August 6, 2008
That is MY shoe
That is my pretty left shoe. And the other piccie is the heel of my pretty left shoe. Which gives you a teeny idea of what my left foot looks like. And no, it was not a blister (despite me being stupid and running 8.4 miles in new shoes). That was the result of a speeding van going past me, kicking up some glass that it hit and glass getting lodged in the back of my foot, the back of my leg and the side of my leg. Mind you, the ones that hit my leg left a lot less damage... I have a cut that gave me a fair amount of grief on the back of my foot during the run. I cleaned it out with some Gatorade Endurance Formula (which reminded me of some film, but I cannot for the life of me remember which one now).
The run itself was fun - the first 2 miles I thought the heat was going to kill me, then it started raining and for the next 2 miles I got wet before the sun came out again and by the time I reached Peg-leg at the end of my run I was relatively dry, although streaky here and there. But at least now my shoes are DNA marked :)
Posted by karinm at 9:23 PM | Comments (1)
August 3, 2008
Various Nonsense :)
Testing Testing
Posted by karinm at 4:52 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2008
Shins
A quiet weekend, no major training, although today was supposed to be my last really long run before the London Marathon in 2 weeks. On Wednesday I felt a twinge in my right leg and the warning signs flashed bright enough for me to go to the physio. The outcome: shin splints.
She told me to rest, ice and take it easy ... and see how I felt the first 2 miles of my run today. If there was the slightest twinge, I had to stop and head back home. So this morning I put on my shoes, and started running, fuel belt optimistically loaded and around my waist. Gels packed and all. And there was a twinge. More than a twinge really. After 2 miles I could feel that I was in trouble, because the twinge felt worse than it did on Wednesday.
So where does this leave me for London?
Broken hearted.
I'll go back to the physio tomorrow and see what she recommends, but I pretty much know what they like to say ...
Posted by karinm at 2:39 PM | Comments (4)
March 5, 2008
The Marathon
Sunday morning arrived... far quicker than I thought it would.
I got up and while I caught a shower, Andy went to wake the poor girl that was on duty at the Inn to get me some boiling hot water for my oatmeal. I felt so sorry for her.
I got into my clothes and .... attempted to show my enthusiasm for the run that was about to take place. Andy decided that 
the world needed to know....
At 5h20, Jeff was there to pick me up and head to the start line. I had everything. My belt was in my hand with a good amount of Gatorade Endurance Mix in it. I had honey, I had some anti-shafing gel, I had water, I had everything that was required.
As we drove towards Universal Studios, my stomach started with the familiar fluttering of butterflies, but that quickly went away as I became more excited about starting the marathon. As we arrived at the parking area, it was clear that there was going to be an amazing amount of chaos with the arrangements. First they had 3 lanes merge into one. Then they had someone checking that you were involved in the marathon before pointing you to the parking area.
As we walked up towards the general loo area, the marathonfoto.com paparazzi overwhelmed us and asked whether they could take a quick picture or two. We managed 3 on our way and then it was time to pick up my fuelbelt, get rid of my shirt and head to the starting point. I said goodbye to Jeff and headed to the start line.
There was an amazing amount of people. I've NEVER run in a race with more than 2000 people, so this was quite and experience for me. Everywhere was feet, bodies, heads, arms... the smell of bodyglide in the air.... I held on to my bottle of water and sat down and did a few stretches in the shade of those standing around. The sun had come up and the air was already heating up.
Before I knew it, 8h20 had arrived and it was time to start.... I started off conservatively and felt pretty well. The first mile was mostly uphill with a nice climb. The crowd at the start was great. They cheered and went crazy and in general they were just making a lot of noise, which is exactly what I wanted to hear. The atmosphere was making me all giddy and it took everything in me to not speed up and burn up every ounce of energy I had.
The miles passed and I kept a careful eye on my watch to make sure I wasn't going faster than I should. At mile 13 I was still feeling great and only had 3 miles to go before I had to meet up with Jeff. My nutrition was holding up, my legs felt great, I still had 3 gels left... I was feeling awesome....
... but the marathon is unpredictable - it only takes one small thing to make your day go a little off.
Mile 14 arrived... and with it my stomach decided to feel unwell. I stepped in the queue to use the porta-potty and shortly afterwards headed off again towards mile 16. But with every step I now felt a little worse off.
At Mile 16 I spotted Jeff in a sec and he fell in next to me. He was so supportive and motivational and I felt quite bad that I was in worse shape than I would've liked to be. My left leg started hurting shortly after and then I just had to talk to myself and listen to Jeff and it all became roses and moonlight and fluffy bunnies!
The last few miles were increasingly difficult, but the one thing I did NOT want to do, was walk the last mile. So the last 1.2 miles were hobbled/run/jogged/run through gritted teeth.
As I crossed the line and collected my medal, were handed a drink, a blanket,
pushed towards the photographers and managed to get out of the chaotic finishers area with non-runners in, emotion started to overwhelm me. I couldn't believe that I managed to finish it! My legs were hurting so badly it wasn't funny.
I met up with Jeff in the family reunion area with tears in my eyes and we made it back to his car.
That evening we headed over to Jeff's where smsmh made the most wonderful supper. I was dead on my legs though and in dire need of a lot of sleep and we went home relatively early. The sleep I got was the most heavenly of sleep and I could not have asked for a more comfortable bed.
Posted by karinm at 7:53 PM | Comments (4)
The LA Marathon (The Trip)
On February 28th, 2008, at 11:00AM (GMT) I got on a plane to Los Angeles with Andy by my side. The 11 hours and 40 minutes on the plane was nothing compared to the 5 hours we were stuck on the I-405 towards Laguna Beach. We checked into the Casa Laguna Inn shortly after 9pm and after a quick call to Jeff quickly fell asleep - after all, our bodies thought it was well into the morning hours with the 8 hour time difference.
Friday morning arrived and after 4 or 5 or 6 cups of coffee, we had the most delicious breakfast before going for a walk on the beach and seeing the area around us. We headed back to the inn and an hour later Jeff picked us up to make the long journey to the McDonalds Quality of Life Expo to pick up my race pack and goody bag and to venture into the world of expo exhibitors. I managed to get away with a LA Marathon top, a running skirt, some shoes for Andy and various bars and nuts and things that the stalls handed me.
Then it was back to the inn for a quick nap.
During the course of the evening I met TC, smsmh and had the most delicious Lasagna to start the carbo loading for Sunday's marathon. TC was the cutest! Honestly, when he smiles, you can't help but melting. He's going to break hearts when he's older!
Saturday morning we woke up relatively late... I lie. We woke up at 7, had coffee at 7:30, breakfast at 8 and then decided to head to the town centre of Laguna Beach to watch the Patriot's Day Parade. It was something neither of us had experienced before and we had a ton of fun watching everyone come by. The kids that took part in the parade seemed to have a load of fun.
We caught some lovely Italian food afterwards and before I knew it, it was evening and I had to prepare everything for a very early morning on Sunday. I put my D-tag on my shoe, I put my number on my shirt (4 times), I put my socks out, my shirt, my Garmin, my fuelbelt... everything. And then I fell into bed and fell asleep while watching Without Limits.
Posted by karinm at 7:08 PM
January 15, 2008
I have a Butt
My backside hurts. The very same one that was given the workout of a lifetime last night. My legs are ok. My feet are ok. My brain is ok. Everything but my butt.
And the easy run tonight felt HARD because when I lifted my legs I wanted to groan. When my feet hit the pavement I wanted to groan. When I went up a hill I groaned, and when I went down the hill I grimaced... and then wanted to groan. All in all, I decided that since I didn't even come NEAR the pace I was supposed to, I was at least going to go the furthest I had to.
