A Few Long Runs

Well my eating has been a bit better these past few days and that has resulted in some pretty strong runs! I'm feeling much better about my half marathon training right now. And my eating but I don't want to jinx myself, last time I said I thought I'd sorted things out I lost it again so now I'll be careful what I say!

I ran 8 miles about a week ago now, or just under a week probably.. I was really surprised to see I'd completed it with an average pace of under 9 minute miles. It felt really good, my breathing was controlled, my legs felt good until the last mile when they got a bit tired and I felt like I could have pushed through more. Yippeeeeeeee!

8 miles in 1:11:39 8.58 pace

Mile 1 - 9.33
Mile 2 - 8.55
Mile 3 - 9.08
Mile 4 - 8.52
Mile 5 - 9.03
Mile 6 - 9.02
Mile 7 - 8.46
Mile 8 -8.21

plus a little bit to get home 0.2 (8.35 pace)

On Monday I took Roxie out on an attempted 5 mile mid tempo run, proposed time per mile of 8.35-8.45... Ohhhhhh no. This was just not going to happen. I just can't run fast with Roxie. She pulls me, she trips me up, she generally drives me batty. I almost took her home but decided to carry on as she hadn't had a walk and I didn't have time to run and walk her before work. I decided to cut a mile off as I was not enjoying it and just getting really frustrated. I don't think I'll take Roxie out on any proper training runs only recovery runs now. It just doesn't work! Overall we covered 4 miles in 37:28, average pace 9.31.. I won't bore you with the splits on this one!

Now on to yesterdays rather awesome long run!

9.7 miles 1:26:31 8.57 pace
9 miles in 1:20:55

Mile 1 - 9.26
Mile 2 - 9.07
Mile 3 - 9.01
Mile 4 - 9.06
Mile 5 - 9.11
Mile 6 - 9.09
Mile 7 - 8.43
Mile 8 -8.37
Mile 9 - 8.37
Mile 0.7 - 5.35 (8.25 pace)

If I'd realised how close I was to 10 I would have probably finished. Especially since I would have got 10 miles done in under 1:30 something I tried to do for ages last year! Oh well, next time! I actually ran this rather a lot faster than I should have been doing.. It was supposed to be HMP+20s which would be around 9.20 per mile but I just felt really good. My legs were ok and my breathing was really controlled. It was tough to slow down. If I can run my half marathon like this I will be so happy. I don't know if I can though, it's a hilly course and it will most likely be red hot! I can dream! I should be practicing more hilly routes at the moment but the hilly route I like to run is a bit secluded and there have been 3 sex attacks on women very close to my house and this route over the past month so I decided sticking to a crowded but flat route was definitely my safest option. You can't be too careful can you there are some awful people in our world. We're considering buying a treadmill so we can run when it's dark and for hill work... I'm not sure how I feel about long runs on a treadmill but it's better than not at all I guess.

Are you a treadmill lover or a treadmill hater?

The Longest Run...

...Since I ran my first half marathon...

I was nervous for this run! It was windy, I saw several big fallen branches!! Hello winter. Also, I still haven't bought new headphones and I was slightly intimidated by the pace I was supposed to run this at. Never before have I managed 9 miles in under a 9 minute pace, 9.02 per mile for my fastest 9 miles. This was supposed to be at my long tempo pace of 8.53 per mile... I didn't quite make it but I wasn't too far off. Next long run is 10 miles at long tempo... I don't think I'm gonna make it!! I'll give it a good go though!

9 miles 1:20:11 average pace 8.55
Mile 1 - 8.46
Mile 2 - 9.18
Mile 3 - 8.33
Mile 4 - 8.51
Mile 5 - 9.21
Mile 6 - 8.49
Mile 7 - 9.08
Mile 8 - 8.49
Mile 9 - 8.38

I meant to do Lacey's negative splits idea but I totally forgot and set out too fast.. Might give them a go for the terrifying 10 miler! I'm not sure I dare leave all my fast miles to the end of the run but I have two 10 milers in the plan I'm following so if I miss my pace on this one I can (hopefully) rectify it on the next!

