Juneathon Update

As requested by JoggerBlogger I am adding my Juneathon data - I have no hopes of winning the prize (whatever it may be).

Days exercised: 20/30
Run - 25miles (from the 14th when I was finally allowed to)
Gym - 4 sessions
Swim - 40 lengths
Elliptical - 29 miles
Yoga - 2 sessions
Walk - 20miles
Crazyarse Housework - 3h

Junethon definitely helped with the motivation. Thank You JB

Emotionally challenged.

Hmmm I seem to have been a bit lax about this Juneathon thing of late.
Managed a wonderful beach walk - including paddle - with high heels, the dogs and TheO on Friday. I think we managed to pluck the best out of the weather - it's now thoroughly minging.

Today was a little more successful - if weird.
0.5 mile run from the house to the quarry - 10min wandering about searching for yet another damn geocache which I didn't find :(- then I started my run proper:
2.8 miles - 2 of which were uphill - then TheO appeared and stated that they'd like to go for a bit of a run ... I was having a horrible time so gladly got into the car for a wee break as we drove somewhere sensible.

Then 2 miles in 20.55 min with TheO along a lovely back road with only a gentle rise.

4.86 miles in 51.23
average pace 10.35 (not including the 0.5mile at the start)
10.31
10.56
9.00 0.88 of a mile
10.32
10.23

Didn't enjoy it today, legs feel it, might be coming down with a cold (damn friend visiting gave it to me) - that always makes my muscles ache more than they should.

Stopping to look for the geocache was a BIG mistake. I know now I need to set off - keep running - and finish. Pace was OK not too bad, not good, but I just couldn't settle. Leave geocaching for a separate time.

It is official. I'm just not up to 13miles tomorrow. The half will have to wait.
I need to have a few weeks of regular running again, and to get used to hard surfaces before I embark on anything long.

Thanks for all the support - I don't know why every things been so UP and down at the minute.

I'm back

I return from the tour of Scotland's finest whisky distilleries in quite merry form. Lots of work was done today :) and I managed my fastest EVER 5K in the gym. 27.56 a new best.

Ate lots while away but my new found muscles seem to be burning it off (either that or the scales will suddenly creak and groan as the fat mysteriously materialises days after the fact).

It was a good jaunt, as usual TheO has amply filled in all the details should anyone want details of any distillery in Scotland (ok - only 7). I would tell you about THEBESTHOTELEVER but it's too nice to let anyone know where it is. The price was buttock clenchingly high but the food, bed, view and ambience were incredible. They have their own pastry chef who even makes their own croissants and pain au chocolate in the morning - I would have moved in - in a second.

Despite holiday blues on return I am quite excited by life right now. Work is crazy (which given that I run my own business - is nothing but a good thing), my running is a joy, my new orthotics arrive next week, and TheO is in a lovely disposition. The pooches have just been clipped so are delightfully fresh smelling and sleek; and a good friend visits for a few days tomorrow night. The three dogs arriving for their holidays is the only aspect which makes me grimace slightly. A house with 2 crazy cockers, a standard poodle, a poodle puppy, and a grumpy old lab-cross does not a peaceful home make!

Hope everyone has had a good few days - I'll catch up with all the blogs soooooon.

Hola

Dundee's off.
Mt foot hurts - still the outside metatarsal - I'm ignoring the fact I think it might be a stress fracture..
I have to walk a lot for the next 4 days.
I'm going on a whisky tour of Scotland with some friends and I'm the designated driver. But TheO has booked us into some sweeet places.
After the hormone induced hell of self-doubt and loathing I managed to get lots of work done in the last few days, not stress out completely, and have a lovely time with Chopper.

See you on Monday night folks when the great holiday update will begin. As will the great diet and exercise regime... honest.

You know how something can be a BAD IDEA ... ?

