Tues 6 miles....my damn toe....

6 miles tonight...was thinking back to the days where I couldn't even run for ten minutes....the days I couldn't even get up Ballyard hill....my first long run was on New Years day-5 miles.... Which seemed massive back then and that was nearly 7 weeks ago...it's strange how things progress and you don't realise it...and the hurdles you have to overcome to get to the point of where the group is now...

Did 6 miles...no stress...well a tiny bit if I'm honest...I can't lose all my nuthead tendencies immediately but I handled tonight much better...I didn't stress today during work,normally I'd start stressing quite early on in the day and worry where Marcus was taking us...but horray...!!.... I didn't! All I thought to myself was that I'd be on my feet for more than an hour and a bit...easy peasy I became settled...sounds strange i know...but I just had to change the way I think about running and I come round it from a different angle...I don't care it works...loola...

The run tonight was actually lovely...6 miles very comfortable pace and if I'm honest I didn't want to stop once...my small toe starting hurting on the last mile so I stopped to give it a prod and a poke...had a few words with it not to feck up my last mile...it was sore but I kept going...

The one aspect of running I need to get right is the different food groups...McDonalds is out!...I'm messing ,  haven't had a take away since Xmas...which is fantastic for me as I loved crap comfort food...I think it's more my lunch aspect that I have to get right..normally by 5 I'm starved and that's not good for the longer runs...had a half a banana this evening but I was still bloody starved..there was a packet of Oreo biscuits waving at me in the kitchen in work but I chose to ignore them...

Will do some research on food...

Tomorrow night 4 miles...Saturday 12 miles...this week we will have run a full marathon mileage quota...26 of them! missing the .2 part but who cares! 

I ve stuck to my nut head declaration...didn't grind the teeth once! Woohoo felt great....

Monday 4 miles...most enjoyable run yet

It is a miracle..

I actually enjoyed my run tonight! Woohoo,no mental head tendencies came to surface and the 'worry' factor vanished...I was going to say ' the worry factor has vanished for now... but from this evening....come 6.30...I am a mental head no more....I am now a positive mental head....

I sat myself down this evening and had a good chat...

I made a declaration:
I Annie Horgan will not grind my teeth whilst running,I will not tense up and go into rigor mortis at any sign of a route change.i will try and have a conversation whilst running even if it's abusive,I will not put myself under pressure and worry all night before the long runs and arrive the next morning at the run with a mad look on my face from all the worry,and finally....I will just go out there and run...and enjoy it for what it is....and be proud ....

The run tonight: fabulous evening for running...I'd say there was about 30 people out tonight which was a great turnout...thanks be to god the evenings are getting longer...i normally hibernate for the winter but this winter I didn't.. started off running around the car park and then headed out of the car park...up the road...and across...I really thought Marcus was changing our route and I did tense up but only for a brief moment...but relaxation techniques kicked in...went onto You tube today and watched a few breathing technique videos like a loola....if anyone saw me...I was copying the guy in the video....breath from the lower belly and not the chest...had to turn the volume down cause there were patients in the waiting room and they'd think what the feck is she doing inside! Heavy breathing like a donkey on helium.....but I must say it made sense...and I'm not into quackery but shorter breathing spans is not good...so tonight I tried to breath from my belly....it worked....felt much better...I am now a belly breather...

We were like the pied pier clan......

The group tonight was lively...very easy going...and we seem to gel really well...it good to have a bit of craic and it breaks up the run...normally I'd isolate myself and try and get to the back but tonight I said feck it I'll just run and see what happens...there was about ten in our group...including Fr jack at the back ( aka Jerry O Sullivan)...he was piping up all the way...educating us on the russian translation for grandmother! And everytime we saw a runner or walker he'd holler out loud ' runner runner runner'! And we'd all laugh...like a bunch of school kids on a day trip...but I must say I enjoyed it...i do realise its very important to run with other people and not be a lone runner...


I will stick to my runners declaration...6 miles tomorrow night....belly breathing it is....

P.S. I'm still of the sweet stuff...had sugar free jelly last night.....vom....tasteless...

Sat run- 11.46 miles....don't look to me to encourage new runners to start!

Yesterday was 'worry day'....all day and all night this run was on my mind...this running malarkey is seriously turning me into a nut head...and I'm definitely not a poster girl to encourage anyone to start running!...definitely not...

A couple of things added to my worry..new route, a few of my comfort slow crew would be missing, Marcus not being there, and it was going to be 10 miles...or so i thought...my first double digit run....

Got up this s'morning...nervous...what else would I be...nut head tendencies kicked in during my nights sleep and I didn't sleep a wink running the route even-though I didn't know the route!

Started off in the aquadome....wasn't in my usual comfortable form...just knew I didn't feel right...Brian was our coach for the run...he explained the route and to be honest I hadn't a clue where we were going...off we go round the back of the aquadome towards Fels points...went onto the main rd and swung a right into the playground near lidl...couldn't get my breathing levels right...probably due to the loola stress levels...the group kind of split at this stage...headed up towards caherwisheen...hadn't a clue where I was...never been up that road before...worry sets in...where the feck are we going and how long for...as you know I like to know my route and didn't recognise any land marks..can't help it really...but nuthead here started to tense...tried to calm myself but it wasn't working...just at the base of the short mountain panic sets in...got a panic attack! couldn't breath and just lost it really...felt sick...with worry...knew it was coming on as my breathing was getting quicker and quicker and finally I just was gasping for breath like a fecking nutter...

