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| D-Day |
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Monday, 30 January 2012
Week 3 of Marathon training...13 weeks to go
It's strange how running changes everything...
Eating habits,work energy,sleep patterns,clothes,deciding on whether to drink or not to drink, social life, preparing for the day ahead....all that has changed...how?
1)I eat breakfast : never used to eat breakfast,rushed out the door in the morning and was starved by 11 o clock so would eat crap...bickies or whatever I got my hands on
2)hop out of bed in the morning like a jack in the bean-box: before I'd roll over and get up feeling tired constantly...
3)I prepare my lunch the night before: previously I used to go out for lunch or head to Garvey's for a chicken roll and a bag of Taytos...now i have sandwiches made and and salad, also I'd knock back a pint of water, used to have a can or two of Diet coke...am off it nearly 4 weeks... haven't had one drop of fizzy drinks
4) Clothes: I've lost a stone and a half, I can now go to the bathroom without opening my trousers...just pull them down! have another two stone to go but I will get there....
5) running is a social thing: I've met some lovely new people and the group seems to gel quite well...
I didn't realise it at the start but slowly but surely you start to become more focused...now I understand why so many people are out there running...the amount of money I've wasted on gym memberships is scary...ive done all the hotels from the Brandon to Manorwest...the closest i got to them was driving past them...the only bit of exercise i got was turning my head whilst driving past thinkibg to myself ' jesus i must go there some day!' ....never went!
Tonight was the first night that I truly felt comfortable doing the 3 miles...wasn't stressed..no nail biting thinking ' can I do this'...actually I'm beginning to enjoy running...at last...
Eating habits,work energy,sleep patterns,clothes,deciding on whether to drink or not to drink, social life, preparing for the day ahead....all that has changed...how?
1)I eat breakfast : never used to eat breakfast,rushed out the door in the morning and was starved by 11 o clock so would eat crap...bickies or whatever I got my hands on
2)hop out of bed in the morning like a jack in the bean-box: before I'd roll over and get up feeling tired constantly...
3)I prepare my lunch the night before: previously I used to go out for lunch or head to Garvey's for a chicken roll and a bag of Taytos...now i have sandwiches made and and salad, also I'd knock back a pint of water, used to have a can or two of Diet coke...am off it nearly 4 weeks... haven't had one drop of fizzy drinks
4) Clothes: I've lost a stone and a half, I can now go to the bathroom without opening my trousers...just pull them down! have another two stone to go but I will get there....
5) running is a social thing: I've met some lovely new people and the group seems to gel quite well...
I didn't realise it at the start but slowly but surely you start to become more focused...now I understand why so many people are out there running...the amount of money I've wasted on gym memberships is scary...ive done all the hotels from the Brandon to Manorwest...the closest i got to them was driving past them...the only bit of exercise i got was turning my head whilst driving past thinkibg to myself ' jesus i must go there some day!' ....never went!
Tonight was the first night that I truly felt comfortable doing the 3 miles...wasn't stressed..no nail biting thinking ' can I do this'...actually I'm beginning to enjoy running...at last...
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Saturday 6 miles....not what I expected
There is a method to Marcus's madness...it's all in the pacing...
Got up this s'morning very nervous...what else would I be!! 7. 30 ate my lumpy porridge, knocked back my Benecol ...cup of tea and waited...for my first 6 mile run...
Met Marcus in Tesco's last night and he kind of put my mind at rest a little bit...he was dividing up the groups into fast and slow(that's me that's me!)...brilliant I skipped around Tesco's like a loola.....
We all met In the Aquadome car park at ten O clock...think there were about 35 people running this smorning which was a fantastic turnout..wondered how many would end up in the slow group..Brian comes over to me and slips me a gel like a druggie...my eyes lit up.. Woohoo might pick up speed with this thing... he advised me to take it after the hill...
