BettyBlog

My friend Lorraine is also doing the 10k run with me, so we decided we'd better start training together!

I made sure I emailed her today to emphasise exactly how SLOW I am, and that I JOG not RUN! Lorraine is one of those nicely compact fit people who even if she says she's gained weight, she looks wonderful to me! And she also does lots of energetic dog walking and hiking with her other half, more than I used to do.

So, we set off at the source of my enthusiasm for the 10k race, Stanmer Park in Brighton where I did my Race for Life.

It was too quick a pace for me to begin with, what with my large arse and the gradual hill/incline so we did about 3 minutes before we stopped. After that we pretty much kept going for most of the time and did 15 minutes in total - falling into a pace together, admittedly on a flat road though. As a push we walked up the steep hill by the entrance at the end, then back to the cars. All in most successful, Lorraine looked fab in her outfit whilst I'm sure I resembled a seal in my lycra trouser thingys! Add to that my sexy baseball cap and I'm surprised I didn't have a stampede of after me...hmm...there was a field of cows nearby.......

I do say - it's frightfully bad play for the local cricket teams to take up the WHOLE of the recreation ground, what with their fielders and the gaggle of supportive friends, relatives and cucumber sandwich addicts. One could not jog in the field due to such a sea of humanity - I do say, what is the world coming to?

As such, one retired to the gym.

I wasn't too keen on using the treadmill, but I wanted to do my run so hey-ho. Also did my 30 min hard cycle, though the artic blast on the back of my neck from the aircon meant I moved after 10 minutes from fear of catching a chill.

Then - to ensure that all of my hard work had been put to good use, I promptly went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant then on for a night out - well, what's the use of exercise if you can't indulge once in a while huh?!

Friday is the night to do exercise as no one is in the parks or in the gym - I had it all to myself.

Don't get me wrong, I do go out and I'm not a complete hermit, but even at 6.30pm everywhere was quiet. I had the field all to myself apart from the odd inquisitive dog, but I soon shook it off.

Did 22 minutes of my 25, gave blood the day before and I felt a bit light headed so decided not to push it. What with my 20 minute cycle afterwards, I was right chuffed with myself.

I then retired to the gym and did my weights and various torture induced exercises such as lunges, squats and crunches. As I only did one repetition I felt the burn but not the pain as I had previously. I'll give it another go next week and if it's not enough then we'll try 2 reps...ooh, it sounds SO much fun!

Pat on the back old girl for the hard work.

Have any of you seen the classic 1980's film Flashdance? If so, you'll recognise one of the tracks "Maniac"
from the film. 118 118 currently use it in one of their adverts.

Anywho, it's a really fast beat and a toe-tapping song, so I decided this would be a great addition to my mp3 player for one of the nastiest sessions of the week - my interval session. 1 minute of faster running to Maniac and the next minute to Nelly Furtado Play it Right and I can do the 10 minutes of hell, no problem.

Perhaps wishful thinking on my part, but it definately helped me run faster and drop back slower. It was amusing too as I kept thinking of the 118 118 version and their dodgey running outfits similar to mine! There was another runner at the recreation groud, I felt like a big unhealthy lump of lard to begin with as he was running sprints, but then I decided that I probably had more stamina and it can't be compared. Plus he was getting distracted by the cricket match also being played, whereas I'm now getting pretty good at ignoring them and vice versa.

At the gym afterwards they were doing a spin class. I found this ironic as I had to cycle for 20 minutes, but I was mightly glad to go at my own pace - you should have seen the state of them when they finished. It was a cross between a boiled-lobster and drowned-rats. I think it might be some time before I EVER attempt anything so energetic.

Not bad this week so far, 2 sessions down and 2 more to go. Next one is the weights after my 15 min run - it'll be interesting to see how I do cutting the reps down....

I'm back on the fitness-wagon and went for my 25 minute run.

A friend of mine recommended the gallops where I live, ironically used to gallop horses! Now I'm sure if you are a horse, this is a lovely straight expanse of grass ideal for a good run - however, I am no horse.

