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

She's back! Dec 22, 2012

Hi everyone

Sorry for the long absence-I haven't abandoned my plans to try and nail this marathon. Just notice my last blog was Nov 7th-tut tut! Had a bad chest infection first few weeks in November really knocked me for six. Then went on holidays--summer holidays are always late if you work at the Island-something to do with thousands of pilgrims needing looked after:)
I went to Borneo-little Island off Malaysia. Had a great holiday-beautiful resort, minutes away from Orangutan Sanctuary-they have got to be the coolest animals-let's all make effort to look after such creatures before they become extinct! And the major highlight climbing Mt Kinabalu (4100metres)-highest mountain in SE Asia, 20th highest in the world, and just 8 below Everest-INSANE, MADDEST thing I have ever done-and there's been a few! So tough-two days of grueling climb but so rewarding and I now know that I WILL complete this marathon...so many mental walls were hit and overcome that I do believe now that I will make it around London's 26 miles. After 40+ hours of travelling got back home 12th Dec-straight back to work the next day (not to be recommended) and back to snow and ice. My daily beach runs seem a million miles away. But managed to get out Monday and Wednesday lunchtime just for 6k each but after the sickness and jetlag etc I feel I am back on track. Hopefully do 10k this weekend-before Santa comes.
What has really inspired me was getting almost €300 sponsorship money in the post this week -just another €19, 700 to go-we can do it!

Long overdue blog

Hi everyone
The almost 3 week absence wasn't a result of me doing some intensive altitude training somewhere hot-maybe soon! No I seem to have been plagued lately-firstly by injury to my foot which kept me out for 2 weeks and just as it was starting to come around and I was able to run on astroturf-and feeling good-I have been struck down by flu and chest infection-knocked me for six-off for a full week from work and only firing on about 1 cylinder yet-so I wish I could tell you I was now cruising at 12 miles regualarly but the old system has taken a battering. Hopefully another week finish up  my medicaiton etc, plenty of rest and maybe by next weekend I can try a little jog....keep you posted. The faith is still strong however..and I WILL be ready for April 22.
Donations still most welcome:)

Running in your bedroom slippers??

Hi everyone-well not alot to report-very slow transition back to the training programme since the well lull with the foot problem. Ran on the swamp, also known as Mitchell Park this day last week-felt okay-but wasn't too far; got a chance then to run on the 3G astrotruf pitch at Castlederg High School on Sat-ran for an hour-wow it's like running in your carpet slippers:) What do you mean you've never ran in your carpet slippers-you get the idea-....so not sure what kind of distance but reckon I will get another two sessions on that this coming week and see how the foot holds up before I revert back to my training programme....few more wee sponsors this week...just a few but still will be campaigning hard after Christmas....until the next time..

She's back!

Hi there-well a week on and 2 more physio sessions and lots of rest (v difficult) I have permission from Declan, my physio to try a few laps on grass pitch tonight and see how the foot holds up-26 miles seems a long way from a few laps but I guess I'll have to be patient. Hopefully be back on the road by the weekend so we'll see how things go then.Maybe the sun will have came back by then-or at least the rain stopped!
Til the next time

Marathon on Hold:(

Hi everyone
Nearly a week since the last blog....wishing I could stall things and come back with a bright and cheery blog but alas not to be...foot was sore all last week-never really eased-tried to take it easy at the weekend-even pampering these road weary paws with a pedicure....very nice-first one ever:) Ran on Monday 6 mile -sore every step of the way-and very sore then yesterday-went to see my physio last night-he fears it might be a stress fracture of the metatarsel? somewhere along the outside of the foot:( I will know more tomorrow when I go back to him-praying that it is just tendonitis; after 2 years of regular physio after surgery I was hoping I was done with this kind of pain and physio...but this marathon challenge is bigger than I thought and 4 operations later, my foot may be saying 'Are you kidding?'-any wee prayers to get me back on track would be appreciated-feeling pretty miserable-have school retreat today with 50 students from Castleblayney-great bunch but on my feet all day despite physio's orders to rest and ice!!
Keep you posted soon