Well, today was interesting (yesterday wasn't and involved no exercise and mucho work). My appointment with the podiatrist was fascinating. That damn accident years ago seems to have buggered me up right royally. One leg is significantly longer than the other now and has been over-compensating for my 'damaged' leg - hence the pain and what I now know are puffy ankles. The doctor had misdiagnosed. It was /is not ligament damage but the evidence of supination - that weird and freakish opposite to pronation. Orthotics are the answer (yes, many of my fine British pounds will be winging her way).

So after that (at dawn), work done, friend arrives, terrible storm clears up into the most beautiful day, walk dogs (take poor golden to the vet as she has her own exercise related injury which keeps recurring and made her very sad and blue today), go for a run, play on the beach and eat fondue. Bloody fantastic.

The run was the BAD IDEA - I knew I deserved a rest from weight bearing sport but my friend needed to go for a run and as she's only visiting for a few days .... you know how it goes. Our route was about a mile and a half along the coastal path from St. Andrews and back again. Never again will I curse concrete. This rocky, grassy, nettle infested, hilly, pit of hell was not what my poor feet needed. My 5th metatarsal is officially kyboshed on the right foot and has been iced and needs serious rest. The uneven surface was just a run too far.

I was trying not to be a wimp despite having to walk for many bits as it was too rough to run (we averaged 13.30 min miles - for 3 miles), but it hurt. And whilst Chopper is a friend, she's not someone I've known for long enough to show weakness infront of. I wanted to say: "damn it, I run through blisters and stitches and toe nails being wrenched off through sheer force but this bloody well hurts". I didn't - I'm a wimp and suffering because of it. Think this is the final nail in the coffin of the half. I'll keep my fitness up - and start slowly with the new orthotics when they arrive... maybe just a few wee runs to keep me going?

Hmmmm lovely.

Had a more than delightful 7 mile run to St. Andrews today. It was almost too hot (for wimpish me) and remarkably humid, but there was no sun. I saw such delightful sights and heard the most incredible birds. Saw a tiny little field mouse, a pair of herons, the usual plethora of rabbits and a golden corn field infested with poppies bobbing about in the gentle breeze.
Needless to say: "It's a new dawn, it's a new day and I'm feeeeling good (dum, da, dum, da, dum etc)." All did feel much brighter post run (bless those endorphins). Managed to get lots of work done and reassurance from TheO that they will clean the entire house before our guest arrives, possibly finish the ironing and the bed has already been changed. I'm even considering taking down my (imaginary) 'bless this mess' sign.
But onto the stats (which I find I can remember alarmingly well, despite being unable to remember the names of even fairly good friends).

1.12.21 total run time for 7 miles
10.20 pace
10K in 64min exactly so slightly off the pace but I was trying to take it easy as this was my first run on a hard surface in almost 5 weeks.

9.55 . 10.11 . 10.22 . 10.35 . 10.27 . 10.22 . 10.26

Didn't feel any pain (arch got slightly warm at one point) and recovery was acceptable but it did feel like a hard distance. Still considering the half - it might be a wee bit too much right now. Ah well, wait and see.

Juneathon failure

Woe is me. After loitering at the golf place whilst Rock God and TheO thrashed their way around 9 holes (in 3hours) we then dashed to lunch at a nice pub. But my burger had evil consequences. I felt horrid all afternoon (when I was meant to be running) and went to bed for a bit.

Tried to get some more work done - bits and pieces were finished off. So much to do, so little time, it even stops me being happy about friends visiting and going away. I'm sure it'll all feel fine next week when it's all done. Just a little indigo round the edges today.

xx

Ooof

Gracias for the comments people. Lovely dinner at friend's place. Was NOT designated driver - slightly drunk.

Managed to fit in 15min speed yoga despite working all day. Stretched out those tight calves though.
Bugger, have just discovered tomorrow is Sunday - shit - I thought it was Saturday.

xx

100% normal service

4 miles run at the woods. Lovely and flat, tried to keep to the grass to ease the pressure on the muscles and joints.

