We are the Friday Gang| by TheFridayGang

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to say hope everyone is keeping well, enjoying their training, to thank you for your messages and once again apologise for being a rubbish blogger!  Life has been a bit mad again and unfortunately when I struggle for time, things like the blog fall by the wayside. :-(

I have been trying to dip in and out here and there to keep up with your exploits....no doubt Sean G remains superhuman and LadyFe continues to astonish me with her stamina and determination to name just a couple of you!

I have been continuing to put a bit of extra effort into my training - I've added in an extra run per week and also do circuit training with the boys at work and consequently I've been starting to feel a bit stronger.  On our friday night runs I've been able to run with the faster men again, and they've been pushing me, so hopefully I'll benefit from the suffering!

I did the Blackpool half marathon on Sunday, and as I'd been feeling pretty good was hoping for a reasonable but not unrealistic time....but I hadn't bargained on the unbelievable headwinds we'd have to run into for half of it!  It was horrible, on the windy sections I struggled to keep moving forwards and it was all I could do to stick to 8.30 min miling, but on the sheltered sections I was really chuffed to run sub 7 minute miles, and for the last 800m I just put my head down and gave it everything I had, and finished in 1.39.22.  So not a great time, but chatting to a few people afterwards most of them were between 5 and 7 minutes slower than their last year's times on the course, so I guess I'm not too disappointed in the circumstances.  I'm very proud of my brother Craig, who also ran, but has done virtually no training and finished in 1.55 despite wanting to "throw myself in the sea" after 9 miles!!!

Also recently had a go at indoor track cycling in Manchester at the velodrome....was utterly terrified beforehand, you have no idea how much steeper those corners look in real life, but huge credit to the very kind and patient instructors....they had me flying round those bends and chasing the derny bike in no time!

Once again I'm sorry I'm the most rubbish blogger and I do wonder about how my realbuzz buddies are getting on....hope you are all inspiring each other as always and most of all enjoying your training.

Love

Mandy xxx