And when I finished. I hobbled home, took a hot shower and begged for a massage. Because I earned it.
Did I mention my backside hurts?
Posted by karinm at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)
January 9, 2008
I *Think* I'm Better
I think the flu has left my chest. This is a good thing. My HR is a tad lower than it has been for a while this morning and I'm taking this as a sign that I'm finally getting on that horse again. I'm hoping to be on the treadmill tonight - missed last night's run due to coughing and spluttering and dying.
I had a rough night sleeping, waking up to my own coughs and hearing strange noises (just my own breathing) and then this morning I felt a ton better and ended up getting up at 6 and watching cartoons with Andy before he left for work. He's still rough as anything, but I think he'll start feeling better tomorrow. I can only hope that the rest of the people at work will feel better soon as well. Its quite an office to be in at the moment :)
So, treadmill tonight, dodging the sick at work so I can get better, early sleep tonight.
Posted by karinm at 7:50 AM | Comments (1)
January 2, 2008
Ouchies
I learned some very valuable lessons today. I left work today and instead of going straight to the gym, instead went home to have pasta and wine with my husband. I figured that if I got to the gym around 7pm, there would be a treadmill open for me for more than an hour and that'd mean that I could finish my 6 miles without having to stop every 20 minutes and get to the back of the queue.
Well, not so. I got to the gym at 7:30pm and when I walked in there was a room full of people that has the 2008 resolution to go to gym 3 times a week on average. I applaud them for their effort, but 90% of them will try to get the 156 times in within the months of January and February and it generally means that the best time to get there would be around 7am when everyone is getting ready for work!
But on the bright side, there was a treadmill open and there was no queue!
So I hopped on and warmed up and then felt that I could now select a program to lead me through my session of pickups. I pressed the program button. Hrmmm... didn't respond. I pressed it again. Still no response.
Ok, so the treadmill didn't have the capability, or just didn't feel like, being programmed. Right enough. Last time I checked, my fingers could press 'faster' and 'slower' with ease and at least those buttons seemed to respond relatively quickly. I did my first pickup. I slowed down. I did my second pickup. I slowed down. I did my third pickup. I tried to slow down...OH JOY! The slower button seized to exist and I was on a good 6.5 mph. Lovely.
I was feeling okay and there wasn't any other treadmills open, so I carried on running. My heartrate went up, up and away! Well, it settled around 173bpm and I was starting to sound like a steam train that got overloaded with coal somewhere. But I had 3 miles to go and I was feeling okay except for a stinging pain developing somewhere in untold regions of my body.
Nevermind that.
So... carried on running. At a faster pace than I wanted to.
But the stinging wouldn't go away.
And then... there was a crippling pain.
The need to stop.
Immediately.
Throughout the run, I had developed 2 blisters ... and 1 had burst.
I stopped. I didn't care that there was only 4.2 miles on the clock, I was going to cry and say things I didn't mean.
So... lessons learnt :
- Get to the gym at 7am or 5pm... but not at 7pm.
- Don't get on the treadmill that stands all alone in the corner. It doesn't like me.
- Make sure the correct underwear is worn... or run the risk of developing a rather uncomfortable blister or 2.
Posted by karinm at 9:18 PM | Comments (0)
January 1, 2008
The Year of 'I Can'
This year is the year of 'I Can'. No more excuses. No negativity. No doubts. Simply : I CAN!!!
I was sitting in my chair today, preparing my spreadsheet for the year and considering my options as to what I am going to do this year. So far there are only 5 things that are certain.
- I am doing the Stamford Valentines 30K (2008/02/10) (sadly without a partner in tow)
- I am doing the Los Angeles Marathon (2008/03/02) (hopefully with someone pacing me ;) )
- I am doing the London Marathon (2008/04/13) (without anyone else, but hey, the atmosphere will be soaked up!)
- I am doing the London Triathlon (2008/08/10)
- I am doing the Great North Run (2008/10/05) (atmosphere!)
As for goals, I have 3 :
- Run 1500 miles
- Lose 2 stone
- Finish an Ironman
And all of those can be measured - publicly, you'll notice the mileage in my sidebar... I'll have to let you know about the weight loss thing... and the Ironman finish will be announced in the form of a race report sometime or another :)
I can do this. Because this is the year of I Can.
Posted by karinm at 5:58 PM | Comments (6)
December 23, 2007
The Long Run
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What you see above are two pictures of my long run today. The first is the elevation map and the second are the lap times per mile as I ran along my 12 mile course.
Outside it was miserable. It was cold. It was (and still is) foggy. It is enough to drive any sane person insane.
I put on my shoes, my clothes, my heartrate monitor, got hold of my iPod, made sure it was attached to the Nike+ sensor, chose the playlist, put on 305, nearly fell over in surprise when it found all satellites in less than a minute (the 301 didn't like fog and generally didn't like the cold weather, so wouldn't find any satellites on a day like this). I started running and within less than a quarter of a mile knew that today might end up being a tad of a struggle.
My legs were feeling heavy, my chest didn't like the sub-zero temperatures, my feet was okay, the music was good, but rhythm was not something that wanted to settle in my body today. I struggled for 7 miles before I found any form of pace... and then the pace was too fast (I was supposed to be doing 11 minute miles today!), but I was so thankful for some form of steadiness that I just carried on. I couldn't let this weekend pass without a long run.
After 2 miles I reached a section of road where there was no curb. There was no space on the side of the road... and I was at the mercy of drivers that I hoped could see me, but even more, I hoped would have the common courtesy to not drive to close to me. 99.9% of those that passed me did. There was just one person that drove me to the point of trying to melt into the thorny hedges on the side of the road and I came off it with no scratches at all. Now, when I reached the start of this section, I wasn't feeling particularly like carrying on. The mindset wasn't there. My body already ached. But I carried on.
After 4 miles I finally entered a smallish village with curbs and friendly people that waved and let me know just how crazy I was for doing this. A few old ladies just shook their heads and carried on walking while a few older men offered me a pint to warm me up - I must've looked cold and thirsty and running at lunchtime when you are bound to come along people on their way to/from the pub, obviously made me seem like someone that would appreciate a drink.
I declined and carried on.
And then I remembered why I've not run this route before.
Because, at the start of mile 6, a HUGE HUGE hill lay ready to greet me. I started up it, had to take a few steps of walking, but by the time I was at the top, I was thinking that my legs will be stiff tomorrow. Definitely.
I carried on through another village, and then another... and finally I got to cross the M1 motorway again and I was on the right side of it to be close to home.
I stopped after 12 miles and took a brisk 200 yard walk to my front door where Andy was waiting, ready to help me with my shoes and make me a bowl of lovely pasta :)
Posted by karinm at 3:59 PM | Comments (1)
December 22, 2007
Welcome to a New Family member
My new Garmin Forerunner 305 arrived. And not a second too late or too early. It was just on time :)
It arrived this morning at 7:30 when I was still lying in bed, bleary eyed and feeling like the nearest train had derailed and decided to come straight through my window, over me and out down the stairs. I stumbled down the stairs to open the door and sign for the parcel and once upstairs, could not resist opening the package and configuring the wrist unit.
Then there was 3 painful hours of letting it charge. And then I had to install the new software and finally I was just about ready. Now it was only the matter of the fact that I had a chest cough and that I couldn't possibly get out of bed... you know, having had an incident with abovementioned train and all.
I crawled to the lounge, clutching the 305 in its cradle and attached it to my pc.
At 4pm I couldn't help myself anymore.
It might not have been 14 miles, but I did manage 4 before I realised I was going to kill myself at this rate.
So I came back home and excitedly docked the unit and looked at the stats...
And boy was I happy :)
Posted by karinm at 6:01 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2007
Is it Here Yet?
