WEEK THIRTEEN - Just three left to go

Highlight – Volunteering at Leeds Park Run (a great excuse to ogle all those legs)

Lowlight – My longest L(very)SR

Inspiration – Helen Williams, who never seems to stops smiling and always seems to have just the right words to make me feel normal agian

Well its Sunday night 4th April 2010 and I have just realised I haven’t written one word for my blog note this week. Now I wonder why that is? I could say I’ve been too busy, but I haven’t been any busier than normal, maybe I’ve just run out of things to say . . but those that know me, know thats not likely . . .lost motivation . . possibly . . . distracted . . .have to say my thoughts have wandered to a certain someone in Lanzarote once or twice . . . But the reality is . . . its getting close now and I think I’m trying not to think about it!

But as much as I try the VLM and my training journey are never far from my mind.

I have started to compare myself to others,

Comparing myself to Dave who said he missed run club as he needed extra slept after a 50+ mile training week, to Russell who is already tapering for Paris Marathon and says he is cutting down to just 30 miles a week, to Chris who has lost weight during his marathon campaign, to Michael who says he is really enjoying his training, and to top it off my Runners World arrives with lots of comments and satire about marathon training and final prep and I suddenly feel woefully under trained with my all time maximum of 32 miles in a week.

I know better than to compare myself to others as I know we are all different, in different places and aiming to achieve different things, but I Just can't help myself and  on Friday I found myself doubting my ability to do this and wondering why I am?

The only person I speak to who has words that echo true to me is Helen W, who quite simply says “do you know I’m getting bored with all this Marathon Training now” . . . what a relief it is to hear these words, that is it I’m BORED and feel sure you must be bored with my Marathon Chatter too! But having started I will see if I can recall my week for you and hope it dosen't bore you too much.

This chat with Helen was on TUESDAY as we waited to go out in the pouring rain for run club.  It must have been the wettest day of training so far ans there are not as many of us running tonight, understandably! But are dedication and commitment to our own goals is rewarded when the rain stops and holds off for the hour that we run, just 6 in my group but had a really good run, 5.89 mile done!

I have massive amount of work to do on WEDNESDAY as I break up for over a week but I also have to shuffle my training round as we have a committee meeting tonight. So i am selfish and prioritise my training over work, take a lunch break and go to the gym I do my 45 min session on tread. I do 8 x 2min intervals ending with 2 @13 it feels very hard, but somehow i do it. Rush from work to committee meeting without eating and then end up picking kids up a little late. Nip to shop for milk and buy a packet of mixed nuts and fruit I am tired and exhausted and end up eating the entire packet of nuts instead of doing some tea . . . e m i know nuts are good for you but probably not as a meal replacement!

My THURSDAY the first day of my break starts at 6.30am when Adele sends me a text asking if we can go to Goodalls farm for ice cream today! I have a rest day planned but I actually feel like I have energy. Have a nice day with the kids. Adele tidies up for me moving a big pile of papers and folders I have put on one side to sort, only now I have no idea where she has put them.

