Pushing out the Push-ups

How's everyone's week going? I bet you're all glad it's the weekend tomorrow. I'm working Saturday but I can't wait for my day off on Sunday! So ready for it!

Thanks everyone for the input on my half marathon query. I got the advice I was hoping to hear, I'm going for both of them.. Just need to convince my dad he wants to be my taxi/cheerleader for the first one as it's a little far away!

We went to do intervals after I finished work on Weds and I wore a tank top and shorts, yes shorts! We've been having a mini heatwave. Unfortunately I think the lovely weather is about over :-(

I realised while I was at work that I'd forgotten to check my plan to see what I was meant to be running... duhhhh As Mike was out at uni and meeting me at the track I couldn't get him to check either so I had a bit of guess work and decided to go for 10 x 400m 60-90s rest, all the first 5 were 60 and almost all the rest were under 70. My pace according to my new times was 1.42 and I accidentally smashed that. It was tough though and I'm still feeling the effects of such a kick ass workout today!

1 - 1.24
2 - 1.35
3 - 1.35
4 - 1.36
5 - 1.42
6 - 1.42
7 - 1.36
8 - 1.39
9 - 1.41
10 - 1.35

Who am I? I had no idea I had those times in me. Especially as it was so hot, I hadn't had a sip of water all day, not at home or at work and it had been rather a long time since my last meal. Just proves how much a good mental attitude can help you push through.. Sometimes that just doesn't work though, not sure why! I did feel the effects of poor fuelling though, round about halfway I was balking as I was running. That coffee I had at the end of my shift was not happy in my tummy... Should have known though, why I thought drinking coffee at 2.15pm then running intervals just before 3 was a good idea I'm not sure... Why didn't I go to the water cooler?? Really no excuses haha

Good news, no shin pain during the run, my left knee felt tight on the walk home but I often have tightness in my knees so I don't think it's much to worry about, just need to be careful!

And loooooooook I finally started my push-ups! I did these on Wednesday too, now I just need to keep up with them!

10-12-7-7-max(12)

Today
10-12-8-8-max (12)

The push-ups hurt so much today! My body feels really achey lately! Still, glad I bashed them out, I feel better for doing them.

Windy Intervals

Sorry I've been a bit MIA, again.. I've had a really rough week..

I did do some fab intervals at the beginning of last week though. They were TOUGH!! You know that really strong wind we've been having, well nutso over here decided it would be a great idea to run intervals in it. They were immensly hard. Mike was running too and we both almost gave up more than once. I literally felt like I was running on the spot at times. I was amazed I finished them in times close to my goal times though, that felt gooood! I had 400m RI in between intervals...

200 - 0.40
400 - 1.48
600 - 2.46
800 - 3.52
800 - 4.04
600 - 2.58
400 - 1.58
200 - 0.43

I felt pretty hardcore after finishing them! Especially since I struggled to walk accross the field back to the start line hehe

Anyway I've had a pretty awful week. I don't want to get into details on the blog but it's affected my eating.. I'm trying hard not to relapse at the moment but I'm struggling.. I just have no appetite when I'm feeling like I am at the moment so.. I dunno! It's hard to explain being so cryptic.. Anyway I'm not sure when I'll be back with another workout post... I've not really been eating enough to exercise if I'm honest and I'm trying to stay as sensible as possible and not make things too bad. I'm supposed to be starting my half program on Monday so hopefully I'll be back on track by then but I honestly don't know if I will. Hopefully this is just a blip.. I considered myself to be fully recovered so to be struggling like I am at the moment has come as a bit of a surprise..

Hope you're all good and hope I'm back soon :-) I'm still reading blogs I'm just not feeling much like writing! Plus, the way I'm feeling = depressive posts which aren't much fun to read!

Trail Intervals

Hello everyone! I tried something new this week... And I'm not sure if I like it, but it was definately good for me! I had 10 400s planned so Mike suggested we go to a dirt track he had run on before, he told me it would be tough! We decided to bike down instead of jog as a warm up as we were a bit short of time.

The track turned out to be slightly uphill and quite bumpy! It was definately a challenge.. The uphill intervals were sickening.. I was literally dreading them each time. I considered quitting at 8 repeats so many times! I did get to 10 though, I'm not entirely sure how... I don't have my exact splits as I can't get them off the garmin at the moment, I'll try and get them later though. My pace for the repeats was supposed to be 1.50, my uphill interval times ranged from 1.48-1.53 and my downhill ones were 1.29-1.32. It said I was running at a 5.58 average pace for one of those. I couldn't believe that!

I skipped my tempo run planned for today as my calves were really sore still, not sure if it was running on the uneven land? Plus, honestly I might have skipped it anyway as Mike's sister has come to visit and she's only here 'til Sunday so we'll be spending some time with her before she goes back home. Speaking of which I'm going to keep this short and sweet!

Hope everyone has a brilliant weekend!

First Day of 10k Training

Today was the first day of our 10k training! Speedwork! We went down to the track to find we couldn't go on it! 4 coaches and a double decker bus of school kids were on the track! Nooooooo! The worst thing was I said to Mike before we went 'we best ring up and check the track is free' - of course we promptly forgot! It didn't end up so bad, we both had our garmins on so we went to the nearest field and blasted our intervals out there, it probably wasn't that accurate but it was either that or go back home and that wasn't an option!