10.15
10.09
9.55
9.45 - whoo hoooo a negative split.

total 40.04

- 25 seconds dog inconveniences

delighted
no pain

heart/chest found it hard going
legs - thighs hurt a bit but the rest of my muscles seem quite happy

I'm ecstatic that I can run again and only mildly peeved that it's so damn hard considering the miles on the elliptical and the swimming, and the gym ... ah well, I'll get back into the 'run' of things soon. Not so convinced about the 1/2 now though. I'll see what the next week brings - see how my long runs go. And shhhh! don't tell the podiatrist.

Ugg

Am tired. Went out for dinner (I was the designated driver) and I ate too much (more than would be too much for 2 normal people) and my tummy really hurts. But there's some lemon drizzle cake calling my name.

I hope my tummy makes it through the night.

Sleep tight - Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Enlightenment - but not as we know it.

Hmm, an interesting and frustrating experience. Was told I should have made a bio-mechanical assessment appointment. Told the lovely therapist I asked for a sports specialist and made clear it was a sports injury when I called, three and a half weeks ago!

Initial assessment was hilarious. I am slightly knock kneed (I knew that) and I may have some weird fore foot problems, possibly caused (and here it gets really really weird) by my wearing SENSIBLE SHOES. I'm often barefoot and spend most of my time in Birkenstocks or clogs; this whilst sounding eminently sensible, has actually allowed my feet too much freedom. I am furious that mother nature didn't put me together a bit better. Seriously, was she using left overs when she got to my feet.

My feet are ridiculous. They are exceptionally square and wide with tiny teeny weeny little ickle toes. Seriously, they barely do anything, I'm not even sure I need them for balalce. So, after the hilarity I was informed that I land EXTREMELY heavily and don't rotate the way I should. My fore-feet aren't doing their job. But my proper assessment is at 8.10 next Wednesday morning. I was delighted she could fit me in but jehsus - 8.10 in the morning on a treadmill while 2 people stare at you - I can't wait.

At this point anyone with medical training should stop reading as the stupidity of people who: give you money for advice, then ignore you; should not be under-estimated. I asked if I could run. She said she probably wouldn't but if I wanted to then to go ahead and build up slowly. Maybe 10min here and there and building up ... but stopping if I felt any pain. So I went to the gym and did 5k in 30min. Not what she had in mind. But hell, it didn't hurt and I'm delighted - even if it was incredibly hard and I can't really imagine doing a 10K right now, let alone a 1/2.

So - happy days are here, I'll just have to force myself to take it slooooowwwwllllyyyyyy.

The Eve of enlightenment. (Or before a nice lady tells me to give her many of my fine Scottish pounds in return for some weird bits of plastic.)

As JoggerBlogger suspects I may indeed be "going for it". Over the last 2 days all I can think about is that damn Half (that winks and blinks at me from the side-bar)!

It's about right though. That 2 week-ish nervousness and excitement is beginning to build. Which is, in retrospect/with foresight, really stupid - given that I haven't even been told I can run yet. I even spent longer than necessary plotting the route into Map-My-Run; and shuddering at the thought of the last 4 miles all being unrelentingly UP HILLL.

But hey-ho - I keep thinking about my 'first run' since having this hiatus and it's so exciting. All the additional exercise (I went to the gym and did a super fast circuit session, Ooooo me buttering muscles are not going to thank me) has made me feel on TOP form. Work is good, my wee holiday was good, TheO is having an adorable phase (cough, cough, obviously I mean, "being adorable - as usual"), and the dogs are happy. Busy months stretch ahead of me - lets just hope I can keep up with the pace.

Juneathon day 13 - completed.

Madrid - or Not

Whilst I could tell you in detail about Madrid (I saw great art, ate not-great food, and came back with what I can refer to as a 'tan') TheO has amply provided a multi-part Madrid extravaganza - with such a depth of detail that I suggest if you care about my holiday read Life of a Wastrel.

I, however, am here to tell you that the joy of Juneathon is still with me. I've already hopped on the elliptical and done a fabby 6.5 miles. (It was set on rolling and I really pushed myself ... have to work off that tapas somehow.)