Impatient person that I am, I can't wait for my new Garmin to arrive tomorrow. Did I mention I have the best husband in the world? He knows that I've been looking at the cycling bits and pieces that Garmin manufactures, and in an effort to give me some cycling functionality with the new 305, got me a cadence sensor :)
Expect photos and graphs and various songs of praise tomorrow evening :)
Posted by karinm at 2:42 PM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2007
Fare Thee Well Garmin
Yesterday, in a blue spark, my Garmin Forerunner 301 finally decided that life was too much and ceased to work. It won't start, it won't recharge. It won't do anything. Which is really a pity as I was fond of the little watch.
But times change, and now I'm attempting to decide whether an investment in a shiny new Forerunner 305 is going to be worth it. Andy has already given me the green light...
Posted by karinm at 8:20 PM | Comments (2)
December 17, 2007
Another weekend Down
'Tis was a quiet weekend with a lot of cake, some running (lotsa running) and some fairly cold weather that left some lovely frozen drops on my top while out on my long run on Saturday morning. We woke up and it was well... well below zero. I went out into the lovely cold weather, started running and as my muscles felt like they weren't warming up, listened to podcasts while counting the miles.
Somewhere along the route I had a drink... and noticed small particles of ice starting to gather on my top. I thought it was a tad funny. The last time that happened I was running up a mountain in freezing weather and half expected it to happen when they started serving sherry at the water stations.
I finished the run and my hands felt like they were frozen in place... a hot shower later I was ok, but my feet felt like bricks and I spent about half an hour sitting in front of the tele before taking Elizma shopping in Nottingham. Andy and Fanie stayed home and made the most of the unlimited access to the television by playing endlessly on the XBox.
Saturday evening we went out for supper and on Sunday morning I woke up to some pressies and cards and a HOT mug of coffee.
The rest of the day was equally great and relaxing and even though I got a card that wished me a happy 30th birthday on my 29th birthday, I was fine :)
Now a new week starts - only EIGHT days until Christmas!
Posted by karinm at 8:02 AM | Comments (1)
December 13, 2007
The Freeze
Running in -5 degree weather was never going to be fun. No way. No how. Well. Maybe. And tonight, as the ice lay on the ground and made me run extra carefully, I had fun. Partially because it was funny to see Andy attempt to keep his balance. Partly because I was REALLY enjoying the run, and partly because everything was sparkling in the dim light of the street lamps. It was just magical.
At times my muscles complained a lot about the cold. Other times I just didn't hear it. Its a fact that muscles weren't made to heat up in temperatures that are so cold that the frost that lay on the ground this morning never melted and are now building layer no. 2 on it. Not that it bothered me.
When I got home the plan was to go to the gym and run on the treadmills there, but once I got to the house, I realised that my car wasn't going to move from the spot where it was standing. The ice underneath it had reached the point where the car just would not move again. I still have my doubts about it getting me to work tomorrow - without a crystal ball, I can tell you right now I'm going to have to pack some sturdy shoes and head out the door and do the mile and a half to my offices on foot. Oh, to live more than 5 miles from work again...
I know that I have nothing to complain about :) I'm loving life at the moment. I'm loving training. I'm loving EVERYTHING about Winter... I just occasionally wish I could run in slightly higher temperatures :)
While writing this, I was listening to "No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park
Posted by karinm at 9:19 PM | Comments (2)
Slip and Slide
Outside there is ice all over the road... the sidewalks... the cars... and it is slippery. As I found out two days this week so far. While I'm out there I slip and slide and attempt to stay upright while having a lot of fun. My arms are generally wrapped up nice and tight, my feet find that one downhills I tend to take 1 step and travel 3.... uphill I tend to run 3 and go 1 back... but all in all the winter is fun.
I can't complain after seeing pictures of the ice storms over in the US :)
My brother and his girlfriend have been here for nearly a week now and they are starting to settle in properly. Last night they stayed up to a normal bedtime for the first time since they arrived - I've gotten used to them disappearing around 7pm to crawl into bed... it gave me some quiet time :) So when they left the room at 9pm last night, my head didn't quite register that it had happened. I stayed up and watched Sunshine with Andy before getting to bed... at which time it was close to midnight.
Tonight I'll head out for some slip-and-slide action outside again. This time I might try to get Andy to take a picture while we're out :)
Posted by karinm at 8:08 AM | Comments (0)
December 6, 2007
December is a Great Month
Running has always been fun for me, but the past two weeks its come up a whole new levels from when I started running again nearly 3 years ago. So much fun that I'm looking forward to the runs and the runs feel extremely short and ultimately, I'd do more if it wasn't for the fact that someone kept me in check. Even more - it is the 6th of December, cold weather all around, and I've already done more mileage this December than I've done any December before it, including those from years and years ago. December have never been a good running month for me.
This morning I woke up and nudged Andy.
"Let's go run."
I got a grunt in return. I nudged him again.
"Let's go run!"
He moved and tapped his alarm clock. And with that my dreams of an early morning run disappeared, because it seemed husband dearest was already late for work. With the darkness outside and builders already arriving, I decided I'd go for a run tonight. Andy rushed out the door and I was left on the couch with a half cold mug of tea and my advent calendar full of chocolaty goodness. (The only chocolate I see these days, and boy do I savour that 5 minutes in the morning that I get to have it)
There is only 12 and a half weeks left until LA!
Posted by karinm at 8:04 AM | Comments (0)
December 3, 2007
Gorgeous Monday
Its a beautiful day! Blue skies, fluffy clouds, 7°C temperature. Yes, its a beautiful winter's day in the city of Nottingham.
I managed to sleep like the dead last night and if I could, I probably would've slept until noon today. My bed was just so incredibly comfortable that I couldn't get myself out of it for long enough to wake up until 8h30 and even then it was the shower that woke me up and not the getting up.
A great week lies ahead, that much I know. I'm in positive spirits on a Monday for the first time in a while (other times I was only fooling myself) and I can't wait until I login to my calendar in a while to see what the coach has in store for me this week.
Only 4 more weeks until the end of the year!
Posted by karinm at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
December 2, 2007
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Santa came to town. 7000 Santas. We headed to Liverpool with the rest of them and absolutely loved the experience. And now a few pictures:
First we had to get ready:
Santa started running during the year and found that his suit was now a tad too big
Santa gets his/her groove on
Waiting at the start line... it was COOOOOOLD
AND 30 minutes later... still waiting
So many Santas, which one wants my list?
And OFF they go! Into the sunrise :)
It was far too much fun :)
Posted by karinm at 2:14 PM | Comments (1)
November 29, 2007
Well, THAT was Unexpected
Yeah, unexpected. I'm talking about the pace that my run took tonight.
I was supposed to do between 4 and 5 miles at 10:15 - 10:30 pace... and somewhere, 4 miles @ 9:35 popped out. And I could've gone another mile if I didn't have a cramp in my leg since mile 2 and after 4 miles decided that it was enough with the pain thing. I felt so incredibly comfortable, but my legs were more than happy to go a bit faster than usual, even when we hit my half-a-mile hill and headed up it.
Once finished it hit me that I had run steady, but far faster than I was supposed to.
38:26? Yeah. Ok. I'll take that.
Even if it was a tad unexpected.
Posted by karinm at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2007
The Greed of the Charities
Charities are a strange phenomenon. Yesterday I received my confirmation that I would be doing the London Marathon in 2008. As I got my entry through the ballot and it isn't a Golden Bond entry through a charity, I technically don't have to attempt to raise money for any charity, but I decided that I would run for a charity and do some fundraising in any case.
I went through the list of charities in the magazine and online and finally have 4 in mind that was close to my heart. I ordered them according to preference and this morning phoned up the first one. I spoke to a very nice lady who informed me that, even though I had my own place, I would have to commit to raising £2000 if I wanted to run for them.