The intervals were pretty horrible! After 4 I thought right, stop after 6, don't do the 8 you're supposed to... just ease yourself back into it, 8 is too much today!! But after 5 things started to look up. I hate not finishing a workout so I sucked it up and got on with it! It might have felt horrible then but I would have felt a lot more horrible if I'd gone home after 6!

1 mile warm up at 10 minute pace
8 x 400m (1.51), 400m RI
1 - 1.37
2 - 1.40
3 - 1.45
4 - 1.49
5 - 1.49
6 - 1.46
7 - 1.50
8 - 1.48
1 mile cool down (walked whilst drinking fresh orange!)

= 5 miles in total, not counting the cool down as it was walked.

As you can see I started off too fast and couldn't keep that pace as it was faster than my prescribed pace. I always struggle to pace intervals and was especially rubbish at it not on the track! Also I'm not sure how accurate these times are as I don't really trust the garmin's gps on short distances, it sometimes seems a bit generous so I might not have been as fast as the times suggest.

Really glad to get some speedwork in though, I always feel so great after a good speedwork session, next week hopefully it'll be on the track!

10 Sunny Miles and 12 Rainy Miles

I had a good run last Sunday, it was soo hot though! I can't believe how much the weather has turned, my run today was rainy and cool! I was glad to get some hot weather running in as it's often hot for the half marathon I've signed up for. My water rucksack has been soo good, my long runs have been far better since I got it as I'm not spending the last few miles thinking about nothing but water! I ran over the bridge and did some of the half marathon route for this run... The hills really affect my speed, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to hit my goal of under 2 hours!

10 miles in 1:33:28 9.21 per mile
Mile 1 - 8.47
Mile 2 - 9.40
Mile 3 - 9.19
Mile 4 - 9.01
Mile 5 - 8.10
Mile 6 - 10.26
Mile 7 - 9.42
Mile 8 - 10.30
Mile 9 - 8.41
Mile 10 - 9.13

Work update!
The regional manager came to speak to me on Thursday. As I'd written a letter to her it is being classed as a formal complaint so I was interviewed about it and so was my manager and the area manager will be too. I got my points accross and I'm hoping they will come back to me with the answer I want but I'm looking for another job and not worried about going back on the dole if they don't sort things out. I told her afterwards I would not return to work until the issue was resolved so hopefully that will speed things up. I feel bad about letting my manager down but I felt I needed to make it clear I was serious. And as I said to her, it has been going on long enough. If I stick around they could just keep me at a lower wage and fire me as soon as they find someone who will work for that wage, at least I force a quick answer this way, at least I hope I do! I hope they sort it out though as I still want to work there, I just won't if they don't pay me what they initially offered!

Yesterday I ran some awesome intervals! What better way to begin an impromptu day off! I started my intervals off by testing my mile time, I was hoping to get it under 7 minutes... 6.53 Hell yeahhhhhhh! There was a time not very long ago when I thought my body was just not capable of getting a mile under 7 minutes cause I could only just get it under 8.. I was so happy to get it under 7... Next goal, under 6.30? I hope so! After that I did 400m repeats, I thought I had done 4 but when I checked the garmin I did 5! Yay!

1 mile warm up 9.30
1600m - 6.53
400m - 1.45 (1.53)
400m - 1.42 (1.53)
400m - 1.39 (1.53)
400m - 1.41 (1.53)
400m - 1.34 (1.53)

400m RI between 400m, 4 minute rest after 1 mile. Total of 4.25 miles. I love interval days!

Today since work still haven't rung me I had another day off so I decided to make the most of it and do my long run since tomorrow I'm going to a BBQ at Mike's sister's house. It was totally different to last Sundays sweltering run it was raining the whole time! Come back sunshine!

12 Miles - 1.53.45 9.29 per mile
Mile 1 - 8.33
Mile 2 - 9.30
Mile 3 - 9.09
Mile 4 - 9.25
Mile 5 - 8.39
Mile 6 - 9.53
Mile 7 - 9.37
Mile 8 - 9.42
Mile 9 - 10.00
Mile 10 - 10.18
Mile 11 - 9.58
Mile 12 - 9.04

It ended up being a pretty good run, I had to change my planned route half way through though as I got on to the bridge and there was a sponsored walk going on! There were masses of people in pink hats so I quickly turned around and ran a different route. At least I got some hills in before the route changed.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend! Lets hope for some sun in England tomorrow. I'm looking forward to catching up on all my favourite blogs tomorrow before the BBQ, for now Mike and I are watching Prizefighter, there have been some great fights so far!!

01/02/10

AM - Interval running
Mike and I went down to the track to run intervals today, it was my first interval workout! My prescribed time according to the programme was 1.55 for 400m but I it seems I need some work on pacing!

Warm up - 1 mile jog 8.30ish, stretching
10x400m 90s rest
1 - 1.48
2 - 1.53
3 - 1.54
4 - 1.53
5 - 1.53
6 - 1.53
7 - 1.46 (changed my music...oops)
8 - 1.50
9 - 1.50
10 - 1.43
Cool down - 800m jog and more stretching

PM
Push-ups 5x12
Chin-ups 5x1
Crunches 10x20

My back is aching a lot from doing the strength circuit yesterday at the gym, think I pushed it a bit hard and lost my form badly! My trainer came over to tell me but I must have already done the damage, don't think I've injured it though it should be fine tomorrow :)