FRIDAY comes and it is the day of the longest Long Slow Run training day. I drop the kids off with their dad for their weekend holiday trip I set off with Harp who kept me company for the first 3 miles. I pop the ipod on after this and I run on the canal to Newlay Bridge then make my way back up to Kirkstall Road and head for the sports centre to meet Helen B. But already I am hating this run, it is horrible, I find I have lost my determination I struggle to run up anything that is even slightly a hill and walk, I know I am late to meet Helen and try to call her but she doesn’t have her phone on her, I was over warm on the canal but now I start to feel really cold and quite shivery particular around my lower body my bum and hips, I pull my jacket down in a vain attempt to keep warm and discover the reason that I feel so cold is that my water bottle has leaked and my jacket and leggings are soak and freezing cold against me! I find it even harder to run as I am bursting for a wee and planned to nip in to the sports centre to use the loo. But it’s good Friday and it is closed, as I reach the point I was supposed to be 40mins ago Helen calls me, she has popped back home as was worried and so I dash to hers for the Loo. Feeling more comfy we set off again up to Headingley, Helen manages to pace me so that I can run up this Hill, through Headingly to Otley Road we go, across to Weetwood Lane, down through the Hollies to Meanwood Park and I (must) bore Helen with my sightseeing tour of my childhood, I am grateful for every junction we come to that I am able to stop and take a breather at, and I have a couple of walk breaks where I Just can’t seem to get my breathing and leg turnover to synchronise. Up Stainback Lane stop to buy more water, point out the school I used to go to, my oldest friends house, up Stainbeck Road across to Parkside Road where I point out where I had my first kiss. I find I need the loo again and we stop at the Myrtel Pub (more Kay growing up sighseeing facts for Helen) and down the big hill to the ring road pick up part of the Leeds Half Marathon Route (more walking) then go up Adel Lane towards the back of Golden Acer but again I feel desperate for the loo and make another stop at the tea rooms. I ring Nicky and Liz who are both waiting for my call and leave Helen at the bus stop outside Golden Acer. I hope she doesn’t have to wait long as she looks frozen. I am still feeling a little cold as although my leggings have dried out the zip on my coat has gone again and is flapping about. I keep going along Leeds road hoping Nicky will just say come on you look terrible i ll take you back home for a coffee and cake! But as I ran along Leeds Road I first saw Liz on one side of the road and then Nicky on the other side running towards ME to meet ME, to support ME, to keep ME going, it didn’t enter my head that they were joining me because they wanted a run to for a few selfish moments it was all about ME and just seeing then both run towards ME gave me a lift. Now although Liz and Nicky live a few minutes from each other they didn’t previously know how close and so they chatted about all sorts of things, I’m not sure I could tell you what they chatted about, a vacant shop, Tesco, cats, George or was it Harry camping out, lots of house spotting, who lived where . . . . all I know was I let them take control of the route, six miles was what I requested, six miles is what I got and as we went they kept chatting, occasional asking me if I was ok, occasionally getting a few words or a grunt from me, but it was great listening to them chatter without having to actually join in! Eventually my garmin showed I had done the desired 22 miles and I stopped not wanting to run a step more than was on my programme, but Nicky did get me to have a slight jog back to her house where she feed me with the best tasting brown bread and peanut butter I have ever tasted!

Nicky kindly dropped me back home and other than having a bath, eating and a little facebooking I didn’t do much else for what was left of the day!

A big thank you to Harp, Helen B, Nicky and Liz and sorry I moaned so much, walked so much and Helen probably bored you silly with the this is my life fact tour!

Next thing I know the alarm is going off to signify it is SATURDAY and time to get up and go help support Mr Dooley as Race Director at this week’s Park Run. I have requested a sitting down job and Sam puts me in charge of pressing the timer as the runners cross the line, this is a perfect job for me sitting and watching lots of athletic legs passing in front of me, but what a responsibility to make sure I get everyone, 160+ runners and walkers crossed the line in about 54 minutes. Geoff ( who is handing out the placing tokens) and I work well together and with the exception of one person who nearly mucked things up because he wouldn’t take a token we captured everyone.

Thanks to Julie (Sams wife) for providing Easter chocolate buns as well!

After helping to pack up I went and spent the rest of the morning at Caldo’s cafe with the park run gang, it was good not have to rush off for the kids or to get to the gym, but the truth was my legs and body couldn’t have rushed anywhere if it had tried! Lots of people congratulated me on doing my 22 miler and I felt a fraud as didn’t feel it was worthy of a well done. But as I sat and chatted I realise not all runs will be great, Russell said how he had dreaded his 22 miler and found it hard. I was reminded that actually I had done this LSR just 5 days after running my best ever half marathon and as for the difference in miles I have run in comparison to Dave, Russell, Chris, Michael and Helen, well yes my mileage is much lower but if you were to add up time out there on our feet I bet I’m not that much behind them! They just cover more ground in the time than I do!

Was going to go for a swim in the afternoon but felt drained and ended up having a nap before going out for tea with my mum.

I have a rare lie in this morning , SUNDAY and although I was awake for a little through the night I am pleasantly surprised to see it is nearly 10 when I wake up.

I was going to start painting Adele room today but B&Q and other such places are closed so cant get the paint, was going to go do body pump and spin but when I phoned to check times I was told the class was cancelled and the pool out of working order. I took this as a sign that the universe was saying I needed another rest day . . .and who am I to argue with the universe.

With just 3 weeks left to go I have started to look for post Marathon races, there are just so many to chose from but perhaps I should take some advise on recovery before I plan too much!

Ps TSR - Have missed you!