Delighted to be home with happy dogs, horrid rain, and my lovely computer.
Must get back to work tomorrow - then I see the MAGICDOCTOR on Thursday - yipeeeeeee.

Thunder & Lightening

Wow - what a mad 4 days.
Thursday night was woken and kept awake by a huge thunder storm that rolled around the roof of our house for 2 hours. Poor golden dog was beside herself, she just couldn't escape it, so instead she chose to punch us in the head until we awoke and comforted her.
Friday morning came down to switch everything on after the power-cut and my computer would no longer connect to the internet. It didn't even recognise that it had an ethernet port anymore. It's a Mac. Nothing ever goes wrong - but when it does (last injury was a lightening strike that took out the internal modem on an iBook) it's bloody impossible to find someone to fix it. So spent the morning intermittently packing, crying (it was the final straw - there's so much work on at the minute I didn't need to go away for 4 days and then come back to no-email) and calling various technical support companies (none of whom dealt with Macs).
Came home today - hot hot hot - and tried a BT Home Hub that they sent me free* and discovered to my joy and rapture that everything is up and running again, only the modem got fried. Although I have to question why ANYTHING got fried considering I spent mediocre bucks on a surge protection bar.

But onto matters more important, the Juneathon:
Friday did sod all exercise. (Using my joker.)
Saturday spent a minimum of 4 hours walking round galleries and wonderful streets.
Sunday a good few hours walking through parks and trailing around to find tapas on the one night of the week when Maridians go to bed.
Today - an hour and a half gallery walking (but quite frankly not much really).
Back to the elliptical tomorrow. :)

Hope everyone had a good w/end.
*Irony is I thought it would be tricky to set up. It was easy-peasy and it's faster than my old modem.

Day 7 - on the up & up

Sooo, despite having lots of work to do, today I mostly procrastinated.

Got more happy commissions which is brilliant, especially as they are unusual and challenging.

But I also spent 100 minutes on the elliptical machine. Think it was about 9 miles as I was going quite slowly,the hill level was at 2/15 so it was that nice, long, slow run with no hills. Means I'm just about on the level for my half training... keep wondering what it might feel like when I'm actually running again. How does fitness really hold up? Am I really going to be able to do long runs again soon? Answers on a comment please. :)

No weights on the arms - they are knackered after the gym yesterday. As I complained to TheO this morning, "I've buggered my buttering muscles!" To clarify - there is a certain bit of tricep that hurts when trying to butter toast the morning-after-the-gym-before.

Read Grand Designs and listened to radio4 - doesn't feel so much like exercise when I'm doing other things at the same time, almost miss the wonderfully concentrated exercise feeling.

Mild ache in arch but not ankle about 1/2 way through - but it passed.
Weird ache in the right knee on starting - but it soon passed.

SINGING: We're all off to sunny Spain (despite Madrid being forecast for rain the whole w/end) viva Espana.

Still pumped - work it baby - WORK IT!

Out did myself today - and I didn't even fancy doing much...

Started with an excellent full weights session including the multi-hip machine and the arm things I hate. Did it circuit style with no stopping, actually worked up a sweat doing weights... normally I'm so gross from the running machine that I never notice. Really worked hard and was surprised by how quickly I could work my way round all the machines alternating arms and legs.

Then went for a swim.
Did 2 breaststroke/4 crawl for 40 lengths with a 1min stop at 24 lengths to talk to TheO.

Really chuffed 40 lengths in 31 minutes - much more like it. It finally felt like a proper workout, I was getting some water at the end and I could feel my legs shaking. And, just to chuff my day to the max* TheO is cooking dinner tonight (Roast Chicken, Crusty Bread and a Big Salad) for me, and a friend is coming round. What perfection. (Then, when they go - there's the England Match to watch.) It's all far too exciting.

Needless to say I will be keeping this double session as the joker to play when I really can't be arsed one day in this fabulous Juneathon**.


* Note to self - never use this expression again.