10 sharp off we go...Marcus starts on the dot...up my favourite hill Ballyard..legs felt tired already...shite how am I going to run 6 bloody miles! Ok ok I got my breathing back..settled a little bit...got over the hill...and had a look around to see who was beside me..normally I kind of disassociate myself because I'm concentrating so much on my breathing and running that I just ignore everyone...and i grunt every so often... a lady ( don't know her name!) and Brian were parallel with me...didn't want anyone seeing me take the gel so I knew Brian was chatting away to her so sneakily I tear off the top like a mental head and knock it back...felt oily...look around, no one saw me woohoo! Thinking away to myself.. maybe I might get a spurt and pass everyone out! I think everyone would fall over with shock literally...anyway I kept dreaming away to myself...something is wrong here...I had to look around, I was still actually running with people...normally past the rugby club I start to drift back..and there were about 6 people behind me...fecking brilliant! Marcus was pacing us which suited me down to the ground...loved it...no more worrying bout catching up...nice and steady...felt good...
Marcus spurts out advice every so often...all I hear are the words ' nipple rash' and he telling us not to buy new bra's and knickers! so that means if I'm carried into the medical tent during the marathon for some mad reason there will be holes in my knickers and my bra will probably be falling off me at that stage! how nice....
hit about 4 miles and I see people turning up ahead toward tonavane ...this must be the extra mile that Marcus so generously is putting in for us...feck,where are we going... I knew this road but only drove it in the dark two weeks previously to suss out his route..still with the group...this is mad I thought to myself... hit near the end and turned..farmer joe was gawking at us on the way back up the road...peeping from over his hedge...he must have thought we were training for the Olympics as we were so chirpy! Sheila gives him a salute like a thoroughbred runner! We all laugh...strange how a group carries you along and you don't realise it...
Hit Blennerville football pitch...still going good... Marcus tells me to fall back behind him...maybe the gel kicked in...no one has ever told me to slow down! knew we were on the home stretch so I was probably getting a bit excited!
Turned onto Blennerville road, Marcus points out another runner coming towards us ' Stephen griffin' ..who the feck was he?! John Griffins brother the renowned marathon runner...you learn something new every day...hadn't a clue to be honest but I felt like giving him a presidential wave saying ' look at me I'm a runner just like you!' ...saddo...
Tried crossing the road before the station house..Sheila Gleasure our newly appointed slow group ' safety officer' directs us across the road on the bend! She bounced along, shuffling us all across like cattle in a mart...I was weaning a little bit...
On the home stretch , 1 miles to go... the fecking canal...it was the longest mile ever..but I kept the head down and focused on dodging all the puddles...met two lovely doggies along the way..I actually think they gave me a dirty look...could you blame them..
all they saw was a group of sweaty red headed runners plodding towards them....
Saw the aquadome...fantastic!! couldn't jump up and down cause I was so fecking stiff...near the carpark Marcus tells us sprint in...what planet is he on?! there's Bob hope and no hope that I was going to sprint into the car park like an arthritic granny...I've just done my first 6 miles dimwit! woohoo!
fantastic... only for Marcus and the rest of the group I wouldn't have been able to do it... I must say the group are a lovely bunch and everyone seemed to be delighted with today...so congrats to everyone..
I thoroughly enjoyed today...
But I did hear Marcus mention an added hill next week...feck must go for a drive tomorrow...
Got up this s'morning very nervous...what else would I be!! 7. 30 ate my lumpy porridge, knocked back my Benecol ...cup of tea and waited...for my first 6 mile run...
Met Marcus in Tesco's last night and he kind of put my mind at rest a little bit...he was dividing up the groups into fast and slow(that's me that's me!)...brilliant I skipped around Tesco's like a loola.....
We all met In the Aquadome car park at ten O clock...think there were about 35 people running this smorning which was a fantastic turnout..wondered how many would end up in the slow group..Brian comes over to me and slips me a gel like a druggie...my eyes lit up.. Woohoo might pick up speed with this thing... he advised me to take it after the hill...
