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Well it was most likely road kill, but it was surrounded by crows.  Also saw 2, note 2, beautiful male grouse, with their green heads, white neck band and golden feathers, walking along the side of the road. And it was not yet 06:30

Today was the Kilomathon. 26.2 kilometers from Nottingham to Derby.  Thought I saw JamieB, near the start, but as I was on a bus and he on the pavement, could have been seeing things.  As usual with mass participation events, the queues for the loos were horrendous, the person on the tanoy kept calling all to the pens, begining at 08:30, what's with that, the run doesn't start for another hour. Anyways made it from the loo queue, via the loo, just as the organisers were walking the entrants to the start.  1st and fastest went off at 09:30, the back and slowest, set off about 10mins later, only coz it took that long to reach the start.  Off we go, I was not sure about this as the training had been  bit hap hazzard, but the first kilometre felt good, so on to the next. Went on like this until 9.5 kilometres, when I had to stop and walk, I had collected a bottle of water at the water station just after the 6km point and still had it my hand, untouch, had to stop and drink some.  Set off again, got to the half way point and someone said, "1hour 20", whoo hoo go me . From then on it was run/walk and by 20km I was hurting, actually my right hip and knee were hurting, from that point it was walk for about 400metres and jog to the the next kilometre mark. this worked well so long as there was no uphill between marks. Struggled through 24 and 25, another lady, wonderful person, came jogging up whilst I walked and said 7 mins to under 3 hours, she cheered everyone on her way to the finish, telling us we could get under 3 hours if we just dug a bit deeper.  I did.....2:58:12. followed by a mile walk back to the car and a two hour drive home (I got lost and finished up going round Derby centre and then through Matlock Spa).

Special mention to runner number 5607, he had painted himself blue, wore only blue under pants, ran with crutches and an artificial leg and finished 4 mins before me.  Well done to him

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Should have checked before leaving, but was so anxious to see everyone and also to get my first run of the year under way, that, other than the lovely Anna, I was the only person at AP......, had I stayed I could have won today

2010 has got off to a good start, was running on Teddy the Treadie, when the belt cracked right down the centre...end 1st attempt, 2nd attempt this morning.  AP looks lovely this morning, all white and shiny. The footballers were having a kick about, each managed to find a salted area on the car park and passed the ball back and forth, not a lot of movement.

Friday, was daughter #2's birthday and as yet her present still hasn't turned up, so she is having a moody, her BF has pretty much ignored her birthday, so this hasn't helped the moody.  Why is it Mum gets the strops?

Not much else going on, sorry not to have seen everyone but that's the way it goes sometimes.

Happy New Year to all and good luck with all the training.

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what turned out to be a profetic comment made by me, last night.

Yesterday, I did quite a bit of exercise, I cycled the 2 miles to the gym early in the morning and then did an interval session on the treadmill. 5 mins as a warmup, 6mins @ level 8.8, 6 mins @ level 9, 6 mins @ level 9.5 and again 6 mins @ level 9.5, with 2 mins rest between @ level 8, followed by a 5 min cool down.  In total 40 mins, 5.48km.  Cycled the next 1/4 mile to work, did a full days work, which involves a lot of walking and stair climbing.  Cycled 2&1/4 miles home and then went to the running club, did 2 miles steady run in 20 mins followed by 3 x 100metre sprint with 2 min rests.  Then walked the mile home.

So exercise was not too bad unfortunately for some reason this means that I did not sleep much as I could not get enough fluids in, I lost count of the amount of water I drank and the number of cups of tea, and yet I was still thirsty all night

It is now bed time and I really need to sleep tonight.

night night

Edit:  Just read another blog, it was witty and funny.  I wish I could write like that, but allas it would not be me. THe blog I read was about a fat cat and a fairy godmother, brilliant

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"Callous thug attacks Nun - 62"

This is the headline from the early edition of the MEN.  Question, Would the thug have been any less callous if the the victim had not been a nun?

On to the running this week, last post was me planning either a 3 or 5 mile session on Wednesday evening, well as only one person, other than myself, turned up and we waited 20 mins to see if anyone else arrived, the run finished up being 2.6 miles in 34mins and even at that pace the other person was struggling after the first mile.  Good for me though as this was one of a very few times that my Hr remained below 140.

Saturday is the local Park Run, so I decided that I would do this but take the long way to the park, leaving home at 8:30 am, arriving at the park 25 mins and 2.5 miles later, 5 mins before the start of the park run.  

Totals for Saturday: 5.48 miles 54.07 mins.

Didn't make it to AP this morning. Very sorry guys, but I committed the terrible sin of oversleeping.

Monday sees the beginning of the 2nd week of my new 10k plan leading up to High Legh.  This is a 40 min interval session, this may have to be done sometime during the day as it will be difficult to do this with the beginners group.  They can do intervals but this planned session would be just to much and  I was very hard on them last week.