**NOT SURE BLOGGING WHILST STILL PUMPED FROM EXERCISE SHOULD BE ALLOWED, THIS POST IS FAR TOO PERKY AND FULL OF ITSELF.

Day 5 discoveries

So, don't you just hate it when you step on the scales in the morning only to discover that you've PUT ON 2lb despite being on a bit of a diet.... and doing loads of exercise, and eating lots of fruit as snacks, and there's no 'hormonal reason' for the sudden gain?

*Hmmm - today I therefore slacked much in the work department; but fulfilled my Juneathon
obligations by combining some wonderful dog walking (they were sooooooo happy) with finding what I consider to be my 'home' cashe. It was a fantastically misty day with no good views from the huge hill - felt like we were wandering round a Lord of The Rings set, fabulous!

Then went into town to stock up on tiny little plastic bottles so I can travel with only handbaggage (with the new super-strict 100ml limit per item) and try finding another cashe. I failed. I scrabbled round in horrid gorse bushes and came away with nothing, except the ridiculing looks of the trussed-up golfers. Booo Hiiisssssss (However it was an additional walk to add to my Juneathon exercise for the day.)

Thanks to all those leaving lovely comments (good to know it's not just me sweating...).
And I do intend on keeping my Juneathon commitment. Friday I can exercise before we go. I'm taking my pocket yoga card with me so that's one or two days and we've got plans for a HUGE walk... I think I've got it covered. (Unless I spend all my time wearing hug sunglasses, sitting in cafes, looking at art and being slightly tipsy.)

*(Weird - a bit of text had jumped up to the line above and was completely out of context.
All ok now though.)

Juneathon Day 4

Productivity levels were high today.
Work was blasted through.
Everything that was meant to be bought, collected and moved from A -to-B was.

And a cheeky wee 35min (which I hope to gd is 5K, damn distance thingy gone again) on the elliptical. Why does that thing make me sweat so much? It's a cool room, the patio door is wide open ... and yet I start dripping about 8min in...

I was my own worst enemy though - I didn't eat right today. My lovely simple pasta lunch at 3pm saw me through to the exercise stint at 8:30pm. My legs can definitely tell the difference.

Happy Day 4

I'm getting v over-excited as TheO and me are off to Madrid for 4 days on Friday to visit thebrother-inlaw who's out there with his wife studying at the mo. Can't wait. xxxxx

Super Quick

Ok - it wasn't in the list of 'official Juneathon' sports/activities but I did do 2 hours serious housework today: manic dusting, moving furniture, hoovering (the whole shebang). I believe it counts as exercise ... left me knackered anyway. Especially as I forgot to each lunch and therefore made competitive eating my sport of choice for the evening. Bugger.

Hey Hoe - lots of work to get finished off tomorrow. And another run on the elliptical. Plus getting to my home cashe site (which'll be nice).

xx

Can you tell it's Sunday?

I know, multiple posting - it must be Sunday. (Look up to corner of computer, check it really is Sunday. TICK)

*Please read the warning.

Soooo, my wonderful friend The Professor took me geocaching yesterday. Click to find out all about the wonderfulness. Seriously, if you enjoy a good walk and have a gps it totally ROCKS. We went lovely walk nearby, taking 4 dogs, and found what we were looking for, swapped "treasure" and generally had a great time. It gives you something to do, a little spice to a pasta flavoured walk.

I recommend it highly. Especially to runners who might head past these spots on a run anyway.
It feels quite geeky but in a hip and modern way. I hadn't even heard of it before. She did start with the warning -"Can I tell you about something you might find really addictive?"

Off to find my next cashe (or do the ironing).

*Seriously, this can be very addictive. If you already have too many things to fill up the brief moments of *spare* time when you could be hugging your children or eating something tasty, don't read on ... you have been warned.

Sunday Philosophy - Respecting the distance.

I do 'get' marathon running. I don't want to do it personally, but I understand the drive to cross the finish line for the longest distance regularly race-able. If you've tried the others - why not go that extra MASSIVE step? (Because it's crazy ....... obviously.)

