ideas to get you all to part with your hard earned cash for a very worthy cause. All and any suggestions also eagerly welcomed!

Watch this space!

500 miles!

I did it! 500 miles. Yes Five Hundred Miles.

Or, if you prefer....804kms. That's right, Eight Hundred and Four kilometres. 

Put that in your pipe and smoke it P.E. teachers from my youth! And I did it all in just under 18 months. I'm pretty chuffed with that.

Plus, according to the glorious Nike, I burned a smoking 50,000 calories. That's at least one of Rory's caramel and macadamia nut cheesecakes. Result.

Yes, my average pace is still pretty slow, but I'm working on the speed factor and building more intervals into the training (read as: running after Stella with a stick, and visa versa. I need to get a bit more professional now I'm into the next 500!)

Never to let a celebratory moment pass without some kind of fantastic reward, I have bought myself some shiny new trainers to carry me through the British 10K, the Palma Half Marathon, and should the ballot gods look kindly upon me (or not as the case may be), maybe even the big daddy, London Marathon 2013.... YES I registered.

Now holding thumbs for the announcement in October.

*clicking my heels together three times*

I can almost hear these shoes whispering.....Come on 26.2!! (ok, too much coffee after 7pm, must detox)

Come Out and Play

Finally back in training having secured a place in the British 10K and another in the Palma Mallorca half marathon in October and I'm determined to get sub 1hr on the 10K and sub 2:15 on the half. I need to hit the intervals and get faster, which ultimately means changing up the routine.

So I dressed the dog up in a very fetching American Apparel hoodie to get her ready for the new regime. She has since figured out how to take it off so there goes our co-ordinated running team look.

Today I managed a speedy 5K fuelled by my angry 15 year old self. I have since rediscovered the music of my misspent youth (maybe something to do with another birthday on the horizon and getting a little further into my 30s? That or I had amazing taste in music 16 years ago....). Cue anthems from Pearl Jam, The Offspring, Nirvana, Soundgarden and RATM.

Had you told me 16 years ago, (probably in detention though a haze of B&H special mild), that years from now I would be listening to the exact same soundtrack while pounding the pavements in London (in Lycra no less) I'd probably have given you the finger (perfectly manicured with black permanent marker of course) and told you to stop smoking your socks.

Ironic then, that in 2012 I'm picking up the pace to 'Smash' and sprinting down the last 1K to 'Genocide'. I'm now pulling together an even more grunge worthy playlist to sort out my next long run. 10K of Temple of the Dog and I may revert to wearing my ripped jeans and bleach dyed vests.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I saw just the same get up in Urban Outfitters at the weekend (along with Nirvana T-shirts, Kurt spins in his grave), so provided I can master that look of youthful disdain I may just get away with it

The music itself may have to remain on the iPhone though, R is having none of it. While sorting out my playlist earlier today he said 'I think I've heard enough of this, what is it exactly?'. Talking 'bout my generation....

Runner 5 Versus Zombie Swarm (with Stella for back up)

A month since I last blogged which speaks volumes about how much running I've been doing. Not enough! I've had to change up the routine, something that I hear time and time again as way to get the mojo back. I just lost the love. The sofa was winning, and with added daily pressures, my training dropped from 3 times a week to just one lonely session. And I have to give credit to my friend Emily for that one, having a work mate running date helps enormously!

With that in mind I do need to find a running group to help kick my schedule into gear. I'm looking at a few at the moment (from the comfort of my arm chair) but I have yet to get up the nerve to turn up at one. The majority are free, so its not the cash that's the worry, and I have it on good authority that most cater for all abilities, so what am I so afraid of?

My guess is it has something to do with the fact that I still dont see myself as a 'proper' runner. With two half marathons, and four 10kms races behind me, and another 3 races signed up for 2012, you'd think I may have convinced myself by now. I think I'm too slow, or slightly too curvy or maybe my gear isn't quite the right stuff. I think I'm terrified that when I do join a group, I'll not be able to keep up, or I'll stagger up a hill too slowly. I am my own worst enemy here.

Its that old voice playing up again, telling me its easier to just not bother. So I had to counteract it this morning before I become all consumed with self doubt and probably unhelpful obsessing about mileage missed or fitness lost. So I went for a run, but left my HRM, Nike + app and GPS at home.

