Overview

OMG so....suddenly it all seems to be very real. 

• My FLM number has arrived - Red start.
• The final part of my green fairy outfit arrived in the post today - hard to source but found some green leggings eventually.
• The green fairy will get an outting to Reading this Sunday! Primarily to see if I can isolate / identify any chaffing...
• Practicing starting slowly (harder than I thought it would be); and
• Practicing hydration - specifically replenishing carbs.

Anything I have forgotten?!

Oh yes - THE CLOCKS GO BACK THIS WEEKEND - must remember, otherwise I'll be an hour late starting!

Hope everyone is well?

Tags: fancy dress; practice; race number

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Why is it that I am never captured on film when running in a race. 

I know most people (including me too - under normal conditions) would be over the moon not to be caught on camera - but I am beginning to wonder whether I am breaking lenses?!!!!

Where is the proof that I ran this race!!  Yes I have a finish time but no real proof.  For that reason I will stay as a jelly baby on my profile picture.

(Yes that will be the end of my ranting for this evening!!)

Tags: Race, photos, proof

Post Views: 179

Yes that is me. 

Last week I was 'moaning' about the hail hitting my face whilst I was in the middle of my 18 mile run... one minute it was bright but cold and the park was full of families having a fun day out; the next the park was deserted and I found myself talking myself saying 'ow' at the persistant hail!

This weekend saw me melting in the 15 degrees heat whilst running in Bath.  I know that is not that hot but relative to the rest of my training (bitter cold, rain, hail, wind, snow) it is boiling! 

Obviously the weather cannot win or I need to get better at reading it :-)  Dare I say that I am hoping that it is not too hot on the BIG day.  Though if it is - I must remember to wear a cap - though this may interfere with my fairy antenna (they do have them don't they?!)

Tags: Fairy, Weather, Rain, Hail, Sun, Overheating, Cap

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So who would have thought that the added pressure of running on a given day, at a given time with a mere other 14,999 people would add so many nerves into the mix?!  Not sure how it can be avoided, other than telling myself that I have done this before and that when the 'gun' goes - it is just the same as any other (training) run.  Plus of course ensuring you have everything ready the day before... including the mandatory safety pins.

Tags: Races, Half Marathon, Preparation, Nerves

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The last two weeks have thrown me a few curve balls...

Two weeks ago I had a couple of fantastic sessions, though hard - surviving my first outdoor interval session (as mentioned in my last post), followed by a brilliant tempo 8 miles mid week (thanks Cheri).  Resulting in a slightly invincible feeling and thoughts of changing my pace for the Reading Half Marathon, thinking I could keep up a tempo pace (which to everyone else is really slow) for the entire 13 miles.

But this all changed within 48 hours when I attempted my 16 miler after only one day rest post the tempo session.  This was obviously not enough and I really should have listened to my body.  It really felt like I was just tagging the 16 miles on top of the 8, I seriously think I hit 'the wall' in training.  Ahhhh!  I really hadn't thought that was possible, but of course it is.  I guess I should be pleased that somehow I managed to keep going but it meant that last week was spent taking it very easy.

Now mentally I am shot.  I have a long run to do this weekend and most of my prep is going to be focusing on building my confidence up again.  I am just about to plan my route, which hopefully will make me more enthusiastic and less fearful.

Oh and to top it off - the jelly babies did not work!  They just made me feel sick.  I had been looking forward to my new 1 per mile regime but actually found that 1 per hour was too much. 

Tags: Wall, jelly babies, aches and pains,

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Wow - how hard are these?  Think I have been kidding myself up until now as all of my interval work so far has been on the treadmill.  It is sooooooo different outside.  Though perhaps I needed to have eaten more beforehand (ie something) and/or it may be due to the fact that I have been training at a slower pace (I know that sounds obvious) and/or I feel like I might be fighting off a cold.  Whatever the reason - they were hard - thank goodness I wasn't on my own (thanks Cheri), otherwise I am pretty sure I would have weakened and given in.

On a lighter note - Jelly Babies are half price at Sainbury's!  You do not know how much that has made my day! 

Tags: Intervals, treadmill, cold, sale, sainsbury's

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Ha, I am amused by how excited I get when I think about practicing my marathon fueling technique.  The highlight is sure to be the jelly baby stage - think I am going to pick one of my half marathon races to do this - though feasibly I could just use one of my long slow training runs.

Today I turned a corner in my training. 

Up until now I have been water-less.  Hmmm yes I hear some gasps, as last week I ran (oh actually jogged slowly) for 13 miles and did not carry any water - not very clever.  By the end I was pretty sure that next week (or this week) I would have to do something about it as I had spent most of my run thinking about water.  This is probably not very surprising as I was running alongside the Thames, however from about midway onwards I started to daydream.... I wondered why no-one had spotted the obvious gap in the market (gcse business studies coming out) and set up a business to meet the needs of runners by setting up water stations!  I also pondered at why the rowing clubs did not have (random) taps outside their boat houses, but then I'd have to stop and ask if it was drinking water; I even began to wish that I was rowing on the water rather than running - just so that I could be closer to it.  Yes these were all signs that I had to do something!

So... I invested in a camelbak.  Bizarrely felt a little OTT but as I headed out for my 14 miler today in Richmond park I discovered that 50% of people running in the opposite direction were using similar devices.  So I am a convert and will never head out without water again.  I didn't even drink very much but that odd sip managed to keep me going and stop the hallucinations :-)

So what next - as I stated I am going to try jelly babies; I may well also upgrade my water to Lucozade sport (orange flavour - as that is what will be provided at FLM); and perhaps try the Lucozade energy bars too (before going out for a run).  The thing that I am pretty sure I am not going to try are gels.  Am I wrong?  Would anyone out there suggest that I am massively missing out?  Any other suggestions definitely appreciated.

Tags: Fuel, Water, Gels, Energy Bars, Jelly Babies, Camelbac

Post Views: 190

No not running the marathon.... but she has started her own website!

So I only got started on this blogging milarky just before the Queen.  OR alternatively you could say she heard the amount of activity on realbuzz.com and thought it was about time to join us all .  Discuss...

http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel

Tags: Queen, Website,

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