WEEK SEVEN – DONE

 A slightly better week . . . . .

Highlights - all  your very kind comments, messages of support and hugs following my rather honest blog last week.

Lowlight - Work has remained a low point for me this week, particularly Thursday

Inspiration -  My Oldest Friend Julie!  She is always on the go and always has a smile and is in part resposible for this journey I am now travelling!

Julie & Me

Oh so many years ago!

Week 7 day by day

Day 43 Monday 15th February 2010      40 - Done

Am determined to have a better week this week both in terms of my training, work and emotional state! Its half term which means my normal routines (if i have such things) go out of the window and i have to be a bit more flexible around the kids. Adele decided to stay at her dad’s tonight so opted to do Body pump, have a go on the new stretching machines and do a 40 length swim session. Actually think it may have been more than 40 but I lost count a couple of times and always go with the lower figure if I’m not sure.

Came out of the pool feeling I had had a good training session, good start to week 7!

Home for chatter with Daniel, he is bored and wants to go back to school already.

Day 44 Tuesday 16th February 2010   Told off by my dentist

Was planning on getting to work super early but just haven’t quite got my motivation back yet, maybe it’s because I knew I had a meeting with finance this morning to review my budgets! After this I popped in to see my mate peter and ended up giving him a lift (had to apologise for the smell of sweaty training kit in my car) to Clarendon Road. I had been wondering what route to take group 2 on tonight and so this is now decided, Clarendon Road – UP – it is!

Next I collect the kids as we have a family appointment at the dentist – I know how to give my kids a good time at half term! Dan first, he is so tall now his feet nearly hang off the end of the chair, make my dentist laugh when i tell him that although Dan is now 5’9”ish and size 11 trainers the orthodontist has told us to go away and come back in a year as Dan still has most of his baby teeth! A small filling for Dan. Adele next, another small filling. Next its me, Mr Woods (who I think is the best dentist in the world) ever hopeful, asked if all was well with me (is only a few months since he last did some expensive work) but alas I had to report no! All I can tell him is I get tooth ache after just about every run. I’m not very helpful I can’t tell him which tooth, could be any top or bottom at the right. There is nothing to see but an x ray soon has him sighing in exasperation as it shows a huge cavity hidden. Another nerve will have to go, root filling and possible crown! While Mr Woods perplexes about the continual battle of my cr*&y teeth (thanks mum he blames your genes) all I can think of is dam it thats my new trainers and sports massage that I desperately need gone! Have to get my tooth fixed before London as I know will end up in agony if I don’t and would hate to do all this hard training and then not be able to run because all I can do is bang my head against the wall! I know you probably don’t really want to know about my dental issues but it impacts on my marathon journey

Anyway its Tuesday so it must be run club! I just love running with group 2 I never seem to have a bad week no matter how much my legs might be aching running with everyone makes it such fun! Group 2 seems to be growing at the moment, we have a few new members who have entered the Great North Run and Stu and Laura developed a bit of a competitive streak towards the end of our run. I welcomed Ben who has moved up from group 1 and Claire who is doing London so we chatted . . . . . a lot. Liz J, Liz G Hillary and Linda all worked hard on the hill, though Liz & Liz got a bit of a telling off when they walked on the downhill later! It was great to have Barbara and Helen back with us but I’m sure they will soon be moving back to group 3!

Just a special word of thanks to Liz J who had lovely word to say about last week blog and to Helen W who came up and gave me a big hug!

Daniel was very very bored tonight, he brought me a cup of tea when I got in and then did the washing up and then without me asking he set to and gave the whole kitchen a really good tidy and clean up including washing the cupboard doors down (not very well but he tried) and then swept and mopped the floor!

Although I’m feeling better about my training so far this week I’m still not at my best, I know this partly because when people ask me how I am or comment on my blog I feel myself wanting to cry . . . again!

Day 45 Wednesday 17th February 2010 – Still all feels a bit of a slog

I’m not going to talk about work except to say I’m still feeling very stressed by it all. I’m just going to talk about my training session. Was looking forward to an interval session on the tread and body pump this evening, was looking forward to it all day! I made sure I left work bang on time so that I could do my session without feeling rushed! I did a 45 min session on the tread mill but didn’t manage to reach 2@13 I did a few 11 and 11.5 reasonably comfortable and then a 12 which was hard but when I tried for a 12.5 I didn’t last the two minutes! So dropped back to 11.5 and these seemed hard again. I was a little disappointed with this but on reflection I realised, I haven’t done intervals for two weeks, I hadn’t eaten particularly well and I haven’t had a full rest day since last Thursday! Considered not doing pump, but as you know by now I enjoy it! Wasn’t my normal instructor so didn’t get my normal buzz and lowered weight for squats, but still i’m glad I did it.


