Saturday 25 October 2008

Saturday 25/10

Type: Long
Time: 1hr 17mins
Distance: 9.05 miles
Pace: 8.45m/m

This run was great! I was apprehensive as I hadn't actually run all week, but now I'm off the medication and I got a good 11 hours of sleep last night!! I headed out my usual route towards Torrance then back to Canniesburn. Conditions were bad - it was the worst rain I'd seen in a while and winds were strong. I came out of the little off-road path and emerged onto a 60-limit road (at the lowest point, unfortunately) JUST as a car came flying past and soaked me. My right headphone cut out and my t-shirt was ringing. But I finished the run in good spirits (coughing a little).

All part of the fun, eh?

Elevation profile:

Tuesday 21/10

Type: Steady
Time: 27mins
Distance: 3.30 miles
Pace: 8.20m/m

Did this run quite late at night, it was freezing cold. I think winter is definitely upon us! Would have stayed out longer but I didn't want to risk it (with the infection) and also it was getting really late and I'd work to do for Uni.

Sunday 19 October 2008

Sunday 19/10

Type: Longish
Time: 51mins
Distance: 6.3 miles
Pace: 8.30m/m

I've not been runnning much recently as I've had an infection which I'm on antibiotics for. I was also away in Alton Towers at the start of the week (such a long drive!) and I've been having 9am starts with interupted sleeps so I've been completely knackered.

This run was a kind of half hearted effort as it was very wet and I'd been out till 3 this morning, so I wasn't expecting much. That said, I did have a good run - I can't believe the pace! My Nike+ keeps crashing my ipod so I just did the old stopwatch + MapMyRun today and this is what I got! Hopefully I'll take it easy for a few days until I'm better then I'll have to try and sort out running balancing it with Uni and studying (and work!). Hopefully I'll be able to sort something out. It's always fun to run in the rain though so today's run was a big confidence and energy boost.

Sunday 12 October 2008

Sunday 12/10

Type: Long
Time: 1hr 33mins
Distance: 10.9miles
Pace: 8.39m/m

All in all I felt good about this run. I was maybe a little sleep deprived (I've been so sleepy recently with Uni being back and all) but I took lucozade and kept a good pace. Did the hilly route out from Balmore to the road towards Strathblane which was challenging. I did have to stop twice on the tougher of the many hills on that road, but once I was back at the resevoir I kept a good pace and felt stronger. Entered the Edinburgh Marathon 2009 last night, hopefully I'll have got a place. Loch Ness has made me realise how much I love running and how much it is a part of me now (sorry for the cheesiness). If anything can be that good for you and make you feel that good, it's gotta be worth a major place in your life!!

Thursday 9/10

Type: Steady
Time: 22mins
Distance: 2.65miles
Pace: 8.45m/m

First run after Sunday. I'd been itching to get out so I did this run later at night in the rain. Was good, but kept it easy as I'd like to do a long run this weekend.

Sunday 5/10

Loch Ness Marathon

Time: 3hrs 55mins
Pace: ~ 8.58m/m

Well, what can I say? A fantastic day. My bf and I were pretty much racing to the start from Inverness down the other side of Loch Ness and up from Ft Augustus in the car, nearly colliding with oncoming coaches in the process! I was surprised how few spectators there were at the start, but D got some good pictures and video as I crossed the start line.
The course itself was great, though more hilly than I'd anticipated! I thought D's constant reminders that it would be harder than Edinburgh were a bit of an exaggeration, but he was right. The good thing I thought though, was that every uphill was followed by a downhill. The climb into Foyers was a bit tough, but a good crowd the whole way along kept my spirit high. The scenery was great too, I even took my headphones out for a while a few times to take in the atmosphere.

Running down into Dores and who did I see? Yep, D was there with the camera cheering me on. It was amazing, it was so great to see him. He ran alongside me for a couple of hundred metres until I heard more people shouting my name. It was Suzie and Derek from the Scottish Veterans Residencies in Edinburgh! They offered me water and took some pictures which was great, and I said I'd see them at the end. I think it was this support from eveyrone in the middle which kept me going through the rest of the course.