10 sharp off we go...Marcus starts on the dot...up my favourite hill Ballyard..legs felt tired already...shite how am I going to run 6 bloody miles! Ok ok I got my breathing back..settled a little bit...got over the hill...and had a look around to see who was beside me..normally I kind of disassociate myself because I'm concentrating so much on my breathing and running that I just ignore everyone...and i grunt every so often... a lady ( don't know her name!) and Brian were parallel with me...didn't want anyone seeing me take the gel so I knew Brian was chatting away to her so sneakily I tear off the top like a mental head and knock it back...felt oily...look around, no one saw me woohoo! Thinking away to myself.. maybe I might get a spurt and pass everyone out! I think everyone would fall over with shock literally...anyway I kept dreaming away to myself...something is wrong here...I had to look around, I was still actually running with people...normally past the rugby club I start to drift back..and there were about 6 people behind me...fecking brilliant! Marcus was pacing us which suited me down to the ground...loved it...no more worrying bout catching up...nice and steady...felt good...
Marcus spurts out advice every so often...all I hear are the words ' nipple rash' and he telling us not to buy new bra's and knickers! so that means if I'm carried into the medical tent during the marathon for some mad reason there will be holes in my knickers and my bra will probably be falling off me at that stage! how nice....
hit about 4 miles and I see people turning up ahead toward tonavane ...this must be the extra mile that Marcus so generously is putting in for us...feck,where are we going... I knew this road but only drove it in the dark two weeks previously to suss out his route..still with the group...this is mad I thought to myself... hit near the end and turned..farmer joe was gawking at us on the way back up the road...peeping from over his hedge...he must have thought we were training for the Olympics as we were so chirpy! Sheila gives him a salute like a thoroughbred runner! We all laugh...strange how a group carries you along and you don't realise it...
Hit Blennerville football pitch...still going good... Marcus tells me to fall back behind him...maybe the gel kicked in...no one has ever told me to slow down! knew we were on the home stretch so I was probably getting a bit excited!
Turned onto Blennerville road, Marcus points out another runner coming towards us ' Stephen griffin' ..who the feck was he?! John Griffins brother the renowned marathon runner...you learn something new every day...hadn't a clue to be honest but I felt like giving him a presidential wave saying ' look at me I'm a runner just like you!' ...saddo...
Tried crossing the road before the station house..Sheila Gleasure our newly appointed slow group ' safety officer' directs us across the road on the bend! She bounced along, shuffling us all across like cattle in a mart...I was weaning a little bit...
On the home stretch , 1 miles to go... the fecking canal...it was the longest mile ever..but I kept the head down and focused on dodging all the puddles...met two lovely doggies along the way..I actually think they gave me a dirty look...could you blame them..
all they saw was a group of sweaty red headed runners plodding towards them....
Saw the aquadome...fantastic!! couldn't jump up and down cause I was so fecking stiff...near the carpark Marcus tells us sprint in...what planet is he on?! there's Bob hope and no hope that I was going to sprint into the car park like an arthritic granny...I've just done my first 6 miles dimwit! woohoo!
fantastic... only for Marcus and the rest of the group I wouldn't have been able to do it... I must say the group are a lovely bunch and everyone seemed to be delighted with today...so congrats to everyone..
I thoroughly enjoyed today...
But I did hear Marcus mention an added hill next week...feck must go for a drive tomorrow...
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| 6 mile finish Aquadome Carpark |
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Wed run...3 miles...is this what s runners 'dip' feels like?!
You know when things went completely a-wall tonight when I resorted to fibbing...I arrived into the car park and Brian asks 'how did the run go tonight? .... Ans.: great thanks, didn't do too bad.....' when in fact I bloody faltered on the hill and walked for 20 secs...don't know why but I just stopped dead on the road and frustration set in... I ate Catriona and told her to shag off and leave me alone...came back, sat in the car and the bottom lip started to go... but I kept it together...running three nights in a row is tiring but tonight has not put me off...I have a history of just giving up exercise and this time I said to myself...I will do this and dips are expected...