What if I couldn't raise £2000?
I'd have to pay in the difference.
Right, not running for them then.
I phoned the second charity. Once again, a very nice girl at the other side told me that I'd have to commit to raising at least £1500.
Oh dear. Things weren't looking good.
I phoned the third charity. An elderly lady, by the sound of her voice, answered. I told her I had my own entry. Then asked her whether I had to commit to raising a certain amount if I wanted to run for them. Oh, yes. £1500. Unfortunately. She didn't agree with it, but rules are rules.
A bit demotivated I phoned the fourth charity. This time it was a male voice that answered. I repeated the process of telling him that I wanted to run for a charity, that I had my own place and would I have to commit to a certain amount.
Oh the joy and surprise when he said 'No, any amount you raise is great. Even if it is just £20'. So, I'm running for Marie Curie Cancer Care. And I get a deely bopper to decorate myself with on the day. I'll have to setup the page this afternoon, but at least now I feel like I'm doing something nice while enjoying something that I like doing.
Posted by karinm at 11:59 AM | Comments (5)
November 26, 2007
London Marathon 2008 Here I Come
Lunchtime was a good time.
I got a Flora London Marathon 2008 confirmed entry! My acceptance letter and magazine arrived this afternoon and I whooped and hollered and nearly did some cartwheels around the room when I found out that I got an entry.
So tonight I shall celebrate. Because the third time was a charm :) And because, 6 weeks after the LA marathon, I'll be doing the London marathon :)
Posted by karinm at 3:31 PM | Comments (1)
November 24, 2007
Saturday Caught me Again
Lazy Saturdays are a good thing when you're sleepy and have a house to clean after something created a hole in your ceiling. I slept most of the day away before I got up and did some housework and then realised that it was 7pm and I hadn't gone for a cycle or run yet. At least I carried a lot of things around, ran up and down the stairs and got other things in the house done.
In a few minutes I'll fall over and sleep and then tomorrow morning I'll go hunting to find the Clowne Half Marathon. If I can find the spot where it starts from, I'll take part and then tomorrow you'll have a whole race report to read :)
Posted by karinm at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2007
One more Week
After today there is only 7 days of NaBloPoMo left. Woot! And so far I've kept it up. Barely. I've made so many nonsense posts that it could not possibly be rectified within the next year, but that's ok.
I've had blue sky to look at all day - quite a change from the past couple of weeks where rainy weather, snowy weather, fog, overcast weather and just general miserable weather had taken the sky hostage and made it terribly grey.
Tonight is a rest evening, but I'm considering heading out for a smallish 3 or 4 mile run to see whether my left leg is in need of a massage or some other form of treatment, or whether it will finally behave in a manner suited for legs that want to run a marathon in March.
But before then, I still have to get home and enjoy the sunset. :)
Posted by karinm at 3:40 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2007
Running in rain...Again
Well, that sucks. I went out for a run tonight again, and it rained. And it was quite cold with the wind blowing and all that. And I very nearly had a repeat of Tuesday evening's events with contorted muscles and all. I felt the niggling, but thankfully it didn't hurt. I slowed down when it started niggling and it seemed to stay at that point in time.
Andy was next to me during the whole of the run. He kept checking on me with 'Are you okay?' and 'Is your leg ok?' and 'Are you hurting?' I'm pretty sure that if I answered that it hurt or that I wasn't okay at any stage he was going to make me stop and drag my butt back home.
So, with the rain falling outside, me wondering about the London Marathon (despite the fact that I'm definitely doing LA), and Angel on the television, I bid you farewell for tonight. I have ice to put on my leg and stretching to do.
Posted by karinm at 8:16 PM | Comments (0)
London Marathon Online Ballot
Dear Flora London Marathon online ballot entrant,
As one of 10,000 people who entered the 2008 Flora London Marathon online ballot in August, you will be waiting anxiously to find out whether or not you have successfully secured a place in the 2008 marathon.
We are pleased to announce that you will find out whether or not you have been successful by postal notification between 30th November and 10th December. Results will also be available online from 10th December and we will let you have details about how you can do this nearer the time.
Please note that if you entered via the online ballot and receive an Accepted notification but have not yet paid your entry fee, you must make your payment by Friday 21st December to guarantee your place - so please don't forget.
We will also email you again soon to remind you between now and then.
Good luck and happy running!
The London Marathon Team
P.S. Don't forget there are many charities who would love to have your support by running for them on 13th April 2008, so why not pick one from the list below?
They might as well have waited. I nearly had a semi-heart attack when I saw the email in my inbox. Then I thought, what if? I opened it and the page couldn't load quick enough.... only for me to get yet another reminder that I have to wait until the end of November ... at least ... to find out whether I got rejected for the third year in a row.
Posted by karinm at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2007
You Put Your Left Foot In
It was once again, cold tonight. And I went for a run. Thankfully with Andy in tow, so he could inspire me to run.
As we ran, I felt quite okay for the first 2 miles. And then my left calf cramped. And then my shins. And then the right side of my quad on my left leg. And my leg felt all contorted and weird and incredibly, mind-numbing, paralyzing, sore. So just over half a mile later, I was at my front door and out of my shoes and on the floor, stretching with a bag of ice in my hands.
Ouch.
I don't know why it happened, but I sure hope it doesn't happen tomorrow morning. I want to run tomorrow morning. And running with a leg that pulls the wrong way while the muscles work on their own instead of together - well, that isn't a good thing. Not by a far stretch.
While writing this, I was listening to "Ironmantalk Episode 3" by Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom
Quote of the Day:
False freedom leaves a man free to do what he likes; true freedom, to do what he ought.
--Anonymous
Posted by karinm at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2007
The Snow be Gone
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Km | 0 | 3.01 | 47.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The snow is gone. And I slept until 8h00. Which meant that there was no running for this gal this morning. Instead I had a mug of coffee, a shake and watched Just Shoot Me. Its a strange start to the week, because even though it is 8h15 now, it is still relatively dark outside and its a strange darkness. The weather is completely and utterly weird.
I'll head out to the gym tonight and grab a treadmill (I'm pretty sure that if I get there before 6 I'll get one of those without having to wait). At least the gym should be warmer than it is outside :)
Posted by karinm at 8:24 AM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2007
Winter Snow
Running. Running in the rain. Running.
And then, just as I thought I had gotten used to the rain, the weather decided to throw me a new curve ball. Snow. No more rain. Just snow. Cold. Icy. Soft. Snow.
My toes are frozen. My legs are frozen. My knees are frozen. And no amount of hot water or wheat bags or fluffy duvets are going to warm me up. No way no how. I am too cold to ever heat up ever again. And tomorrow the second week starts.
Posted by karinm at 6:26 PM | Comments (1)
A tad Lethargic today
I'm listening to older podcasts and sitting upstairs, considering going downstairs, finding all my running gear and heading out into the cold, to run. My body fears the cold. It honestly does. I don't like being out in the cold and feeling like I am going to keel over because my lungs don't like the cold.
Which is probably why I'm considering the craziness of running 8 miles on a treadmill. My toes might like that more than running in the rain. The icy rain. The cold rain. The wet rain.
Yes, I know anyone can run in dry, comfortable weather, but its Sunday and I want to take a day out from the bad weather :)
While writing this, I was listening to "Ironman Talk Episode 2" by Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom
Posted by karinm at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2007
I Shall Run
I found this in Vanilla's blog and although its pretty awesome how two people fight it out, what stuck with me, was the closing words on the video : the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
Last night I went to bed, fuming at an email I received from someone that I don't know and right now, really hope I never get to know. Without knowing me, he tried to give me advice that I didn't ask for and as it turns out, he's a bit of an elitist jogger. You know, one of those that finish a marathon sub-3:00 and figure that anyone that can't run a marathon sub 3:30 shouldn't be allowed to take part.
