Thursday 31 December 2009

DISASTER!

Very, very frustrated, managed to do a seven mile run yesterday in the cold and rain but I done it, freezing by the time I returned home, the other half ran the first 5 with me, then left me to my devices, managed it in 1 hour 26 not fast I know but I didn't at this point I was just happy to be running.

I spoke to soon, stretched and massaged my achilies but woke up this morning with it hurting, rubbed it down,stretched it but no joy, so no more running for me this week, I am doing all the exercise the physio gave, stretching like a rubber band, and trying my best not to do anything to upset it, but low and behold, I am still having problems, it was all going so well.


No more running for me this week, I have no other choice but to rest it, I am terrified it will never heal but also determined to do what ever I can to ensure I heal.

I am so ready, my body bar my achillies feels great, I am ready to put down the food and get back on the healthy eating bandwagon, I have even signed up for a gym, there is a new leisure centre opening near to my boyfriends house in late Jan we managed to get an all inclusive membership for the two of us for only £54, I know what a bargain, I was/am looking forward to using the treadmill on days when the weather is just too unbearable. I will also be signing up for yoga and spinning, which I am told are great for complimenting running. Plus it means the boyfriend won't feel neglected as I train for the marathon this year, as he is training for the Wokingham half as well. With not Caribbean break this year there is no sunshine to look forward to, so a gym will have to do and at £27 it is almost half of what I was paying for the last one! With times being so hard every penny counts.

Cross your fingers for me, this is a very frustrating and precarious time, I can only hope and pray that my injury starts to ease up and I can make it to the start of the London marathon, the thought of not being able to do it, is just too disappointing to even consider,



Happy New Year

Kat

Sunday 27 December 2009

FIRST WEEK OF MARATHON TRAINING:SNOW AND ICE.

So training has started and last week was my first official week of an 18 week programme, it was all a bit challenging with the snow, ice and freezing temperatures so I only managed to get out 3 times to run rather than the 4 times I was suppose to. I am again following the Hal Higdon novice proagramme it worked for me last time so I am sure that it will work for me again. I managed two three milers and a six miler. Christmas Eve went for a three miler that was fine, it was still icy so had to be careful, had a break X-MAS day then went out again boxing day, who told me to have left over macaroni cheese for breakfast, well when I ran I felt as if my belly was a balloon with two heavy bricks sitting at the bottom, it got so bad I had to hold onto my belly, I assure you I won't be doing that again anytime soon, think I'll stick to porridge!

Yesterday I knocked out a six miler, it was my first one since I hurt my achilles way back in July, the furthest I had run since then is five miles. I can't say I was looking forward to the prospect, but no time to mess around, April and the marathon will be here soon, so I just had to get on with it and to be honest it was a great run, no problems, little bit of a stitch on the way back but what's new? The weather was good a bit windy but not too cold, I set a nice slow pace, picked it up on the way back when I realized I was feeling good.

Pleased with that start, still got a hell of a way to go, six miles is really not that far in the scale of things but at least I did it, this week I have a 3, 3, 3, and a 7 to complete, main thing is to keep injury free if I can do that I should be fine so unlike last time this time a bit of yoga or Pilates is called for, try and keep my self strong and supple, and some weights as well, fingers crossed all those activities combined will keep me healthy and fit.

These few months will fly and before I know it marathon day will be here. My feet are looking a hell of a lot better, been suffering from athletes foot, which turned into a foot fungus, yes nasty I know picked it up during the last marathon training, first a few of my toe nails went black, nothing to write home about quite normal for runners feet after all the pounding they take. Thought the nails would just fall off like they did in the past, but nope that didn't happen, in fact two of them started to thicken up like witches feet (well how I would imagine witches feet to be) and my feet were so dry and crusty looking I was embarrassed to even show them. Finally went to the GP, and was told I had foot fungus, got some tablets which I have been taking for almost two months and they are looking better and better each day, no nasty dry skin and although my toe nails still look messed up, they have not grown any worse. I do have a foot spa, which this time I will be making great use of, no since having a good pair of legs and disgusting toes!

Achilles and knees are fine, very paranoid about getting injured which is why I am taking it slow to begin with if nothing hurts, falls off or falls apart I will look at introducing some speed work and really pushing myself this time.

That’s it for now; hope you all had a great X-MAS.
London Marathon here I come.

Kat

Friday 11 December 2009

AM I DREAMING?

I woke up this morning, thinking am I dreaming, am I dreaming, did I really win a place in the marathon? Well yes I did, just re-checked the email and there it was in bold here it is so you can share my joy.

Dear Kat,

Congratulations you have won a place in the Virgin London Marathon 2010 as part of Team Lucozade Sport!

You were successfully picked from thousands of entries from our website to take you place on the start line and hopefully enter the running history books!

Not only have you won a place in one of the most prestigious races in the world, you are now part of Team Lucozade Sport. As part of your prize you will be invited to learn from our team of Lucozade Sport Scientists as well as Olympic marathon runner Liz Yelling at a bespoke seminar in February. For the first time ever we’re also offering places to Team Lucozade Sport at our brand new pacing event at Dorney Lake in March, to make sure that you cross the line on the Mall in the best possible condition.