Came home chatted to my friend Julie about London Trip, her husband is doing VLM this year and I am travelling with their club. So trains are now booked and hotel is now booked. I have no idea where I am staying but I don’t care they are booked! And bless my oldest friend Julie (yes she is the one that could tell you embarrassing stories about my youth, but then I could tell a few about her) she also sorted my Trimpell 20 mile race entry as an early birthday present . . . . . its Julies birthday just before mine . . .now I wonder if she likes carrot cake?

In fact Julie is probably responsible for kick starting my arse into running! I had always wanted to run London Marathon before I was forty, I don’t think I ever told anyone this fact because as a non runner I really didn’t think someone like me could run a marathon. And then Julie just before our 40th who had only ever done a bit of running for race for Life announced out of the blue that she had got a place for London through her slimming club! I watched, green with envy as I saw Julie get fitter trimmer and on her 40th a month before the marathon she looked amazing! That was it . . .I was in. . . . turned 40 myself, entered the GNR , ditched my husband and took up running and here I am today a lot happier (even if I am having a difficult couple of weeks) and hopefully a little fitter too!

So yes Julie you are responsible for getting the green eyed monster in me to kick start me to do something I have always wanted to do but never believed I could . . . . so thank you!

Ps besides being jealous I was also very very proud of you

Day 46 Thursday 18th February 2010 From sleepless to sound asleep!

Another night sleepless in Wortley. . . Consider not going into work . . . not really an option . . .get to work . . . I’m all churned up inside . . .another piece of work but with a short deadline arrives . . . my head hurts and I consider just going home . . .I travel across the Chevin to go see the team based at otley . . .I am envious of the walkers and runners out on the chevin . . .wish i had my kit in the car . . .I want to get out of my car and just run . . . . . . run till I’m free! But I stick with my day and get a few of my difficult tasks done. . .
finish work . . .its a rest day . . . still feel C$8p . . .need to train to work off this mood . . .but its a rest day . . .go see Trevor who gives me a hug . . he listens patiently as I whinge and whine and moan . . .finally I feel my stress begin to lift . . .I feel more balanced . . .pick Adele up . . .drive to Debras to get a cheque signed . . .stay and chat for a while . . .as we leave Adele comes out with what must be the quote of the week . . .
“Mum they have a lovely house, if they ever come to see us we will have to make sure we tidy and clean up first! . . . arrive back home at 8ish . . .kids are an absolute joy to night. . . they bring more magic back in to life. . . bit by bit i can feel myself coming out of this horrible place I’ve be stuck in for the last two weeks!

Go to bed with a smile  Try to send a text but fall asleep

Day 47 Friday 19th February 2010    Kay is Back!

For the first Friday in weeks I wake up before my 5.30 alarm and think yes its Friday its spin and getting up is not a problem,

Kay is Back!!!!

Busy busy day off work, spin, breakfast, work emails, bath, update training record, run club admin, bank, shop, washing, lunch, fold clean clothes, wash up, cinema, make a short recording of our thoughts about the film, home, bit more run club admin, set off late to friends, quick chat with Trevor, arrive late at friends, good food – spinach and goats cheese filo parcels, sparkling water, homemade raspberry cheese cake – 2 servings, lots of girly chat, home.

Had hoped to fit in a run as well as spin today but when I just don’t know. This will be the second week that I have only managed to get 3 runs in, but hey ho!