This morning I woke up and figured that I wasn't going to give him a direct response. If he wants to believe that the taking part doesn't count, then he is entitled to his opinion, but he's not someone that I want to talk to. I enjoy running and plodding and just because I don't run 10 miles every morning, it doesn't make me any less of a runner.
Now I'm off for a run.
Posted by karinm at 7:39 AM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2007
Day 2? Check!
6 Miles. Day 2. And I did it! I finished my second training session this week ... in cold weather, with my shoes a tad too tight, my garmin on my wrist, my gloves on my hands, my hat on my head. And this time I forgot the light. I was completely blind in the darkness of the run, but oh boy was it fun!
I pretended that I was sneaking up on people and had to restrain myself from trying to scare them as I approached them. A few dogs gave me some snarls, but thankfully they were on leashes and couldn't get their teeth at me.
The air wasn't as cold as yesterday, but my body still felt the chill. Afterwards the shower was such a welcome treat.
They're expecting a very cold morning tomorrow morning. Something tells me my double layer of clothing isn't going to be enough...
Posted by karinm at 7:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2007
Sub Zero
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| Km | 0 | 3.01 | 5.23 | 8.24 |
This morning seemed like a good time to start running in the early mornings. Well, it seemed like a good morning last night while I was crawling into my lovely and warm bed and I hadn't seen the weather forecast.
Andy mentioned something about below zero, but I didn't really listen and this morning I woke up to a really cold morning. I mean, REALLY COLD. -3 degrees outside and ready to get colder by the looks of it. Was it not for the lovely, beautiful sun rising at 7am, it probably would've gotten colder too.
No problem, right?
I grabbed my long tights, a long-sleeved shirt another shirt to put on over that, my iPod, my garmin and I was ready. I started running and at first the garmin was a tad shellshocked at my decision to use it. It took roughly 250m to find a signal in the clear skies and then started telling me how slowly I was poodling along.
One thing I noticed this morning was the amount of early-morning dog walkers we have in our neighbourhood. I encountered 4 or 5 owners that could control their canines and another 5 or 6 that couldn't. Thankfully their dogs were small enough for me to not be completely terrified of them and I was able to escape unharmed.
As I finished my run, I started feeling a tad like I was drowning. My lungs had obviously had enough of the freezing air and felt like they were shut. I got home and took a 20 minute shower to heat myself up, but I could feel that I was outside.
Dressing made me feel a bit like the Michelin man. I put on the clothes I was wearing to work, a huge coat and then wrapped myself in a duvet for a good 20 minutes before I felt human enough to get off the couch and out the door and off to work.
But the run is done. The first one for the next 16 weeks.
Posted by karinm at 9:36 AM | Comments (1)
November 11, 2007
We Rode off into the Sunset
Whoever thinks that riding off into the Sunset sounds like a happy ending has obviously never ridden off into the sunset.
This afternoon we drove home from the in-laws and as luck would have it... the sun was setting ... and we were driving into this spectacular bright light that was at the end of the highway. Of course I was in the driver's seat and being a tad blind, the sun's glare was enhanced by my glasses that I was wearing.
Everytime we went underneath a bridge my eyes would burst into song for the relief it was getting, only for me to suffer a temporary 3 second blindness and star spell when we came out from under the bridge.
Needless to say, I mentioned this to Andy and he instantly started to suffer from white-knuckle syndrome I was so thankful when some clouds decided to save the day that I instantly stopped at the nearest Primo Coffee and got something to drink.
Unfortunately the time of day and sub-zero temperatures has kept me inside for most of the day and the only part of my body that's been doing any running since Wednesday has been my nose. Thankfully it decided to start taking a rest since this afternoon and I'm feeling a ton better now.
I'm sitting upstairs, too lazy to go to the lounge, considering getting out the dvd that's been in my bag since Friday and doze off even though it is only 7pm. I've already set my alarm for the new regime that kicks in tomorrow - an early morning swim followed by some work ... followed by a run.
I've run out of excuses, now the work starts.
Posted by karinm at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2007
Another Runless Day
The bad news is that I didn't run today. The good news is that there is a 75% possibility I will run tomorrow. My head cold seems to have reached its last legs without reaching my chest and it is slowly disappearing from this world.
Tonight we're heading out with Andy's parents for supper in honour of his mum's birthday which takes place on the 13th, followed by some hot chocolate and then a lot of sleep until tomorrow morning when I'll most probably wake up to the most delicious smell of lunch being prepared. Its not that I sleep that late, its just that his mum starts preparing lunch that early.
After lunch we'll zip home (well, its an hour and a half's drive) and Andy'll accompany on the bike while I go running.
I have to mention that outside it is 2 degrees Celsius. Thank heavens for gloves and hats and various other warm pieces of clothing!
Posted by karinm at 6:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2007
Having a Winter Cold
I'm a sucker for punishment. I am. And this morning I'm wondering why I'm sitting on the couch at 7:45am with a blocked nose and feeling like I should be crawling undernearth a duvet and staying there until summer comes out. So far, I've managed to keep this cold/flu from heading down to my chest (that's good, right?), but I'm still not well.
I'm dosed up on so much vitamins and minerals that they could probably establish a small mine in my blood system at the moment.
My nose is not my friend today :)
Maybe I'll be able to get back on the wagon like the amazing hip by this weekend or coming week... here's to hoping :)
Posted by karinm at 7:53 AM | Comments (3)
November 7, 2007
Last Night was the Last Night
Andy comes home tonight!
Andy comes home tonight!
Andy comes home tonight!
Andy comes home tonight!
Andy comes home tonight!
Ok, so I'm a tad excited because last night I started hearing imaginary noises while I was lying in bed, alone, in the dark house. I ended up finding a can of Deep Freeze spray and putting it next to the bed in an attempt to have some makeshift mace. This morning I woke up and realised that it was probably not the best idea in the world - the can has a childproof cap on and it wouldn't have been easy to get that off in a hurry. But it was the feel-good-thought that counted at the time I guess.
I slept like a log :)
Its a wonderfully cold morning with a lot of clouds and even more leaves off the trees this morning.
Quote of the Day:
A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.
--Saint Augustine of Hippo
Posted by karinm at 8:28 AM | Comments (1)
November 6, 2007
Guy Fawkes is Over and I love NaBloPoMo
I like NaBloPoMo. Its great to wake up this morning at 7h30 and when I opened up my RSS reader... it was full of wonderful posts written by wonderful people and I just love that.
After all the fireworks last night, it is amazingly quiet this morning and there is no smoke in the air. I was quite surprised at the amount of smoke that the fireworks kick up. I imagine its just like a very colorful warzone during Guy Fawkes. Except with less death, and with less burnwounds (although I imagine some hospitals got their fair share of idiots that lit fireworks in their hands or got hit by one of the flares).
I fell asleep just after 22h00 last night and I do believe I'm in a very good mood this morning, except for a sore throat (which I imagine is just an after effect of Sunday and Monday). I'm hoping that the change-of-season flu will skip me and that this is just a sore throat and no more. It'll be the first time in 3 years that it skips me, but there is always hoping :)
Time to get ready for work I guess :)
Keep on Writing!
Posted by karinm at 7:57 AM | Comments (0)
November 2, 2007
TGIF!!
Its a cold morning but a good one nonetheless because
- Its Friday
- The sun is shining brightly
After surviving a week of getting home in the dark, I'm really happy that this morning I'll be able to take a walk to work in the sun. I don't like the fact that the sun starts going down by 4 and that it is dark by 5 these days. I have to put on far too many gadgets to make sure that drivers see me, even if I stay on the pavement.