My legs are pretty long (I'm 5'9") but despite this the grass was up to the top of my shins and filled with grass seed-heads. Doesn't sound too bad huh? Imagine then, I'm trying to run slightly uphill in a kinda gallop-style (clears the grass, I can see why horses do it) but each time I step forward the grass seed-heads whack into my bear ankles like lots of whips! Suffice to say I didn't do this for too long before I gave up from pain and exhaustion.

alongside the gallops is a farmers field, it's the one with all the poop and the pooping sheep. The grass is shorter due to the sheep (glad to see they know their job) and I figured that the poop is at least bio-degradable rather than the dog type, as after all sheep are vegitarians. What I didn't factor on was - the ACTUAL sheep.

The path for hikers, dog-walkers and the such is IN the field, there are no fences between you and the sheep. So I merrily start my jog again paying no attention to four-legged fluffy white critters when I see a blur out of the corner of my eye. Looking up I realise that a gaggle of sheep have picked the area just before the gate (and freedom) to munch their dinner across the pathway.

Now sheep freak me out. They have huge eyes with vertical pupils like cats have, which is freaky as they are nothing LIKE cats. They look shifty to me, and I always feel like they're getting ready to ram me or bite my ankles.

I'm puffing by this point as again I'm jogging uphill, but as I slow down the sheep start to take an interest and begin to converge on me - I feel like I'm in some horror movie where I'm going to end up mummified in a huge woolie-jumper, with sheep all around me bleating.

AHHH!

Fortunately this attack of pure terror was enough to get my legs moving, so I ran to freedom, which scared the sheep so they skedaddled back to THEIR part of the field.

Phew!

My ankles are in tact, I wasn't rammed, I've biodegradable poop all over my trainers and decided I'm no horse - but I've done my run. Not all 25 minutes, and not continual running (well, jogging) but I'm back into the swing of things.

Who knew running could be so eventful?

Well, lets just say that I'm only human.

The rest of week 2 was a complete wipeout! Between my social life and really hot weather, I didn't do any more runs.

It seems silly to bemoan the sunshine, especially after all of the floods - but I'm paler than pale and I burnt in the garden this week, wearing factor 40 suncream in just 10 minutes! So you can see how the sun doesn't work for me trying to run for 20 minutes at all - I'd end up resembling a lobster. I'll need to come up with an alternative to this though - early morning runs before the sun's too hot, the only problem is I LOVE MY BED!

Anywho - week 2 will be repeated next week, it'll make me slightly behind but lets face it, I'm not mega-fit and I won't be in time for the race either - so I'll carry on, and I'll be a darn sight healthier than I've ever been with no real effects of a week off.

See you next week.

I have an uncanny resemblence to Madonna when I put on sunglasses and a black baseball cap! (necessary today due to the gorgeous weather!) Again cricket was the order of the day on the recreation ground - I did ponder the idea of running on the downs - but all that poop just put me off!

25 minutes jog today - I was covered in factor 40 suncream (I've white skin that burns in 5 minutes!) and my Madonna outfit - off I went. Last week was only 20 minutes, and the training plan increases alternate sessions on alternate weeks so I can build up to my 50 minute run.

I started too fast and had to drop back to a slower jog, I was listening to Nelly Furtado's album Loose
which was pretty cool to listen too whilst jogging at a 4/10 effort. All was going well (as well as being out of puff can be) until I swallowed a bug.

Piture the scene - here I am jogging stylishly around this field which I can't do a complete circuit off due to the cricket match - I'm puffing from the jog and trying to swig water as I go without bashing my teeth or choking. Just as I think I've got this down, I breath in through my mouth and catch a bug! Now follows an earatic running path resembling a bumble-bee as I cough and splutter yet try to keep moving so I don't muck-up my 25 minutes. I must say that I was a picture of althletic glory at this time - Madonna would have been so proud!

I almost managed the 25 minutes - actually ran for 22.35 and had to stop as my right calf muscle was getting tighter and tighter and I don't want any injuries.

My quest for fitness continues....

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