It’s also important you look like a team member and will therefore be sending you a special Virgin London Marathon running top so that you can be seen on course! We want you to feel proud when you’re running 26.2 miles of what you have achieved and the milestones you have overcome during all your hard training.

We’ll also be sending you regular product deliveries to help you in your training. These Lucozade Sport Runners Training Packs are designed to take the hassle out of your nutritional strategy with the right mix of powdered products bars and gels to fuel you in your training.

Further to the above training help, you will receive entry into all of the warm-up races sponsored by Lucozade Sport, please visit our web site for all race dates, www.lucozade.com/running

After the marathon is over, exhausted and emotional, you will have a special invitation to our VIP post race hospitality in an exclusive venue in London, where you’ll be able to relax with a massage and a well-deserved shower, not to mention
re-hydrate and replenish all the energy you have burnt off.

All we need is the following details from you:
Address:
DOB:
t-shirt size:

For many, the Virgin London Marathon will be the biggest achievement in their lives as they overcome hurdles never imagined possible. We are delighted to have you as part of Team Lucozade Sport and hope the experience and the memories last with you forever.


Kindest regards


The Team at Lucozade Sport

Wow, so I am just about to go out for a short 3 miler and start my efforts to run the marathon, I have been training 3/4 times a week so far and taken up a wicked boxing class, so my fitness levels are really not in too bad a shape, I am not as in great shape as I was before my achilies started playing up but I am no where near as unfit as I was this time last September when I started running again.

Goals this time: I want to be more adventurous with my training, which is where the boxing comes in, weights as well to build up strength and conditioning, what I've noticed from the boxing class, is I have great stamina, but I can out run or out skip the other girl's but my upper body strength is not a good as theirs,I punch like a girl, they punch like boy's! I would like to gain overall conditioning, so I look fitter and more muscular, shit I'm a runner, I want to look like one.

I would love to work on speed, but I will build up slowly see how the achilies and rest of the body holds up.

Learn from my experience last year and build on that, i.e., food, hydration, kit,

To be as healthy as possible, without being restrictive, I need to start cooking more now, thinking of giving up fish, so need to introduce more protein to my diet as it is the only meat I eat.

Not to be so intense, I was a bit of a crazy monster last time, got myself into a massive tizzy on a few times, but with the knowledge I have gained and the fact I have done it before I can relax a little.

I will follow the Hal Higdon Novice marathon programme again, with a couple of days of weights, one day of boxing, I had already dedicated myself to training at least 5 days a week before I found out I was going to be running the marathon, I want to be fit and healthy for as long as humanly possible.

I need to start doing yoga, going to get a DVD and try and do that a few times a week.

What time do I want to complete the marathon, I am putting no pressure on myself, I have to see how my achlilies holds up, but if it does stay injury free, I will look to get in under 5 hours, I would be really pleased with that.

I feel very lucky to have won this prize, I didn't let on to anyone just how disappointed I was not to have gained a place, and when I was off due to my injury, it drove me nut’s, I would look jealously at other runners, mad that I too could not run, so to win was a great feeling of relief.

This whole thing has been a roller coaster ride, but has worked out in my favour, and without the pressure of having to raise money unless I want to, it leaves me free to concentrate on the running side of things.

I'm off for now.

Kat

Thursday 10 December 2009

LORD HAVE MERCY I WON A PLACE IN THE LONDON MARATHON 2010!

After writing and posting a blog earlier today I found out I won a place in the London marathon 2010,I had all but given up hope, first I went into the ballot, just applied like all the other thousands of people wanted so desperately to run 26.2 miles but I didn't get a place and I'd left it too late for a charity place with Muscular Dystrophy, they all went like hot cakes, so I was out in the cold, I was deeply disappointed, but I had a hope that maybe, maybe there was a way. I entered whatever competitions came my way to win a place which was about 5 different ones altogether, and low and behold, just a couple of hours ago, I received an email to say I had won a place, through Lucozade Sport, I get race entry, a t-shit to run in, entry to a training day in Feb with Liz Yelling, Lucozade products to see me through the months of training, entry to a half marathon pacing race in Feb at Dorney Lake, and entry into any of their pre warm up races, and an after marathon reception, with shower, food and massage.

I couldn't believe it, had to get Rob my partner to read the email for me before I would accept that I had won a place, I thought my eyes were playing a trick on me, you know when you want something so badly you don't think it's really going to happen! Can't remember the last time I won anything, I have yet to win a single pound on the lottery.

Well the hard work starts now, I had already dedicated myself for training for the READING HALF MARATHON, now I can add the London marathon to my list and use the Reading half as a training run, yaaaaah I am soooo happy I can't even expain, yes I am happy to face months of training, running in the rain, running in the cold, dodging copious amounts of dog doo, doo, streaching, early rises, pounding the streets again, bring it on I am sooo ready.