I sometimes feel like I'm a target with all those on. You never know when some crazy person might pass you and see it as a challenge to see how many times he can hit a flashing-light bearing yellow vest wearing runner. Especially on a bad night.
There's only a month now until the Santa rush in Liverpool - I can't wait to see Andy in a Santa suit. I have to set a reminder to take my dinky camera to make sure I can take piccies on the run. Its 5km, so I don't mind carrying it around. And its not like we'll be rushing anywhere :)
Right, walking to work time.
Posted by karinm at 7:49 AM | Comments (1)
October 16, 2007
Training in the Rain
This evening we went for a run - yes, we. Andy was dragged along because it was cold and dark and raining and I was fearing the youths that might be lurking in the bus stops and behind trees and other small buildings. Its one of those fears that I picked up in South Africa and never quite lost. Not in areas that are built up. In the country I could easily run on my own in the dark, but being a woman, that's probably not the safest thing on earth to do.
The run itself was fun - some patches were cold as ice, some were bearable, and some were incredibly wet, but surprisingly, warm.
As we neared mile 2's finish, Andy faked falling over something and as I was about to give him some remark, my left foot hit a tiny little pipe that was sticking out from underneath the footpath we were running on. Before soon, I was skidding, on my stomach, on grass, towards the tarmac on the other side. I felt my hand touch the footpath, heard a scratching sound, and came to a stop.
Andy, ever concerned, burst out laughing. He resisted screaming out 'TRYYYYY!!!!' in reference to my current favourite spectator sport, rugby, but he laughed nonetheless and helped me up. In return, I wiped my muddy hands down the sides of his naked arms. (That's what you get for running with a sleeveless shirt!) The rain took care of cleaning him up, but my legs didn't quite get the same deal.
By the time we got home, Andy was squeaky clean, but I was still quite muddy. My skirt was properly soggy and my shirt was wet as a sponge at a carwash.
Winter is here, and I need warmer clothes. Definitely. But first, I have to go take part in the Lady Godiva Half Marathon on Sunday and chill!
Posted by karinm at 7:24 PM | Comments (0)
I'm in the Mood
I’m in the mood for a long bike ride. Out on the open road with no-one else around, my iPod tucked into one ear and the other earphone tucked beneath my shirt. Sadly this time of year it isn’t all that safe to go cycling on the road as it becomes dark pretty quick and some drivers find it hilarious to hit and run. Almost like a bad Britney impression.
So, during the week I’m pretty much stuck. I’ll have to make do with my trainer, my What It Takes DVDs and a big bottle of mixed water. The only wind that I’ll feel through my hair will be the wind that comes in through the open French doors that lead to our backyard. Thank heavens we can open both. On nights that it doesn’t rain or doesn’t look like rain I might even be able to put the trainer outside and cycle... even if the only view I’ll have is the fence ....
After a week of stomach aches and pains and plagues that had both myself and Andy cringing when we saw food, I’m ready to get stuck into training again this week – I’m doing the Lady Godiva Half Marathon at the weekend as part of training and am looking forward to another run with fellow runners. Its always fun (not to mention I like the shirt they sent me!)
Tonight I’m supposed to be doing an hour run ... I think. Or is that half an hour? I’ll have to check when I get home. LA is going to sneak up on me before I know it! Its only 19 weeks away now...
Posted by karinm at 1:47 PM | Comments (1)
October 11, 2007
Mexico politician denies cheating
"I had to stop after 21km and I went directly to the finish line for my clothes and my medal for taking part," Mr Madrazo said. "In sport there are no short-cuts, there are personal challenges."
"My marathon times have been between three hours, 14 minutes and three hours, 54 minutes - never two hours and 40 minutes," Mr Madrazo said. "It would be impossible for a 55-year-old man to do that."
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Mexico politician denies cheating
Sooooo, he STOPPED after 13 miles and headed STRAIGHT to the finish line, crossed it... and claimed a medal because he took part.
The medal's for finishing you twit, not taking part. You're a cheat. And if you don't understand that, then its probably a very good thing that you didn't win the election last year because your country would've suffered by your stupidity as Zimbabwe suffers under Mugabe.
Posted by karinm at 11:42 AM | Comments (3)
October 9, 2007
Winter Training Begins
I intended to run yesterday, but as life goes, that didn't happen :( Andy went to play golf and sadly, forgot to take his house keys. As I entered the house I noticed them on the floor behind the front door - he'd dropped them through the post box. I waited and waited and waited and around 8:30pm he waltzed through the door. It was too late for a run then.
Thankfully today was more successful. I got out for a run! And it rained! We ran around the neighborhood for 30 minutes and apart from one incident where a few yobs yelled a few sentences of inaudible nonsense after us, it was relatively nice. The winter weather is arriving in leaps and bounds now and I'm starting to wish that I had more long running pants in my closet. (Like I need another reason to go shopping).
Tomorrow morning I'll get out on my bike and go for a swim - it should be fun :) I have a timetrial scheduled and heaven knows, I'm going to enjoy it.
Posted by karinm at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)
Another Event Entry
The London Triathlon 2008 Entry Confirmation
This email should be considered as full confirmation of your entry. You should keep a copy of this email should you have any queries about your entry.
Your Details
Please ensure your requested race entry category is correct, as changes are not permitted. If you have entered the wrong category please contact us immediately!
Should your address or personal details change, then you can re-log on to our system and update this information by simply running a search using your e-mail address and date of birth. It is important that update any details otherwise you may miss out on important race information.In order to complete this entry process you have confirmed that you agree to our terms and conditions. If you have queries about our race withdrawal policy details can be found at www.thelondontriathlon.com.
What to expect from us
We are looking forward to what we know will be another fantastic event. In the build up to the event you should expect to receive monthly emails to keep you updated with the latest news and competitions.
You will receive a race pack a couple of weeks before the event day. This will contain your race numbers and an information booklet which will contain all the information you require for the race day.
In the meantime, check the website www.thelondontriathlon.com for up-to-the-minute information.
All that remains is for all of us here at The London Triathlon to wish you the very best with your training. Should we be able to help or assist you with anything else then please do not hesitate in contacting us.
Good Luck!
The London Triathlon
Pier House
Strand On The Green
London
W4 3NN
Posted by karinm at 4:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 7, 2007
A Quiet Weekend?
As the countdown to our trip to the US continues, so does my new-found fondness of training. Indeed. The fact that for the past few weeks I hadn't run an inch over 7 miles during any one run, didn't stop me this weekend. Jeff was in town and with his contagious inspiration and motivation and cheerfulness, I was not going to have a tough time :)
On Friday afternoon I picked Jeff up at his offices and we took the scenic, hilly, green, twist-and-turn-until-you-feel-like-you're-going-in-the-direction-from-whence-you-came route back home. It only took about an hour and a half before we reached the safety of home. A quick walk and some supper later sleep was my calling, but Andy and Jeff stayed up and watched some film - I think it has Star Wars somewhere in the title.
After a leisurely late lie-in, myself and Jeff readied ourself and tried to convince Andy that he WANTED to ride his bike and carry our water. Andy unfortunately didn't feel like playing along, but then again, he was on call and couldn't really leave the area and be more than 20 minutes away from home.
So out to the Cloud trail we went. Never before has 12 miles felt so short. Between various jokes involving various names I tried to catch my breath, but as soon as I did, the next one arrived and I would once again try to control laughter. It had more of a wheezing sound to it than laughter in the end :)
The run reminded me that that trail was there and I seriously do need to get there more often.
