Week 3-Still hanging in there-January 19th, 2012

Hi everyone-weekly blog a wee bit late this week-it's been hectic at work-season plans, budgets, staff reviews-fun, fun, fun!  Running is actually proving a nice distraction from all that serious stuff. Where did I leave you last week-that's right it was last Tuesday -sprint day-surpisingly the longer sprint of 1200 m was better than the 400m-this one's a real mental challenge as you gear up in between each sprint...but the G3 pitch at Castlederg High School is fantastic-pity i couldn't run the whole marathon on this type of surface-it's how I imagine the Moon would feel-really airy and spongey-good for these aging limbs:) The dreaded Thursday tempo run -out the Lough Derg run -five miles was better than the 3 miler the previous week-think the road is better-less hilly and one I know only too well. As I recounted last week, Saturday's long run had to be postponed due to 'christmas' festivites for Lough Derg staff on friday night-good wee nite-but long run was never going to happen on Saturday-purely for reasons of tiredness! What do you mean you don't believe me??? Anyway Sunday's 13 miler-a half marathon was completed in 2hr 8 minutes-jeez that's a long time to be out on the road-Maureen who works with me had heard about my crash and burn the previous long run when my bdy just sagged after it-her sister Rosaleen does lots of running and so I got a lovely 'care' package in the post on Friday from Rosaleen-with all sorts of advice, and some gel packets. Tried one of these at the half way point of the run and it seemed to help-felt much more myself after the run and got some food in me as soon as I came home-all a learning curve to see what your old body needs. Monday gym followed by wee session with my physio-Saint Declan as I call him (no blasphemy intended but this guy really did miraculous work on an ankle that was totally wrecked) was glad to see me-just a wee precautionary session to keep legs limber. He reckons I should be aiming for 4hrs-I laughed and reiterated that the aim is to get around this thing-intact! Deb of Old with her very competitive nature would not have been content unless she was on Paula Radcliffe's tail:)  Now I am happy to finish healthy. The wisdom of age....boring eh? Tuesday's sprint session demanded 800m over and over again....strangely my last one the quickest of all...today I have the Thursday Tempo run-a short run of  7 miles at lunchtime-yes 7 miles-I really must double check the programme -that sounds way too long! And as weekend looms-I have a ten miler to do on Saturday morning but looking forward to wee weekend then in Westport! And the best blog news of all-I predicted an average of €1200 a week to make my €20,000 target-well I am up to €2800-brought in an extra €1200 this week. Thank you so much to all those pilgrims who have sent donations and kind words. Friends and family...watch out-I'll be chasing you soon-and all this sprint training means I WILL  catch you:) Have a great weekend..until next time; keep healthy