Work during the day is normally go go go all day,then running ( more stress! ), then dinner, prepare lunch for next day , shower and bang it's half nine/ ten before relaxation sets in for a half an hour then bed....z z z z z ...up at 7....groundhog day again...thank god thur and frid are rest days...looking forward to just doing nothing in the evenings...but one thing I am very sure of is this blog gives me motivation to get up off my ass...and people's comments are a boost mentally so I've no choice but to keep going otherwise I'm not going to let these running shoes join the badminton racquet, the wet suit, the body board, the treadmill, the cross trainer, the yoga mat,weights, the rowing machine all stacked neatly in the garage...but fair deuce to me I have knocked use out of my racer!
I am looking forward to sat 6 miles...
Work during the day is normally go go go all day,then running ( more stress! ), then dinner, prepare lunch for next day , shower and bang it's half nine/ ten before relaxation sets in for a half an hour then bed....z z z z z ...up at 7....groundhog day again...thank god thur and frid are rest days...looking forward to just doing nothing in the evenings...but one thing I am very sure of is this blog gives me motivation to get up off my ass...and people's comments are a boost mentally so I've no choice but to keep going otherwise I'm not going to let these running shoes join the badminton racquet, the wet suit, the body board, the treadmill, the cross trainer, the yoga mat,weights, the rowing machine all stacked neatly in the garage...but fair deuce to me I have knocked use out of my racer!
I am looking forward to sat 6 miles...
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Tues 4 miles....felt disheartened...haven't a clue why...
Tonight was tough.
Felt very disheartened after my run tonight..haven't a clue why to be honest...I have this thing in my head that I have to get faster and I just can't bloody do it...started off good tonight but then slowly but surely I start to fall back...and back...and back...tried running with longer footsteps but my calfs just went on strike...breathing was good but mentally it was very tough...so many times tonight I just wanted to stop ...chatting away to myself trying to convince myself not to stop...I didn't, I even ran up Ballyard hill whilst arguing with myself...great craic I must admit! Am I the only looney toon out there.....probably...
Wore a Garmin watch tonight...Catriona took me out running during the summer...one of my many running attempts..Decided to run walk a 5 miler on a sunny Sunday morning...off we go happy out..running then walking...started off running again , then I hear beep beep...beep beep..beep beep...what the hell was that?...every so often the beeps kept coming..of course I'd never used a Garmin before...not a mind do I not talk whilst running but it drove me bananas...I felt like I had a CSI agent beside me watching every move I make and watching my pace...so that turned me off garmins.. but Brian suggested I use it to monitor my runs...so I did tonight..no beeps tho..4 miles in 45.03 mins...
I do know there are going to be good days and bad days running....and I've a long road ahead of me ( including hills! ).... I take my hat off to anyone who has done a full marathon...nut heads...and hopefully I will be one of those nut heads soon...
Am going to register my online entry thur...might have to drive to Limerick to suss out the route...loola
Felt very disheartened after my run tonight..haven't a clue why to be honest...I have this thing in my head that I have to get faster and I just can't bloody do it...started off good tonight but then slowly but surely I start to fall back...and back...and back...tried running with longer footsteps but my calfs just went on strike...breathing was good but mentally it was very tough...so many times tonight I just wanted to stop ...chatting away to myself trying to convince myself not to stop...I didn't, I even ran up Ballyard hill whilst arguing with myself...great craic I must admit! Am I the only looney toon out there.....probably...
Wore a Garmin watch tonight...Catriona took me out running during the summer...one of my many running attempts..Decided to run walk a 5 miler on a sunny Sunday morning...off we go happy out..running then walking...started off running again , then I hear beep beep...beep beep..beep beep...what the hell was that?...every so often the beeps kept coming..of course I'd never used a Garmin before...not a mind do I not talk whilst running but it drove me bananas...I felt like I had a CSI agent beside me watching every move I make and watching my pace...so that turned me off garmins.. but Brian suggested I use it to monitor my runs...so I did tonight..no beeps tho..4 miles in 45.03 mins...
I do know there are going to be good days and bad days running....and I've a long road ahead of me ( including hills! ).... I take my hat off to anyone who has done a full marathon...nut heads...and hopefully I will be one of those nut heads soon...
Am going to register my online entry thur...might have to drive to Limerick to suss out the route...loola
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