For the evening we headed out to a Mexican restaurant and a movie. Run Fatboy Run was a great feel-good movie that made me laugh ... its definitely worth the watch :)
Early this morning we had to say goodbye to Jeff. I was sad to see him go, but we'll catch up with him again in Feb.
Right now, I'm snoozy, sleepy, and in need of a night's rest.
Congrats to Juls that finished the Chicago marathon!
PS. South Africa beat Fiji in the Rugby World Cup earlier! Woo!
Posted by karinm at 6:41 PM | Comments (3)
What Everyone Suspected All Along
Jones admits drug taking
It was never easy keeping up with the Joneses and yesterday the reason became clear. In one of the most seismic confessionals of a sport long tainted by liars and cheats, Marion Jones admitted she had taken steroids before her five-medal haul at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. She faces up to six months in jail. She attended the US District Court in New York yesterday to plead guilty to charges of having lied to federal agents about her doping and another matter relating to a counterfeit cheque.
Rick Broadbent, the Times
What a pity.
Posted by karinm at 10:33 AM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2007
GNR - deferred and training
Two days in a row now I've run. On Saturday morning I woke up, feeling like a train had hit me and left me with a clogged up head and coughing and spluttering. So I headed over to the festivities at the Quayside and handed in my number and timing chip to defer.
Then I remembered that Paula Radcliffe was going to do a signing somewhere around there and decided to stick around for it. An hour later, clutching my signed shirt and a few pictures, I headed back to the hotel where I slept. And slept. And slept.
On Sunday morning I woke and after catching a very full Metro train, headed to the finish. We found a nice comfortable spot at the end of the race and waited for the women's race to finish. Kara Groucher put up a great race, but as it was the return of Radcliffe to racing, it seemed that the press and everyone else was waiting for her and completely forgot that there were other women in the race.
We didn't stick around for the men's finish, instead choosing to get out of Newcastle earlier and head home. I still wasn't feeling well and it just seemed like a good idea.
As soon as we hit the road, I fell asleep and woke up a good three hours later as we approached home.
Monday morning I woke up and although a tad shaky, feeling a whole lot better. I waited until the afternoon and planned to do a 30 minute run, but ended up doing a 36 minute one.
Then yesterday arrived and it didn't look like I was going to be able to run as I had to make a trip down to London.
I got nearly 2 hours down the M1 when an unfortunate breakdown made sure that I wasn't going to be able to make it to my London appointment. The friendly RAC helped me out and a few hours later I was back at home, my car not about to be used until it got to a garage (incidentally, that'd be on Friday).
So, late last night, I took my frustration out and ran for 40 minutes. And now I'm hoping that I'll be able to do the same tonight.
Quote of the Day:
I’ll note you in my book of memory.
--William Shakespeare
Posted by karinm at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2007
All Set
Visa - Check
Flights - Check
Hotel Booking - Check
LA Marathon Entry - Check
Days to go until the LA Marathon - 159
Days to go until the Comrades Marathon - 264
Can anyone say Crazy? I have everything organised for our trip next year and now I only need to get on that plane and get to LA to have my third continent covered. Yes, I've done marathons on 2 continents. well, almost. Because technically England isn't on a continent and therefor I need to get a European marathon covered at some stage, but it isn't going to happen this year ... or next year. I have far too much on my plate for next year as it is.
And now I'm getting ready to travel to Newcastle on Friday to take part in the Great North Run on Sunday - and maybe catch a glimpse of Paula's great big comeback. I really hope she has a good run. It'd be a pity if she didn't.
Posted by karinm at 1:18 PM | Comments (1)
September 18, 2007
Moody
Time to head to the gym and lose myself.
Written while listening to : Eminem - 8 Mile (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) - Lose Yourself
Posted by karinm at 6:13 PM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2007
What a Feeling!
Alberto Salazar came for a run with me tonight. He told me to keep going. To push it. To not give up! Yes. With him reaching me from my iPod, I had the most fantabulous exercise.
I also have to declare that Pump It by Black Eyed Peas is my new powersong. It was absolutely great! It really really gets me going.
Posted by karinm at 8:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2007
1. I ran!
Comrades Training
Training Run No. 1
Distance : 3.01 miles
Total miles : 3.01 miles
I ran! Woohoooo! Andy joined me on my outing as we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets ever.
Not much else to say right now :)
Posted by karinm at 7:57 PM
July 18, 2007
I got me a Skirt
Last night after work I headed over to a local sports store to stock up on some running shorts as on Tuesday night I realised that there was absolutely no tan-enducing running clothing in my cupboard. I got to the store and after uhm-ing and ah-ing around everything and considering getting this and that I settled on 3 pairs of shorts when I noticed that a pair of running skirts were hanging right next to me. I considered getting it for a second... then decided not to... only to turn around again 4 seconds later and taking one pair. Trying them out won't hurt, right?
Right.
So I headed back home and decided that tonight was as good a night to try out the running skirts. I slipped into them, grabbed my iPod and headed out the door with Andy on one side of me. The run itself was bliss - the sun was lovely and bright, there was enough shadowy places to cool us down every now and again. All in all, it was great. The skirts were great! They didn't bother me at all (which is what I thought they would) and I'm considering going back tonight and getting another pair or two. They're absolutely wonderful!
I noticed the first little tad of tan on my legs - its the middle of summer and I don't have a proper tan yet!
Oh dear.
That'll fix itself in the next few weeks :)
Posted by karinm at 9:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 11, 2007
I'm Training!
Last night I went out for a bike ride - I was on my Seduza and Andy on a mountain bike (he had the option to climb atop a road bike, but declined) and we ventured out into the unknown area around our area of living. As it turns out there's a very nice amount of hills when you leave this town - I think we might have managed to hit every single one of them. Its a different way than I normally take and it turned out into a very energetic ride. Strangely energetic. By the end of the hour and 6 minutes I was puffing and panting and my legs were complete jelly. It ain't good for the heart to huff & puff like that!
Then today arrived and I had to go for a run. I decided that the way to go today was through the Portland Park. I felt good, but a tad sluggish. My legs did not want to go as they should've, but it was still fun as Andy was with me and I had Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (courtsey of the amazing hip) in my ears. I had to walks bits and pieces due to a high heartrate, but it was all good. Somewhere along the route some nettles beat me on my stomach, causing a tiny fire that left me with tears in my eyes. Those things sting! But by the time I finished I was happy as can be and ready for a long and hot shower. We walked a tad and I was inside the house, into the bath and shortly after that, in front of the television. Which is where I'm parked right now, ready to finish watching Terry Pratchet's Hogfather and then climb into bed.
Yes, today was a good day.
Posted by karinm at 8:50 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 18, 2007
Early Morning Madness
This morning at 5:30 my alarm woke me up and I killed it. I got to bed too late last night and I wasn't about to lose out on some sleep. I cuddled up behind Andy and dozed for another hour... so much for sleeping. He got up and ready for work - at 7am I was sat in front of the television with a huge mug of coffee, watching The Emperor's New School and itching to do something energetic. So I got dressed and headed out the door with a pair of sunglasses to hide my eyes from the brightness of the emerging summer's sun.
Outside it was already really busy and my heartrate monitor probably didn't realise that I was running as it didn't pick up my heartrate for the first 10 minutes of my run. I hopped onto the footpath that went past behind our house ... you only have to run about half a mile before you hit some sports fields and this morning I was going to do a "boring run around the fields". As it turns out that wasn't a good idea :)
I got to the fields only to find that the whole county's dogs and their owners were there, waking up and getting some exercise. I've found that most people can control their dogs, ran past the first few and found that these were not those. I suddenly had 5 dogs in tow, running with me as they must've thought that I was playing with them. Ten meters or so behind them were the owners ... it took me about 100m before I stopped and as each dog owner gathered his friend up, breathed a bit. I wonder how long I would've had to run/fear for my life before the dogs would've given up and run back by themselves?