Week 2 of 16 on this crazy journey-January 10th 2012

Hi everyone, evidence that I survived Saturday's long run is right here in front of you in the form of my blog-what do you mean someone else could be posting it...no it's me in the flesh-well me, on the keyboard. Saturday's 12 miler done and dusted....hang on not so quick, I want, no I need, more than one line to recap that ardourous trek-time escaped me during the week,  and so I didn't find a different route than the last Saturday's ten miler-so off I went last Saturday up the Kilclean road-again-and all the hard bits from previous week were once again difficult (that first three miles is not for me...what to do on that one??? Answers on a postcard to 'SheWhoHatesFirstThreeMiles', Lough Derg, Pettigo, Ireland) -anyway reaching the six mile turnaround point was not awful-unfortunately Roads Services must have tilted the road to about a 30 degree angle for the return 6-7mile-tough, tough, tough-huge thank you to, I think, Pilgrim and Local Gerl, Jo Lynch, who beeped her horn like a mad woman while I was on my 6-7 mile return journey-really spurred me on (momentarily) but was sure she'd have turned the car around and cheered me on the whole way home-but I guess she was going shopping to McElhinneys on a Saturday morning. The rest of the return wasn't too bad-stupidly brought a little hand-held water carrier with me on this run filled wtht diluting orange juice in it-no no no-not to be recommended. Got home 110 minutes after I left-glad to be done-that's a massive understatement but there's so many superlatives and there's 14 weeks to go-no doubt tougher weeks so we'll save them! Home and stretched I then hit a massive low...energy sources were depleted-two little bananas for breakfast just didn't cut it-was now 2pm and couldn't eat anything-not feeling too hot at all:(  Have in meantime read up a little on nutrition and as a Veggie Runner (no wisecracks please) I'll need to watch this one carefully-get in the right balance of carbs etc-there's a minefield of opinions out there-but will try and at least get some kind of sports drink for this week's long run of 13 miles and see how I hold up. One massive mercy in it all-ankle holding up okay. Last week's 3 miler on Thursday  was not pleasant -left me feeling quite disheartened but few friends have since advised me not to worry too much on this one. Hit the gym last night for spot of cross training-how enjoyable-seriously just be doing my normal routines of cross trainer and bit of weights-I can see Mondays being my new favourite day of the week. Today, Tuesday is sprint day-thankfully no hailstones-but the laps today demand 1200 metres-4 times...yikes! Bring it on.....Thursday's 'tempo' run -still not really grasping that principle, is 5 miles so will be running out the Lough Derg road from office at lunch time-and thankfully have found a new route for the long weekend run which takes me up to 13 miles (half way there). Might not happen until Sunday however as we have our 'Christmas' staff dinner on Friday night-enough said! Another few-yes only a few, donations this week but up to a fantastic €1600 approx-only need to average €1200 or so a week to make my target of €20,000. Words of support or advice.....or indeed any words, funny words, silly words, kind words really are making a difference. Until next week...

Happy New Year-5th January, 2012

Hi everyone, hopefully you all had a happy and healthy Christmas and unlike last year managed to leave the confines of your house and get out and about visiting friends and family. Well I guess I should talk about marathons-not Santa and mince pies:) -however good both may be! Kind of had a eureka moment on 30th January-well more like a panic attack thinking as we neared the end of 2011 that 22nd April was fast approaching. Got out my new toy-iPad and frantically started googling 16 week marathon training programmes-I had pretty much written off my earlier efforts in Sept, Oct as purely base training what with the little injury to my foot and chest infection setbacks-so starting afresh-clean slate and all that. Thankfully found a programme which I hope will do the business-that is if I adhere to it. However as I was transcribing it from screen to notebook-suddenly dawned on me that it started the very next day-New Year's Eve-how cruel is that-worse again it started with a ten mile run.....however I thought now or never and the chosen hydration methods over the festive season (not lucozade or water) would have to suffer sooner or later. So wrapped up I headed off on Saturday morning last-managed the ten miles in a respectable 90 minutes. Ankle etc all held up well. The programme consists of: Tuesday speed training, Thursday tempo run (short fastish one) and Saturday long run with a day or two of cross training in between so I'll do the gym one day and maybe bike or just give Thor, a very vigourous walk. Now people when did you last sprint?? For me it was at uni-not today or yesterday-I thought in my naivety that because the speed session is short it would be a breeze-well there was a breeze -more like a gale force wind this Tuesday and battering hailstones-400metres -sounds okay-but 8 of them-tough tough session. It changes each week and I don't even want to remind myself what next Tuesday's builds too. Today I have the short fast run of 3 miles only-should beo kay if the weather would just settle a bit-so that's what I'll be doing for my lunch break-at least there is light-I am realising now the Dublin Marathon might have been an easier race given that you are at least training in 'summer' months-well irish summer! Anyway no point dwelling on that. This Saturday's long run calls for 12 miles-tired at tht thought of it-but will do a wee drive around tomorrow to find pleasant flattish route and try and enjoy the peace and quiet-who am I fooling?? Thankfully spurred on my a few more donations -approximately €1200 at this stage and will be working on fundraising strategy in February to really try and boost the cause. For now wish me well for Saturday's run-today's should be okay-any words of encouragement-even the odd 'You're mad' will keep me smiling and if you have any training tips etc. would also be much appreciated. Until the next time....Debs