Come 20miles I was feeling good. I managed the hill out of Dores without a problem...though no one made a deal of (and I seem to have forgotten about) the hill at 21miles which I found a bit of a challenge!! I didn't stop at all though, and kept a consistent pace. In the previous 2 marathons I've done, I've always hit the wall at about 18miles and really slowed to little more than a walk, but this time things just went so well. I knew the road quite well and kept telling myself it really wasn't that much further to go - this is what kept my pace I think. A little bit of rain at 21miles didn't even dampen my spirits.

I'd been behind this guy and seen him in my line of vision for a good while and about 24miles I noticed him slow to a walk. He bent over and I wasn't sure if he was actually just tired or hurt. When I slowly edged ahead of him, I glanced round and saw he just looked really tired. I was glad, so I offered him the little bit of lucozade I had left and then I continued, at a faster pace than before. He looked grateful, and I was pleased. I hope he got the time he was after.

Suzie was at 25miles waving and smiling. That was the last bit of encouragement I needed. As I rounded the track in the stadium and came in from the street, some stupid (yet completely energy boosting) "ned" music playing on my ipod, I gave it everything I had. Sprinted the last 100m and crossed the finish line with a smile on my face!!! Derek from the SVR and D were there to meet me afterwards, and I got given a lot of free lucozade which was fantastic! Took some photos for the SVR website (not sure if they're up there yet or not), then after a nice hug and congrats from D, headed back to his house for a fantastic Sunday lunch.

I was so pleased with my time, really over the moon. More so because it was such a more challenging course than Edinburgh and I never stopped once, when on my training runs I do usually stop for one reason or another.
So thanks so much to everyone - the guys from SVR, my parents and friends (in particular my cycling buddy) for all the good luck texts, thanks to John Kynaston for emailing me a really sweet congratulations, D's mum and dad for keeping me this weekend, all the people who sponsored me (means so much to me), and last but not least thank you Derek (:

Edinburgh 2009 here I come...

Wednesday 3/10

Type: Steady
Time: 34mins 16secs
Distance: 4.09miles
Pace: 8.21m/m

Again, another run after Uni to relieve the stresses which are starting to mount (very few so far, luckily!). I've been running as much as I feel this week in the build up to the marathon on Sunday. Eating a lot, resting plenty and generally feeling quite energetic.

Tuesday 2/10

Type: Short Fast
Time: 31mins 18secs
Distance: 3.8miles
Pace: 8.15m/m

This was a great one tonight. Started back at Uni today (hence the backlog of postings), doing a Msc in the business school at Strathclyde Uni. It's a bit different from Maths I must say, I miss doing maths, but this course looks equally interesting and it's good to see how things that you study can be applied to real-life scenarios. And of course, I can always head back to Glasgow to do a PhD in some kind of maths after this...

Monday 29/9

Type: Steady
Time: 27mins 50secs
Distance: 3.2miles

This was on the treadmill before squash. Did 800m slow, then 3 more 800m faster and faster, eventually reaching about 7.35m/m pace. Had a nice cool down after that. My boyfriend began getting competative on the treadmill next to me, and put his pace right up before warming up properly (rookie mistake!). He stopped pretty quickly and the gym was so busy he couldn't get on any other machines. Since we had lots of time to spare before squash, I felt bad so went and sat with him after a little session on the treadmill.

Sunday 28/9

Type: Long
Time: 1hr 37mins
Distance: 11.56miles
Pace: 8.35m/m

Headed out the usual route towards Torrance, then back via the big hill near where the cows are. I'm not actually sure where that big hill is...but I had to stop on it. I think it's a psychological thing to be honest! I know I always stop at the same points on the regular routes, maybe that means it's time to try some different ones. After the marathon, of course!

Friday 26/9

Type: Easy
Time: 45mins
Distance: 5.06miles
Pace: 8.50m/m

Can't remember anything distinctive about this run, think I did it in the west end. Was going out later on tonight so I think I cut it a little short, was planning to go longer.