I checked my watch a few miles later and at that moment it was showing the actual time and not the time run... it was only 7:19 ... I ran for a few more minutes when the lightbulb went on and I realised that I was wearing the only watch in the whole house that wasn't adjusted for DST. Great :) I had to be at work at 9 and it was already 8:25 ... thankfully I wasn't far from home and I got home with a huge smile on my face as the builders shook their heads at me.
Posted by karinm at 9:37 AM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2007
Come Hail, Snow or Sunshine
I ran a half marathon today and experienced 4 seasons in one day.
We got up at 7 this morning and got ready to leave at 8 to get to Silverstone by 10am for the Adidas Half Marathon 2007 at Silverstone. The race only started at noon, but because there was 9000 athletes running, we figured the traffic would be murder and wanted to be there early rather than late.
When we got to Silverstone, it turned out that we might've been the only people thinking like that. We got out of the car, a 7 degree day with a really strong wind blowing from the North. This was going to be a cold race. I laced my timing chip through my laces, put on a long-sleeve top and started walking towards the race area. We had to walk about 1km and within the time it took to get there, my hands turned blue. I knew that Adidas would most surely have some form of shop / expo and I could only hope that they would be selling gloves as mine was back at home... 80 miles back.
Thankfully they did. They also had a very comfortable pair of shoes and a long-sleeve top that I simply loved... so when I lined up at noon, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be cold. I had a cotton shirt on, a ClimaCool top over it, gloves, short tights and a pair of longer tights over the short ones.
Noon arrived and with the wave of a checkered flag, we were off. I stood between the 2h20 group, noting that just a little bit in front of me, was the pace leader for the 10 minute milers and thought that it'd be fun to stick with them. Unfortunatly my right calf decided it wasn't to be - it started cramping as I crossed the start line and heard the familiar beep as my timing chip registered that I was now in the race.
Within the first mile, the sun came out and in the back of my mind I thought just my luck - I'm geared, and NOW the sun comes out. As it turns out, I didn't have to think that for too long. A mile and a half into the race it started snowing. Yes. You read it. SNOWING. I thanked my lucky stars that I was coated in two layers and shuffled along, the crowds still not having spread out enough to really run. Just as soon as it started, the snow stopped falling. The sun peeked out for a few minutes and then hid away behind the clouds.
Just after the 3 mile mark I realised that I was covered too much. I stopped and removed my long tights and one of the tops that I had on and carried on running, feeling a lot better without one layer.
At mile 4 I suddenly realised that my right calf wasn't cramping anymore. I nearly skipped with joy.
I went through the 6 mile mark at 66 minutes - a little slower than I wanted, but as I was supposed to only treat this as a training run, I wasn't too upset. It was at about this time that we got another shock to our systems. Suddenly I was getting battered and bruised by very little white pellets. Hail was pouring down and with strong gusts of wind throwing it against us, you could hear many athletes yelping and saw them trying to cover any naked flesh. I tilted my head and tried to keep as much off me as possible, but the right hand side of my body couldn't hide. My nose got properly beaten and I think it might be a few days before the bruising disappears off my right cheek. As this happened, you could hear a 'Ooooooooooohhhhhhh' rise from the spectators that were sheltered by the stands. The commentator wanted to know what was up with the weather, but we all could only hope that it would stop soon.
It was 5 minutes that felt like 15 while the hail fell, but it did stop. And as before, the sun came out for a few minutes. It was also around this time that I suddenly realised that I was feeling a lot better and managed to settle into a very nice and steady pace. I found myself thinking about wanting to pass at least that person... then the next ... then the next.
With 2 miles to go, I passed the 10 minute milers. I thought of slowing down and staying with them, but then realised that I was feeling good and didn't want to slow down. I carried on past them.
With 1 mile to go the hail started coming down again. Thankfully not as much as before, but just enough to hurt. This time it was straight from the front as well and I was thankful that I was running with shades - hail in eyes would not have been fun.
I finished the line in 2:05:34. I'm VERY happy with that. Not only does it mean that I ran my last 7 miles faster than I did my first 6, but I also realise that I'm stronger now than I have been in a while... and I had a GREAT day :)
pictures to follow
Posted by karinm at 6:41 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 9, 2007
Racing Skeered
Tomorrow I have my first multi-discipline race in more than 7 years. Seven Years. And I'm scared. So incredibly scared.
Three weeks ago I told Andy that I'd like him to be there, in case I decide to chicken out, he needs to shove me back onto the course. This past Monday he made an appointment with the people from Sky to come and install our satellite television gadgets so we can follow the cricket world cup and summer track and field meetings. This morning I begged him to postphone that appointment until Monday or at least Saturday afternoon. I've not been this scared ever. Not even before starting a marathon. Not even before the most important race that I had run in my life thusfar. I really have never been this scared in my whole entire life.
I went out yesterday and bought a new helmet to conform to the standards that they require at the race. Half hoping that they wouldn't have any stock so that I would have a valid excuse to stay at home. They had stock, and since I belong to the same club as the owners (they sponsor the club), they said they'd see me there. I think the fear isn't of the race itself, but of making a fool of myself.
The last time I raced a duathlon / triathlon race, I was 21 years old, weighed about 5 stone lighter and did obscene amounts of training. This year I've been plagued by injuries and bruises and illness and competing in unfamiliar surroundings seems a bit daunting.
I guess I'll have to see how it goes.
Clumber Park Sprint Duathlon - I'll see you tomorrow.
Posted by karinm at 7:17 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 7, 2007
Quick Run
Yesterday afternoon I felt particularly stressed out and I jumped out for a 30 minute run when I got home. Andy came along and chatted to me about the pros and cons of installing Vista on my machine, but to be honest, I can't remember the conversation much as I was trying to rid my mind of all things work and IT related. We decided to try running on the cycle path that goes behind our house and found that it might be a good training spot for X-Country. The first kilometer, we slipped and slid all over the place. Then we hit a gravel path and we could finally get into a steady pace.
About 2km down the path, we found the exit - it goes onto one of the main roads in town and right across from this exit, there is a train station... the one we've so desperately been trying to find. We turned back and on the way back, a few kids spotted us running and thought it might be fun to run alongside us and taunt us. At first it bothered me, but then I realised that if I just kept running, they'd eventually run out of steam. As it turns out, we just needed 1.5km before they had to stop, out of breath and if luck would have it so, a bit more brains. The little chavs-in-training need to learn a few manners.
Once home, I was supposed to get on my bike, but somewhere along the past 2 days, something went wrong and once I heard a grinding noise, I decided I was rather going to give it a skip and take my bike into the shop today.
I got into bed, completely relaxed and this morning I am in a positive state of mind - something I haven't been for a while.
Posted by karinm at 7:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 27, 2007
Being a Hero
Tonight I was on my bike and I was watching Heroes at the same time. To some extent watching that episode completely took my mind off the fact that I didn't like riding my bike today. I felt tired and out of it, but by the time Heroes was over, so was my bike ride and I didn't realise I had finished it. Looking back on the files it looks pretty good and steady though, so I can't complain. I did the whole ride at a cadence of between 90 and 110 in a not-too-easy gear and managed to get over 20km in 45 minutes.
Its only a week and a half until my first duathlon (I'm going to have to twist Andy's arm into coming along and taking pictures to prove that I took part!) and I can't say that I feel completely confident about it all just yet. I think the fact that I was out for a few weeks might have to do with this, but we'll see how it goes. The weekend after that I'm taking part in a half marathon... another feat that I can only hope to complete. The run last night has left my back slightly tender - I still can't do much high-impact sports and running for an hour seems to have taken