It is a wonderful feeling to get something you want, I am used to working hard for everything that comes my way so it's wonderful to receive such a great prize, below is the poem I wrote for the competition, I had to write why it would mean so much for me to run in the marathon.

Winning poem

The reason I’d love a place in the Virgin London Marathon
is because it’ll be an act of defiance
against Muscular Dystrophy
which has ravished two of my siblings,
I run because they cannot.
To line up at the start
is to complete month after month of a challenge
that would’ve seen me cry, laugh, berate,
drag and continually push myself.
Running a marathon reiterates how lucky I am
to be able to put one foot in front of the other,
I run because I can.
That is how much running the marathon means to me.


So after taking a number of months to get over my achilles injury, and dealing with the dissapointment of having to cancel a whole heap of races, I now have this to look forward to, by the way my achilles is doing well, I am doing my exercises and massaging it regualry and it really does not give me any problems. I need to keep a close eye on it and not shirk on taking care of it, now that I will be running at such an extreme level, fingers crossed it will be fine, but I am ready, so, so ready, happy running everyone.
Hi all,

so the running is back on track, managing 4 times a week and taking up boxing, there is a great class near to me, run by a girl called Hannah Beharry Englands, number one female fighter, it's a fierce class, running, skipping, pad work, sit ups (300 a time in fact) I am scared everytime I walk in but it's worth it. I am in the intermediate class, even though I have just started got a lot to learn, but Hannah reckons I am fit enough. First week I got one slap across the face, it was a accident another girl in the class got carried away, won't lie it hurt, instant metallic taste in the mouth and I saw stars, but I held it down, no I did not jump on her back, that is no way to behave.

I am loving it though and as she does a beginners on a Thursday I can do go to if I miss the Wednesday, it is nice to be doing something other than running and also learning a skill which can help me to beat off a would be mugger or rapist, my thinking is I can stun them with a one, two, three combination, kick them where the sun don't shine then run away very fast, what more could a girl want, no since being slim and weak, I say athletic and strong is the way to go, a size six can't help you if someone is trying to beat you down or steal your bag can it?

The running has been picking up, it has been bloody great to get out there, I've evan braved the rain, well it's England what do I expect I sucked up all kind of weather for the marathon training so no since shirking now.

Races


Well I signed up for the Regents park summer 10k series, which is a 10k run in regents park, every first Saturday of the month, I done it a few times already and it was always a lot of fun, hard work but fun and well organised, there are six races in all and hopefully I will see some progression over the course of the time, they start in April and go on until September, by which time I hope I look like Angela Basset when she played Tina Turner in "WHATS LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT" buff yet oh so feminine. Go to link below if your interested in taking part, you don't have to do all six, warning though these races fill up very quickly so don't take too long deciding, easy to get to Regents Park is on the Bakerloo line, question is can you get up early enough on a Saturday to reach?
Link below to enter if your interested.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?sp=&v=1&EN=51993

I will also be doing the ACTION DUCHENNE LOVE RUN which takes place on Saturday 13th Feb 2010, I have run it three years in a row as it's for a great charity, I can't say the weather is good around this time of year, but as I keep saying it is England so we need to suck it up and get running regardless. Link to enter is below if your interested.
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?sp=&v=1&EN=53543

RREADING HALF MARATHON
Sunday 21st March 2010

Done it last year, hell of a lot of fun, lots of people out on the route, well organised,they even had bands along the route playing, and the locals were very enthusiastic especially the black ones who all seemed pleased to see me. It was a real challenge if I remember correctly but It was great. Don't ask me how but I have managed to convince the boyfriend to run with me this year, rather than waving from the side lines, and put I it out on FACEBOOK and so for there have been a few interested parties, If I manage to get a group together it will be fantastic, I love running by myself but I also love running with others as well,plus being so passionate about running it is something I want to share with others, well don't get me started on the benefits, fitness, weight loss, emotional strength, raised levels of self esteem and self respect, ya look better too, and have a healthier appetite for certain extra curricular activities, if you know what I mean, cough, cough.
Link below, places go quick so don't leave your decision too long.
http://www.readinghalfmarathon.com/

PARKRUN

Weekly 5K runs every Saturday, across London and the country, well organised, lots of fun, great way to test your fitness and push yourself, a good distance not to long and a great way to start the weekend, and best of all wait for this they are free, if you've had a look at any of the links I've posted you would've seen that some are not cheap, so you can't beat freeness.
http://parkrun.com/

The way I look at it though is that I have spent enough money on foolishness over the years, I am willing to invest in my health, not in a silly faddy way but a sensible way, booking in races keep me highly motivated and gives me a reason to step out that front door, even when it is pissing down with rain and Antarctic cold. I have given up the gym membership which was over £50 a month, the boxing classes a free, I just spend money on good trainers and go to cheap websites for my running gear, running is not an expensive sport, plus I can't afford to buy a new large wardrobe so I need to keep the weight down! To be honest I am sick of this battle with weight from now on it is all about heath and fitness eat less exercise more, that's my new motto.


That's me done for now, boxing yesterday so a run today weather looks decent so no excuse but to slip on those trainers and pound the streets.