Having taken part in the Edinburgh Half and watched the Edinburgh Marathon there's a huge difference in how people respect the distance.
At the very start of the half there were people using a run-walk strategy; I saw loads of them within the first 2omin. I almost find it unbelievable that someone would attempt a half marathon without being able to run consistently for 30min. But, each to their own: their goals and achievements are just as important to them as mine are to me. I don't want faster runners putting me down so why judge those run-walkers?

The contrast watching the Marathon was striking. We were standing at mile 7/8 and also at the end. At mile 7/8 we saw no one walking who was taking part in the full marathon (several relay people - who'd only done a mile by that point were walking). Also, at the end (we had a good view of the last mile or so) the only people walking were those who were injured and in pain; loads of people looked in great shape ... it was phenomenal. [I do realise that even regular marathoners' do take walk breaks sometimes, when necessary - this is NOT what I am talking about. I am talking about setting out without the aim to run-it-all.]

I suppose my point (if I really have one) is that I love running a Half. It feels like a massive but surmountable challenge. It's something I never even dreamt of being able to do and I would like people to show the distance the respect necessary. (Can you tell I have marathon running friends?)

Ok, enough ranting - two weeks without a run is obviously getting to me. I'm now thinking narky thoughts about those who can run and don't necessarily always make the most of it.

So, here's the secret: I'm trying to keep up my fitness and the distance on the elliptical machine just in case the MAGICDOCTOR tells me next week I can run the 1/2 on the first of July. TheO would be furious if they found out: No running for 8 weeks means NO RUNNING FOR 8 WEEKS in their book. Even if everything I've read online would imply that 8 weeks with no running for a possible ligament injury would be v v unusual.

Alrighty - time to sign off. Must get work done, bins out, house cleaned, dogs walked, food somethinged, and maybe even a little leg stretched on tha-machine.

xx

JUNEATHON

With thanks to Jogger Blogger for the special dispensation. (I always was the irritating teacher's pet type.) :)

My own special (do some exercise every single day in June) Juneathon has started with a BANG!

1st June
A fabulous 30min of yoga - stretching the parts that really haven't been stretched in a while. Weight-loss and upping the fitness mean I can now touch my nose to my knee in some of the sitting stretches (v. exciting, honest!).

But now for the BIG NEWS - 2nd June

I used the elliptical machine today for 90 minutes & I didn't die of boredom.

About 8-9 miles
distance thing only worked for the last 11min - typical.

But did 1.2 miles in that time... but I think I was faster 'cos I could see the distance ticking up...ah the joy of psychology.

First 60 min on resistance 2 with 1kg weights on each wrist (to help with the martyrdom); next 30 min on resistance 1 with no weights... thank god.

NO PAIN AT ALL, NOT EVEN A TINY TWINGE

So I'm off to wash (am v v icky) and then make lunch for a friend. All delightful.

Happy Juneathon everyone.

Quick summary before Juneathon

May 28th

A tough 10k on "tha-machine" (An Horizon Andes 500 if anyone cares).
6.2 miles in 64 min and 20 seconds; thereby having a 10.20 min/mile pace overall.

Slow as all get-out but there's something unbearably hard about running on the machine, the action isn't quite what nature intended. I had an extra 1kg strapped to each wrist to give the arms a bit of additional workout.

Mild ache in foot arch after about 3 miles but it was temporary and went away quickly; especially when placing more wight on the outside of my foot. Hmm. interesting.

May 29th
Gym

2 miles on the elliptical in 20.40 - very weird motion but hurts not at all - excellent
5 min on the rowing machine
Then all the usual weights - it was an EXCELLENT work out. I'm beginning to think this not-running lark might be good for me.*

*Not really - but a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE helps.

May 31st
20 excellent lengths in the pool - should have been more but TheO was knackered after their (swanky, show-off) triathlon training yesterday. But did follow it up with a 45min dog walk up the hill.