Right time for bed got 18 miles in morning

Day 48 Saturday 20th February 2010     18 Miles Done

Slept till about 6, which is good for me. Got up tried to finish off notes of run club meeting but can’t seem to get email to work. Barely think about the fact that I’m doing an 18 miler this morning, struggle to eat porridge sometimes it just don’t seem to want to go down! Call Dan a few times he gets up but is very groggy and seems full of cold tell him to go back to bed! Throw my kit on trying to decide if its going to be cold or warm, remember to put some gels in my pocket and wrap some small change in cling film (to stop it rattling if your wondering why)

Sue picked me up at 8.40 and off we went to the park for the first three miles of my 18 miler! Set off with Nicky who was doing her first full park run for a while and was running strong so I told her to go on, then I dropped in and ran with Jan and Janice for a while. Jan was also doing Park Run as part of her weekend long run, only she was planning on doing a total of 10 miles round the park. Not sure I could do this, I would have go round the twist doing this! Hope it went well Jan. My plan was to run slow and steady but I have a theory that somehow your subconscious mind works with your body and tells your body what is expected because I could not have run fast today at park run if I had tried for my life! When I passed the finish line for the 2nd time David B who was joining me for the other 15miles was waiting for me. Normally this would have made me go faster but my body just wouldn’t. When I crossed the line and joined the que to register my time I thought great ill get a little rest, but oh no, Nicky (my dear friend) offered to take my number and register it for me.

And so David and I set off for another 15 miles I'd planned it out on walk jog run, up through Headingly down into Meanwood where i grew up, followed the beck down to Meanwood Park, through the Hollies, pointing out to David historical points in my life, bakers shop that my granddad owned and where my dad used to go buy endless teacakes so he could talk to my mum, the house where my parents first lived the tannery my brothers used as a playground, my first school, where i had my first cigarette and my first kiss. Up across the ringroad through Adel eventually coming to Eccup, it struck me how the conversation differed to the normal girly chat I had when running, David was house spotting, the sun broke through the cold morning chill and turned in to a gorgeous morning I had had a couple of walks up some of the hills and to take on a gel, but now I began to find things hard work, the conversation lessened as I had to dig deep. Along the side of Eccup on to Harrogate Road, across to Shadwell we went. A quick stop to buy more water and on our way again, finally a downhill towards the back of Roundhay woods I picked up a little speed and lengthen my stride easing out my aching legs ( I can’t fathom how we seemed to have run up so many hills yet this was the only downhill I remember) We ran along the trail in the woods coming out by the big lake and ran round this to the cafe and back up another hill towards the Mansion a short stop to remove what felt like a large boulder in my trainer but turned out to be a tiny piece of grit! And now my need to stop was becoming more, but running with David kept me going, when i did have a short walk break, David only let me walk a few moments then had me running again, much quicker than if I had been left to my own devises, along street lane we went, but somehow we must have miss calculated or taken a different route than planned and we were a mile short as we reached Davids street and so we had to continue running for half a mile past Davids before we could turn round and head back. Julie was in decorating but broke off when we arrived back and provided juice and coffee as i sprawled across their doorway feeling somewhat faint. I eventually managed to get up and have another cup of coffee and banana before Julie kindly dropped me back home. As i soaked tired in the bath and aching somewhat I recalled how this had been a similar route to the one Debra had taken me on for my longest run of 19 miles before I did Dublin Marathon. Debra taught me so much on that run but it nearly killed me and although I was tired now and had had a few walk breaks I recovered enough to function for the rest of the day. A sign of how much stronger and fitter I am now.

Really fancied a treat of curry and a few beers tonight . . . . .

Day 49 Sunday 21st February 2010   Qualifying as a Run Group Leader

Another early Sunday morning start but not for running! Had to get up early make a packed lunch, across to Meanwood (via a stop for a cappuccino) to get a club cheque signed, and to Ricks for 7.30. All was well and under control till I opened my door and saw the snow. Where the heck did that come from!!!!!! Made it to Ricks about 10mins late, Dave was already there, picked up Vikki and off we went to Manchester. Several hours later, a few practice run sessions and some stretching and more than a few laughs we emerged with a qualification in Leadership in Running. We discussed and explored ideas around encouraging new people into running and providing safe and challenging training sessions for all abilities. It was good to know that as a club we are doing so many things right. After the course we threatened to leave Dave, who was as usual chatting, as we were next to the football stadium which was holding a big match that was about to finish!

And so I finish my week, much brighter than I started it. I would like to thank you all for your lovely comments and support after last week’s posts, in particular, Nicky for just always been there, my hug from Helen on Tuesday night, Julies kindness and generosity on Wednesday, Trevor on Thursday for listening and helping to put a smile back on my face, Mel and Louise lovely company on Friday evening, and David for getting me round my 18 miler on Saturday, And to Vikki, Dave and Rick for an entertaining Sunday and a big thank you to Rick for getting us across to Manchester safely in the snow!