Can't believe I ran for 1 hour 20 minutes without music... That was tough! I must buy some new headphones soon as the tempo run this week is also 9 miles, minus music noooooooooooo!

Hope everyone's enjoyed the bank holiday today :-)

Bits 'n' bobs

Eek it's been so long so long since I wrote a blog post! I can't remember what day I ran but I had a really good run this week! After my 6 miler the other day I think I've figured out what works for me running! One slow mile, one fast mile, one mile at pace. I ran 9 miles about 2 minutes faster than last time and it felt a lot easier too! My overall pace was 9.02 - if I run the half marathon at that pace I will be a very happy bunny! Unfortunately though, we have heard a lot about a killer hill at mile 9 which is long and steep apparently... That scares me when it comes to reaching my time goals... I hope I can keep the pace.

9 miles in 1:21:14 target pace HMP+20 = 9.21.. went a bit fast! Average pace 9.02
Mile 1 - 9.24 (slow)
Mile 2 - 8.33 (fast)
Mile 3 - 9.21 (on pace)
Mile 4 - 9.30 (slow)
Mile 5 - 8.19 (fast)
Mile 6 - 9.13 (on pace)
Mile 7 - 9.23 (on pace)
Mile 8 - 9.30 (slow)
Mile 9 - 8.00 (fast)

I think this works as it makes use of my anaerobic system which due to boxing I think is quite a bit better than my aerobic system. Mike did my little idea too on his run and it worked for him too, he ran two minutes faster than his previous time too so it really worked well for both of us. We're both planning on using it in the half marathon and I can't wait to try it on next weeks 11 miler! Eeeek 11 miles is a very long way, to me anyway haha, scary stuff!

After the run I did some core we both started by testing our max plank.. I did 3.53 and Mike did 5.15!! We also did 20 minutes of core work, it was the most tough core work ever! My core was not happy doing anything after that plank!

I managed to get a few chin-ups and push-ups in this week too, Mike and I did a quick pyramid last night 5 to 10 and down again, I did 5 second holds on the bar and then 5 push-ups which totalled 80 seconds on the bar and 80 push-ups. It's a good way to do them because it's quick and you get a lot done :-)

I'm still having problems at work. I don't think I will be staying there.. I'm going to give my notice next week. The area manager effed up and told my store manager to hire an assistant manager. I've seen it written down on a task list in her writing (I photocopied it as evidence!). Anyway she has since backed down and claimed that I'm only a supervisor - this means a fair bit less pay than the amount agreed on in my interview. They won't change it even though it is their mistake. On principle, even though I actually don't mind the job, I don't feel I can stay. They are just walking all over me and I'd rather go back on the dole where I would actually be financially better off believe it or not! Even on the higher wage I would have had more on the dole. I was so angry on the phone today to the area manager. She didn't even accept any responsibility even though I told her I had seen the sheets of paper which she wrote instructions to my manager to hire an assistant manager. It's all a total shambles. I don't want to work for someone who can't do her job properly and is constantly blaming other people for her mistakes. I've already seen her do this on other occaisions in the three weeks I've been working there it's just ridicuous.

I'm going to leave on a happier note or two! Go check out Laura's great giveaway at Keeping Slim and Getting Stylish. It features some yummy natural balance treats among other goodies!

Also, Claire from Boutique Run emailed me earlier in the week.

'Boutique run is a new lifestyle and fitness event designed exclusively for women, which I thought might be of interest to you and your readers? We’re trying to get more women active by making sports event more accessible, sociable and fun; mixing fitness with fashion, beauty, style, live music.... And post-run champagne! We’ll also be helping raise money for our charity partner Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

The inaugural run will be taking place in Batterea Park, London, on Saturday 10th July at 6pm. It’s a girls night out with a difference; a scenic 5 or 10km run followed by entertainment and pampering.

