DONE and DUSTED! 2 hrs 36mins 8s

Thrilled to have finished my very first half marathon! In agony having injured my calf again (yes, that hill right at the beginning of St Vincent street has a lot to answer for) but otherwise feeling fantastic.

It was possibly one of the hardest things I have ever done (up there with kick boxing gradings, customer strategy meetings and maybe even quitting fags!) but very pleased to say that I managed it without stopping once, walking or passing out. I did nearly cry at 11 miles, but I don't think anyone noticed and scoffing another jelly baby made me feel better.

I made the mistake of stating with a 5K pace, of around 6:15 per km which did me no favours, but thankfully managed to catch myself and slowed the pace right down to around 6:45/7 per km which I think may have saved me in the long run. Although seeing loads of people in my colour group sail on past was slightly disheartening, but I got my own back when I ran past some of the speed freaks, who were now walking at about 10 miles. HA!

The last 3 miles were absolutely killer, with the calf playing up and my exhaustion making itself felt. Legs were like lead, but seeing family and friends at around the 11 mile point helped immensely and somehow managed to find the extra energy needed to get through the last couple of miles. Wing and a prayer at that point! You can see my route here

But made it! Without stopping or walking! Although doubt very much I'll be running for a few weeks at least. The calf is complaining up a storm and I need to rest it. So celebrating with cake and tea. And then to bed - for a day or two.

12 Hours and Counting - Carb up!

We made it to Scotland in one piece late last night! Phew!
By some small miracle I managed to pack everything I needed for the race in about 10 minutes flat, while vacuuming the flat, walking Stella and handing over flat keys to our infinitely saintly friend who stepped into dog sit at the very last minute (long story, thank you Miss P!) Never a dull moment when it comes to Stella. We even got our train with 5 minutes to spare. I  have no idea if I have enough socks for the rest of the time we are here, but I'm covered for tomorrow. Along with jelly babies for the tough times, lip balm, suncream (I'm an optimist) enough safety pins to make a convincing punk and a killer play list to carry me through.

I really didn't think I would be this nervous, but I'm hoping the added anxiety turns into adrenalin and helps kick start the dreaded first 3kms. No matter how fit I am becoming, I still find the first 10 - 15 minutes really tough. Possibly as I am still getting my head around the fact that, yes I am actually running, and yes its not as terrible as I had thought it was 20 years ago, yes, I am going to carry on going, and I'll enjoy it.

Part of my head is still stuck in the late 80's when I always came last in athletics at school Although I'm unsure as to how anyone, no matter how sporty and talented, could actually run in those itchy acrylic dishwater brown PE kits we had. Or the humiliating short shorts that came later, in washed out navy. 

Tomorrow, at least, I get to choose what to wear, and although the vest is as bright orange as you can get (which less face it, suits no-one!), it's for such a great charity I'm pleased I'm going to be very visible (probably from the moon!).

So it you happen to be watching the race and you see a vision of nuclear orange pass you pay, probably not in a flash, I'm in the slow coach group after all, that will be me. And check out the charity link on the top right hand corner of the blog. They truly are an inspiring lot.

But before that I'm digging into a superb carb crazy meal cooked up by my wonderful race weekend hostess (and also long suffering aunt!) Pasta, mushrooms, salmon a plenty - scrumptious (the equally food fussy other half agrees!

Wish me luck!

There's an app for that

I'm a fan of gadgets. Gadgets and programs that measure performance in very efficient (and cool 3D!) graphs and give you great feedback on exceeding targets while providing colour coded levels and whizz bang cool trackers. Yes, I'm a bit of an amateur tech geek.

I have my Polar HRM which tells me exactly how may calories I've burned. I love this piece of kit mainly as it helps me work out if that double chocolate brownie is going to start showing up on my muffin top, or if I can have a few kals to spare, I'll know I don't have to feel guilty about the cheesecake I saw the other half whipping up while I ran out the door pre-run. It also tells me if I'm running too hard or not trying hard enough. Particularly satisfying when having completed a really tough hill and the blinking percentage point indicator looks like it may explode. HA! Yes! Take that! *cough splutter fall over* 

When I started running last Oct I was very attached to the Couch to 5K (C25K) app. It got me from huffing and puffing around every 20 seconds to comfortably jogging for twenty minutes and then to completing a whole 5K in just under 9 weeks. I logged my moods (sad face/happy face/I was nearly sick face) and terrain and weather and with every green light I ticked off by week, I grew more and more confident I could actually do this running, even in the British mid winter - and that it made me feel great.  

Once that ran its course, I fell out of love with the inflexible schedules, I started cheating on the C210K program with the very sexy and sassy  Nike+ GPS app. Its red. And has Power Tracks.  I have been hopelessly devoted to since January. It's sultry voice over  has congratulated me on personal bests, she's given me encouragement when I'm almost at my goal, marked my pace, time and distance and even shown up race organisers when they the track proves short of the advertised distance. Faithful and reliable, my routes have been downloaded and my miles logged religiously ever since.