On other issues.  Does anyone else find themselves looking forward to the new year during the run up to Christmas.  I find this time of year difficult, everyone saying what they want for the holiday and then declaring Christmas cancelled, all the arguments about cost of things, appropriateness of presents. I just can't wait for the holiday to be over.  The reason for the celebration, whether Christian or Pagan has been so heavily diluted by materialism and commercialism.  It just isn't worth it any more.  BAH HUMBUG 

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Either next to no exercise or absolutely loads. 

After weeks of only running on a Monday -beginners group, maybe running Wednesday and denfinitely no running on the weekend.  This week has been positively mad,

Monday evening, the beginners group was hardly that, so we set off for a 31/2 mile run, but just to make it interesting, I added fartlet sessions, so at some points we were speeding as hard as possible, at other times, we were doing very slow jogs.  To work this, I had the fast people run as hard as possible to a given point and then turn round and join the back of the slower one, the slower ones then had to go as hard as possible with the fast one behind them.  The whole group on Monday could be described as experienced runners, so this worked very well.  In total it took 39:59 to complete the 31/2 miles.

Tuesday, saw me working at another site for the day, this mean cycling to and from this other site, (to far to walk not far enough to get in the car).  The road to the other site dips to the river Mersery about 90m below my house and about 11/2 miles along the road, then the road rises by about 90m in less than a mile,(huffpuffhuffpuff), this is then reversed on the way home, total mileage for the day 7.7, 3.7 miles there and 3.99 on the way back.  strange.

Tonight will see the return of the Wednesday running sessions anything between 3.2 and 6 miles, just have to see how I feel later.

Dispite the excess it has been fun.

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I was going to talk about this mornings parkrun, unfortunately I didn't make it.  Running this week has been minimal and High Legh is still only 12 weeks away.  To make things worse, I got up this morning with a very blue fague. I haven't had one of this for some time.  It makes life difficult to deal with but I am confident that this will pass, hopefully soon.  You never know, the next time I add a post it may be so full of enthusiasm and excitement that this blog will be inconguious in its contents (big words used wrong). And on top of that I have gained 4lbs in weight this week as well. 

Tonight I am babysitting for Daughter #1, this will be at her house, I will cycle to and from her house, this may lighten the blue.  Monday will see the start of the training for High Legh, 25 mins continuous run.

Strange day indeed.

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For once I had an elaborate plan for the beginners group at the running club.  Haha....it was cold and we had 2 new ladies, turns out one is a really good runner, she won't be in the group long. 

The Plan: Out of the park, along Park Road, turn right and all the way along Turncroft Lane, right down New Zealand Road, left along Newbridge Lane to the lights at St Mary's. Across St Mary's Road, along Newbridge lane, down the side of Asda, through the precinct, turning left on to under bank, up hillgate to Hempshaw lane, up hempshaw, along Marple Road to Graham Road and along Graham Road through the ginnal and back to the track, just over 4 miles. This was the plan. 

The Actual: So things started out well, the plan went well until New Zealand Road. The slower members of the group drop down a side road on the NewBridge Lane cutting about 1/4 of a mile off the route. All continues fine until just after St Mary's Way, the faster members continue until the church steps and then come back along Chruchgate to the big crossroad at the middle of st Mary's way, the slower members again turn off and come up the steeper, though much shorter  route to the same point. Then continue on up Hall street to Park Road and back to the track, 5K completed  52 mins for the slower members.  about 6k for the faster group in about 45 mins. 

One of the new ladies ran with the faster group at the back of the group but still stayed in touch with them the whole route, the other was not a runner in any former life, so she came with the slower members and both seemed to enjoy themselves. 

Apologies to those who don't know the area for all the road names, it is the only way I can explain how things went awry.

Have to go back to work now, though at this moment there is not a lot happening......that will change.

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Yesterday I did the new 5km at Woodbank Park, home of the running club.  The Parkrun at Woodbank has only been running 14 weeks, this being the 14th.  This parkrun has 2 hills, well one hill run twice, I have mentioned this hill on several occasions, long about 1/4 mile and steep, feels much longer.  Anyway, it took me 29mins 43 secs, definitely not my quickest 5k.  Itdid however set the scene for the training for High Legh.  This hill and the set of steps within the park will have to form part of my training regimen.

Today has been strange, the usual of getting on with the housework and all mundane things, it has just felt weird, almost as though the day is waiting for something.  It's only just after 8 and his lordship has gone to bed and is already fast asleep, which is strange in itself.  The Grandson and Daughter #2 are enjoying each others company, playing the DS quietly, also strange, normally we have "but your her Mum she has to do as you say" because his Mum has said something he is not happy with.  Normally I would enjoy the thought of running afte all the hassle but today the hassle hasn't happened.  Strange.

I should enjoy the quiet whilst I can. This is why I get up early in the morning it is just strange having the quiet in the evening.

Going to reorganise the training plan to take in more hills and steps and a few more parkruns for testing purposes.

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