We’d love to offer your readers 25% off their entry fee if they use the code BRE2 – which means the entry fee will be £25.95'

I don't think I will be able to run, I wish I could but I can't see myself being able to afford the travel and the transport down there. If it changes and anyone else is running it would be great to do a blogger meetup!

Well I'm off for a date with sailor jerry again :P

9 Miles and All Sorts!

Whew it's been a while since I got a blog post in! It's been a pretty busy week, I've been out of the house 7.30-6.30 every day which has taken its toll! I'll be glad when my hours go down to my usual shifts, I just haven't had the time or energy to do everything I usually do! Like reading my blogs every day, I've missed that a lot! And I've had very little energy for my usual workout schedule! I just need to get my body and mind used to working and when it goes down to my usual hours figure out a schedule that works.. I'm hoping it will be a bit better next week!

Mike has been awesome though, making me a packup everyday and cooking my tea! He made me a gorgeous mushroom pasta dish, made the sauce from scratch. He even made a porcini mushroom stock to flavour the sauce with. Now that I can get used to! I had to snap some pics to show you all. I've just saved the best... the rest weren't great... guess I was too impatient to tuck in!



I can't remember when I did this workout... I think it might have been Thursday... Anyway we did minute drills and a core workout... I'm not sure why they're called minute drills since the different exercises only last 30s each!

Minute drills
30s burpees
30s alternate stance screw shots
30s jumping jacks
30s burpees with variation (180 degrees, tuck jump, max height)
30s jumping jacks
30s high knee dumbell press

x 5 rounds

Core
Partner workout, one person did ab roll-outs whilst the other did a core move for however long it took the ab-roll-out person to finish. I can't remember what core moves we did anymore! The roll-outs were done from 10 down to 1 so it got easier and faster towards the end... This was one of the toughest core workouts I've ever done!! So painfull!!

Dismal Weekly Totals
Miles - 3.1
Push-ups - 65
Chin-ups - 0
Pull-ups - 0
Neck Exercises - 0
Isometric Punches - 0
Wrist Curls - 0
Core - 2

Ohhh man they are bad!! I'm embarrassed to write them on the blog :-( Bas Rutten saved me on the core and push-ups! Ha ha he really was to the rescue this week!

Today is the start of a new week! I'm working the same hours as last week Tuesday-Saturday but hopefully I won't be as tired this week! I am looking forward to going down to my contracted hours though! I worked a 44 hour week last week with travel time and breaks on top of that and going from nothing to that was tough! (My contracted hours are 26 - that will seem a breeze after the first few weeks I think) I've appreciated today a lot though! Time to run, to spend time with Mike, to read my blogs, to write a post... All the things I was taking for granted while I was looking for a job! I'm totally apprehensive about next week though, the manager is on holiday and I will be the most senior member of staff there and I still feel like I have too much to learn to be in charge haha! Hopefully I remember enough to get me through without having to ring the other stores up too often!! Eesh!

Right, enough work talk! Today I ran a good 9 miles. I felt fairly strong for most of it but the last 3 miles were hard, I was breathing fairly heavy! I still had something in me to finish strong and got the negative splits I was aiming for! I was supposed to run at HMP+20 today which since my 5k on Tuesday is 9.21, I ended up averaging 9.15 per mile. I don't know what my heart rate was because the monitor needs a new battery.

9 miles in 1:23:21

Mile 1 - 9.31
Mile 2 - 9.30
Mile 3 - 9.25
Mile 4 - 9.19
Mile 5 - 9.19
Mile 6 - 9.15
Mile 7 - 9.15
Mile 8 - 9.11
Mile 9 - 8.35

I'm getting there with this negative split business! Pretty happy with my last mile too, when I ran 10 I had next to nothing left in the tank at the end but I managed to push out a strong final mile, even though it's not as long a distance I feel like I'm improving my endurance, and I didn't feel quite so shocking afterwards this time either! Hurrah!

I'm going to leave you with some animal pics and pics of our garden, Mike, his mum and her husband sorted it all out, cut the grass neatened it up aaaand they gave us a rather awesome hammock..