Until today. With one week to go, this was to be my penultimate medium run. I made time for it this morning sacrificing the much needed lie in, sorted out Stella, got the cap on (in case of the looming rain). About half a km into the warm up, something starts to go wrong. The ipod starts skipping tracks. There goes my pace and this is enough to completely distract me. I run straight into a scary lopsided looking youth, with an equally scary looking lopsided hound (Stella held her ground!).

2kms later and without any warning my iPhone's voice control takes control of my phone. SAY A COMMAND! it shouts at me through my head phones - this gives me such a fright I actually shriek out loud, giving a small elderly woman I'm passing with her shopping, a bit of a start. This Voice Control also stops all music and makes the Nike+ app start sending paniked notifications, 'Weak GPS! Move app to the FRONT'.   So I do. I have to stop and remove the iphone from the equally snazzy armband. Swipe, click. Nike+ is reinstated. Music is back on. Running again! This time I only just about get back into my stride and the music stops and again....SAY A COMMAND! This time I give a group of small children a rather colourful demonstration of every cuss I know. Stop again, close apps, open apps, shut down phone, open ipod. Stella is now getting agitated, bored, beginning to protest -  wondering why on earth we're not in Holland Park yet. Where there are squirrels. 

Further into the run I finally give up. Nothing helps. Nike+ FAILS to log runs, or logs four runs that make no sense or any relation to reality and the entire iPhone crashes. Now I have no reception. There's no app for that. 

I'm hoping for salvation in the form of an Apple Genius. Or an upgrade. Or both. Either way I fear the love affair may be over with Nike+

Mapmyrun, let's give it another shot. 

Speeeeeed! Who fartlek-ed?

Tried my hand (feet?) at Fartlek  training tonight, which in case you're not familiar with the term, means 'speedplay' in Swedish. They know their stuff the Swedes, blow your socks off coffee, heart attack cake and running fast for short periods of time. My kind of people!

Started my short 7 km route with 3 pretty killer hills, not very long in distance, but with good sharp inclines, enough to get the heart rate pushing the 90%+ mark. Perfect for short sharp bursts of speed.  Then hit Kensington Palace gardens to try up the speed. I'm pretty surprised that I can manage decent stretches of high tempo running without keeling over. The training does seem to be paying off. Amazing feeling too, had no idea I could actually get up to a sprint at all and maintain it.

10 days to go until the big race, one long run in the schedule left and then tapering the training next week.

Will also be looking at new gear for the coach. This caught my eye!

Working off the Brunch!

After a weekend of birthdays, full on 'big-fry-up-with-everything' brunches at Mike's Cafe and a very glamourous hen do the sunday run was really needed!

Still really struggling with motivation, but after about 2kms, the aches and pains ease up, I hit Hyde Park and I remember why I keep doing this! Happened to see a spectacular sunset over the Great Western rail lines en route back from Royal Oak around 8.5kms and avoided an overly keen Doberman in the park. Never a dull moment.

Two weeks to go until the big race and I'm starting to think about upgrading some of my kit.
Here's the wish-list:

New arm-band for the old iphone, 'sexy' new dri-fit nike vest and a pack to keep the nurofen/jelly babies/extra shoelaces at hand (just in case). I don't ask for much. My trainers are good to go for another 100 miles, so I cant be forking out the big cash just yet.




Stella could do another 100 miles tomorrow given half a chance, speedy madam out paces me every time. Giving some serious thought to entering her into the Women's Running column that they run monthly featuring people who train with their dogs. May need to invest in a new collar for a  proper photo shoot, diva that she is!

Running Number 20033

Its all happening! Running number arrived today with a HUGE T-Shirt, which thankfully I won't be wearing as I have the bright orange Starfish Vest to wear with pride. Slightly nervous now, only three weeks away....

I'm hoping to do two more long runs before I start tapering the training back ahead of my trip up to Scotland.

Having a bit of a panic about what to take! Its definitely cooler up in Glasgow, which is no bad thing. Baggy T-Shirts are a total no either way. Bin bag and a hat is the advice I've had from the internet forum gurus. Please don't call the fashion police!

Tuesday - Holland Park/ Kensington Palace Gardens 11K

Variety is the spice of life, right? And I need some of that! Lately it feels as though my world revolves around work and training for this race.  Route mapping, ipod shuffling, calorie counting, and rescheduling social engagements to catch up on the miles. Alternate with late nights at the office, and a very busy time of year and I am exhausted! And in need of something new.

Getting home this evening I didn't have the energy to map an entirely different route, so I just reversed the one I have been building on, and added another km. Nike+ have also just added a mapping function, so check out the link here:  Reversed Route 11K

Funny how such a simple change can make such a difference - and great to switch the hills up a bit. Ended up with more energy than I began with. Brilliant side effect of running I'm finding. 

So, besides the iPhone cutting out at 8.5k, great run and feeling more confident with 10k going by without a stitch or any pain in the joints - so clearly I must be getting fitter! 

Stella, on the other hand is enjoying a week off the training as I need to work on speed (she slows me down a bit with general pit stops) so has been chilling on the sofa. Hard life ;)