I have a 10k run on Wednesday which is where most people go to get a fast time!!  I'll probably run my slowest time ever but I just have to get my head round that as see this as a training run.  I went out today with the plan to do 7 miles on hilly Galloway roads and was really pleased to get it done a little faster than I expected and to manage without too much pain.  It's all part of the bigger plan.  Nothing now until Troon 10k on Wednesday and then onwards and upwards!!

I have suddenly started to get excited about my marathon training which I have now officially started.  I am using the Jeff Galloway marathon training program which means I will run/walk the whole marathon and Jeff's whole training programme focuses on one long run a week and 2 short runs.  I will also be doing Yoga, badminton, strength and circuits each week.  I will be eating a healthier diet (which I should have done all winter but not looking back) and will keep my mind focused on the goal.  It has to be a priority for the next few months.  On Saturday I ran Heaton Park Park run and tried a 30:30 run/walk ratio which was based on my magic mile.  I got 45.25 according to park run but I was a long way from the narrow start and my garmin registered 44.17 which is 2 minutes fast than my last one, although 9 minutes longer than my pb!!!  Anyway - onwards and upwards.  This morning I tried some strength exercises with my resistance band and they were really hard.  So they should help my strength.

Needed to do a 30 minute run today but am in a really relaxed "I want to do nothing" mood.  Made myself get out of the door and persuaded my 12yos to come with me.  We are staying in Oxfordshire and were exposed to an unfriendly native who didn't seem to realise that bridleways can be used for more than just horse riding!   However, it was a good couple of miles, slow pace in a 30/30 ratio and very muddy but good to be able to tick that one off.  Been reading lots more around clean eating and how to really understand why I want to be more healthy - hopefully leading to more healthy eating and a healthier body.  Onwards and upwards.

Well it's been a good long while since I posted on this blog. So much has happened inbetween and I am where I wanted to be in some ways but definitely not in others. I have achieved so much in some things. However, my running and weight are definitely not where they could have been had I been more consistent. In order to sort this out I have booked myself to run/walk (jeff) a marathon in October 2018. I will be jeffing York marathon on 14th October and I will be really happy to do it in 6.30 hours. I also aim to be more in control of what I eat. Life is busy and so fitting it in is really hard but it will just take sheer determination. Its really now or never.

2016

Many thoughts go through my head as each new year comes along. Mostly this year I feel disappointment with myself for not continuing with my journey to be more healthy.
I do have reasonable excuse. Life is busy.  I am working a lot and want to spend time with the family. I can't run easily with anyone else and responsibilities with frail parents is a further pull on my time. It's important that Rick achieves his running goals because of how much he does at home.
But some how I want and need to find the time to fit my own goals in and the strength to eat healthily. I give myself so many excuses but I need to get on with this.  On my 51st birthday I ran/walked 5.8 miles and had a great time. I have to tell myself I am not too old to pick it up again!

8th March 2015

Today was a lovely sunny, blowy, cold March day.  14yod, 9yos and I met with the running club at the Sunday run time and we and a friend drove up into the forest.  We had a lovely 2 mile run along the usual route and we ran/walked it really well.  It was lovely to see the signs of spring - crocuses out, small leaf buds and tress, frogs hopping across the forest track.
This week I have managed to do all I needed to do on the training programme.  Next week is the local music festival so I have a week's annual leave as I am quite heavily involved in that.  However that does mean that I should be able get out and run and stick to the programme this coming week too.
Rick has an ultra down in England next weeked so he will be away for a few days.
Stick with me - it's hard.

Saturday 7th March

Well - I did a really random thing on Wednesday and I bought our non running daughter some running clothes and trainers!  There was a good reason for this and it seems to have paid off (hope it lasts).  The plan was to encourage her to get out and run/walk with me.  She doesn't enjoy exercising very much apart from horse riding and although she is very active with drama/music she does need to exercise.
So I thought she might be like me.  If she feels like a runner she might begin to run.  She does and she is!  The evening we bought her stuff she came out for a 1.5 mile run/walk with me and she really enjoyed it.  We took it steady but did run a little more than I thought we would.  Today was a local half marathon and fun runs and we decided to try and run walk a 4 mile route while the half marathon were out.  We had already had good results from a family member when 16yos came second in the four mile run and so our planned run/walk route was something we were both looking forward to.  It was chilly and windy and the first 1.5 miles of our route was hilly which warmed us up nicely.  We enjoyed it very much and I was so proud of both of us for sticking to our programme so well.  I am following a run/walk marathon programme and am on track at the moment and she will do some of the runs with me.
On a more negative note I still find it really hard to be disciplined with eating healthily - if only it were easy.
Onwards and Upwards.