Injury forces me into Triathlon!! How did that happen!

The mileage and races have paid off and my improved speed has meant I'm able to keep up...just..with the faster group on a Monday night club run....WRONG! Two sessions including speeding it up a mile long hill at 7.30 pace and I suffer a debilitating calf strain. After 3 weeks of leaving it a couple of days and trying to run again, I decide I need a complete week of no running....so I jumped on my bike for the week. Well over a hundred miles later I realise, its quite enjoyable. A Duathlon maybe? But my mate Richard keeps harping on about his triathlon escapades and my constant whimpering about hating swimming and chlorine and kids piss is battled off with the suggestion of an open water swim instead maybe.....

.....after some consideration I decided...screw that! But then as I logged onto my clubs website there it was...an opportunity to borrow a wetsuit and try an open water swim with some coaching....it must be a sign. After attending the morning session and swimming through jelly fish in a man made lake, I was impressed to learn I'd probably swam 750m straight off, without having swam in years!

So....if I'm to make it to Snowdon start line, non injured but fit enough to complete the challenge, I decided cross training with a triathlon goal would be the answer! I bravely (with the aid of my mate Shiraz), entered a supersprint tri in August (Southampton Fast Twitch). Disgusted that I'd entered a pool tri, Richard somehow convince me to also enter an open water sprint tri up in Cirencester on 6 Sept (two weeks later.....I need my head checking).

So marathon training has officially begun, and my 3 run a week programme is supported by 3 bike rides and 1 swim session a week. This does however involve my braving the breaststroking geriatric soup that is Flemming Park Leisure Centre once a week and cycling to work and back one day a week.

Bring on the training!

Bournemouth .... a family affair

I knew I shouldn't have finished that bottle of wine the night before a race. The weather at Bournemouth was glorious sunshine and although a tad hot, a lovely day for a run along the seafront. But I really struggled!!! No PB for me but then I can't expect four in a row...having said that I managed 48.53 and on analysing my splits I was on schedule to PB if it wasn't for that windey ascent on the turn around. Verticle zig zag up the cliff edge which put a shocking 50 seconds onto my average min/mile!!! Will have to prepare a little better for that next time!


Anyway, Bournemouth wasn't really about a fast run for me...it was about my friends and family running with me. My six year old Paige has been desperate to run like mummy for years and this day she got the opportunity. I was a bit sad that the little ones fun run was conducted whilst I was running so I only have pictures to rely on but how proud am I!!!

She was a bit disappointed with the no medal thing...so my friend gave up her 10k medal for her. She's really looking forward to her next run....a 4k in Moors Valley Country Park!



Fortunately, the 5k fun run was a while after I finished my 10k. My 15 year old lad, who ran with me until it became uncool about 5 years ago, thought he'd have a bash! I am to blame for his lack of enthusiasm as encouraging a 10 year old to run 6 miles was probably a little bit too much. Really enjoyed watching him run, even if he flatly refused to wear shorts and returned home a little red in the face.




Well back to me...there was a notably high incidences of people stopping to vomit in this race. Not sure whether that was because they misjudged the heat...it was hot...or whether the race attracts a lot of fun runners who haven't really raced much before. But I was dodging street pizza's along the way. The bottle of wine did me no good, I felt heavy legged and a tad dehydrated before I started and was aware of a few niggles I'd picked up by doing Meon, Fleet and Eastleigh head to head (Eastleigh only the week before). A lesson learned, and a month away from racing for me.

I'm so pants at diets!!! I'm also a bit rubbish at keeping up a blog!

Well its the beginning of April and I've had a busy March!

Meon Valley Plod!!! 20+ miles of quad crunching hills! But what a great run! Although this challenge involved running up the infamous Butser Hill,which I have since renamed...but I don't believe it's new name is fit for general consumption ;), I thoroughly enjoyed it! The comaraderie was great....the food and drink stations well stocked with bananas, jelly babies...sweeties! And I managed to drag my sorry ar&e around in 3.43.

Can't believe I finished it...and can't believe my body forgave me in time to run the Fleet Half Marathon two weeks later! First half marathon in a couple of years so no real suprise that I beat my pb of 2.06, coming in with a time of 1.51. Really feel like I'm making some improvements now....although my weight hasn't fluctuated and I sit at a healthy but rather chunky legged 9st 11lb....

Anyway....amazingly, two weeks further on and I stood at the start line of Eastleigh 10k. Eastleigh 10k was my first ever 'proper' race in 2006 when I started this barmy habit of mine (54mins I think), so it was great to return and get a further pb of 48.25....but have to say I felt like vomitting all the way around!!

Well this week end it's Bournemouth Bay 10k! Really looking forward to this one as my daughter is running her first fun run (age 6) and my 15 year old son is trying out the 5k....would love him to get into things and accompany me from time to time! He used to run with me all the time when he was 10 but I am guilty of making him run too far one day and he lost interest!

So....my diet will recommence....look at those thighs FFS! and I shall endeavour to be a bit more regular with my blog!!!! I now have the best part of two weeks off work so no excuse, other than the fact I have a few essays to knock out for my masters course ;)

My other love

No running for me today...instead I cycled my 6 year old on the tag-along to school...whilst she sat back and enjoyed her music on her MP3...

Start my set of night shifts tonight...always hate the thought of working 12.5hours through the night, but have to say it is doing the best thing in the world. As a midwife I get to be awake in the wee hours as a new life enters the world (under varying conditions obviously). You get to see life at its very basic level...you can look on in awe, you can count your blessings in sorrow, but best of all you can come away feeling like a you've made a difference every single shift!

Started a new diet in Feb....cutting right down on my alcohol consumption and eating sensibly...trying to ignore the junk food at work....have managed to dump a few pounds already. I'm not fat...but as far as my running goes, I think my body would appreciate a 10lb loss before I try running around a mountain for 26.2 miles!

Therapy for the down hearted....

Look at me....my own blog.... well I need somewhere to moan and rant without anyone realising what a misery guts i can be. Still its not everyday one embarks on marathon training...and for my first marathon I'm guessing Mount Snowdon was probably not the wisest of choices...but then I've never been one to set an easy challenge!

Had a sad day today for one reason or another...female hormones not helping much! So dragged my sorry ass out the door for some training in the snow...with my mobile camera....came home feeling on top of the world and like I'd done some relevant training!

How's that for a view......