I just added a few Zombies, just to mix it up a little.

I saw this app advertised a few weeks ago, but for £5 I thought it was a little too steep to invest in. Bring on the Easter sales and for £2.50 I could just about justify it. The premise is, you're Runner 5, collecting essential life saving items and out running zombie swarms with the aid of the radio controller back at base. Once you've completed your run, you log back on and 'distribute' you findings at base, unlocking new missions and helping level up your station.

If you can get over the very cheesy acting, its actually a lot of fun. I pretty much sprinted up my nemesis hill when I was told 'IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!' and the zombie moans get louder in your headphones. Stella had a ball. I'll have to get her written into the script for the next upgrade. Its great for recovery runs or short, sharp sprints, as it reverts back to 'radio' mode after about 5kms. You get to choose your own music, so I'm thinking I may just download the sound track from Resident Evil for authenticity!

It got me out the door, and I'm rather intrigued to see what the next mission may be, so I'm pretty sure I'll be up for another short run tomorrow. Anything that works, I reckon, is worth trying again.

And with the extra milage adding up little by little, I may just take the leap and turn up at a running club next week. There's one next Tuesday with my name on it.

The Groove

 

It's SPRING! Time to get motivated again.

I don't bounce back after a long race. Something in my psyche tells me I deserve a break, time to recover, relax and generally not do any exercise. So, three weeks after the last big event, it really should not be a surprise that I'm flagging after 5K and can't find the motivation to get back into the groove. But I am surprised. I'm outraged and pissed off and generally berating myself for not being able to run 15km at the drop of a hat.

And therein lies the rub. The first thing I am learning, (and it is all new to me as I was the antithesis of sporty at school) is that its all about consistency for me. Fitness is a fickle beast, you have to catch her and she'll elude you. Turn your back for a few weeks and she's out of sight, having a bit of a laugh as you huff and puff up a pathetically small hill. The training has to be consistent.

This became really clear for me on my run this evening with Stella in tow. She's not been out as much as I would like due to the fact she's approaching 7 and the dog gurus suggest you start winding down the mileage as they approach 'middle age'.  She's usually very well trained on the lead when we run. But, given a few weeks off the lead, she's not having any of it. Wrapping herself (and me) around lampposts, tugging at the lead - it look a good 4km to get her back into that groove. She remembers, it just takes a good bit of discipline and metaphorical kick up the ass to jolt back in.

The second thing that struck me today around 5km is, that voice, that one that says, 'stay on the sofa, you're really tired and you have had a long day' is not your friend. Its the same voice that says things like, 'have another piece of cake' when you've had three. I remember this voice well when I was trying to quit smoking. 'Stop tomorrow, you're really stressed at the moment' or 'one cigarette won't kill you, you've really cut down recently, you deserve another lung full of tar'. Not. Your. Friend.

Quite the opposite. That voice wants you sluggish, tired, depressed and alone on your sofa watching reruns of QVC. Don't get me wrong, we all have our nasty habits, after all vices are just virtues taken to the extreme.We all need a good dose of a vice like anger to tell us when we've had a boundary crossed. Otherwise we'd be doormats. Its when it turns to Rage that its dangerous. Or the occasional over indulgence, keeps us from being too smug or self righteous. Abusing it is a different story. And equally a bit of lazing around on rest days IS good for you. Its getting the balance that's tricky.

To do that, the other voice has to get louder. You know the one. The one that says, in the case of my battle with the smoking, 'enough is enough'. The one that says, 'I can do one more mile' and the one that says 'I'm going to go out in my lycra and rock this route' . It doesn't listen to the paranoid self deprecating nitpicking telling you your ass is maybe a bit too large for those shorts. So it is. So what. Take that. I'm going anyway.

My guess is that listening to that other voice, no matter how much you want the extra hour lie in, that extra piece of cheesecake, or the opportunity to just spend three hours on Twitter (guilty!) and then consistently acting on it, some how starts to balance out the negative one. And something magic happens, it stops being so hard. You look forward to those few hours a week when its just you and the pavement, rather than a chore, you start upping the anti, you achieve a few goals, you complete a few races. And you're hooked. But this habit is building you up, not breaking you down.

And the dog gets a good work out too. Even if her owner is a new-age zen hippy. Winners all round.

Coach Stella Post Run AKA my own personal feet heater