I only ever had one panic attack before and that was when I was out cycling doing a 90k stint and I on the way home I fell off the bike and got thrown over the handle bars right into the middle of the road! Hands banjaxed, handle bars bent and couldn't see my mobile phone...and was out in the middle of nowhere....took ten mins to bring myself round with shock!

So with this one...stopped,calmed myself and started off again quickly...Brian waited up ahead a little...still wasn't settled...he knew something was up...but kept going...the sun was out...was sweltered...next week I'm wearing my short pants!...to be honest the rest of the run was a blur....went up toonavane...I'd say today was Brian's toughest day running yet...I gave him and Catriona abuse a couple of times ( in a nice way!) took a break up Toonavane...some of the rest of the group went on ahead up the trail route...that would be my worst nightmare...think half of them went missing but we headed back down toonavane and retreated along Kearney's rd again...the long rd home...about 4/5 miles left....some took the shortcut home and took a left back the rugby club road...but I said to myself that even if I walk ran the rest of the route I'm doing the whole thing...stubbornness set in...

Must say fair deuce to Brian for sticking with me all the way...myself, Brian, Catriona and Hazel did the last 3 miles together...no drink left, parched,boiling hot and feet sore...kinda-of hobbled into the Aquadome...home at last...

it was by far my toughest day yet...and Brian's!...but I didn't give up...and I did every bit of it...and I never said once that ' I'm giving up running'...but one thing I do know is that because I had a bad long run this saturday that next week I will come back stronger.....

11.46 miles...to be exact

P.S. thanks Brian

Wed night...4.3 miles...looking forward to Sat 10 miles

Well,Fat tuesday is over and I've a long couple of weeks to go without the sweet stuff...why am I doing it...well why not! I have to become more innovative with my food to compensate...

The run tonight... Well because Marcus ditched us tonight....the fecker...I like routine and it didn't feel the same...but I still ran it...

I was saying to Catriona tonight whilst running I will have to stop being so negative about running...even in the blog..I'm not a complainer in general...quite easygoing in fact...but I can't start fibbing and make up airy fairy stories about my running...such as follows
" oh my run tonight was fantastic! Yippee.., I bounced and skipped the 5 miles...chatted all the way about life in general and I didn't sweat once, I feel wonderful"

Feck that...

Tonight was tough like every other bloody night..I plodded all the way,grunted a few times to let people know I was still there,sweated ...was in fact sweltering because it was so dead out there tonight and was glad I made it home! That's my version...I feel comfortable at my pace...10/12 min miles...everyone else runs like they belong in a greyhound track with them chasing the hare round the ring! I'm the donkey...happy out...long distances suit me...if you put me out doing a 5 k race I'd probably freak out with the pressure...

The group is doing Ballybunion Half in a couple of weeks as a baseline race so am looking forward to that...not! there's my negativity again...it will be my first proper race where I'll be running all the way home to the finish line...I'll have done two 16 milers before that so it should be fine...toes crossed

Roll on sat 10 miles or so...

Note to Brian: please please please take it easy on us for sat! Marcus is like a security blanket and it's hard to leave him go! But I know ul look after us...I won't give you any guff...

Tues 5 miles...today is Fat Tuesday!

Normally I'd run on a Monday but The Boss ( aka Marcus) told me not to come...I should rest after my flu etc...finished work yesterday evening and I was thinking to myself what the feck will I do to occupy myself...no running...

what did I do before I starting running...tv,ate,tv,taytos,shower,tv,bed ( knackered normally)....now everything is different...as I've said in a previous blog since I've started this running malarkey I have not started any fad diets or normally Mondays would be Diet Day...I'd go all out-starve myself,pissey soup,water,pee all day and come 6 o clock I'd be ravishing and ate all round me...then the guilt would set in...a vicious circle really...but alas I am a changed nuthead....I have a routine caused by running and an added bonus is that it's a social thing also...and it's free...

So bored out of my tree last night, thumbs twiddling....I thought ' what can I do to make this running malarkey better'...well so far I've given up smoking,my daily intake of 5 cans of diet coke is a distant memory,I eat lumpy porridge and I prepare all my food for the day ahead ( stops me frothing about McDonalds!)....so me being a runner with a bit of a screw loose,Lent is my next challenge...and no I'm not a holy joe...I just like my food too much and sweet stuff...

I've come up with a new meaning to the word Lent....

Let's Eat No Treats...that took me ages!

So like a loola,.. Fat Tuesday (today) was my indulgence day... Pancakes galore! Woohoo ive probably put on a stone overnight but who cares I'll be sugar starved for the next forty days....well its actually 46...a child patient informed me today that it includes Sunday's...never knew that...when I was younger I'd bore holes in the back of my Easter eggs and sneakily eat the back half to get a head start...and then head into confession...stuffed may I add... and lie through my teeth...I'm sure every kid lied in confession!!

Might try this trick to keep me away from the sweet stuff.....

So I'm cutting out all sweet stuff....

The shakes are setting in already...but I've my final bag of Taytos to munch through tonight and then I'll be T-total....

I can do this...

If I can do it anyone can do it...I've just emptied my sweet cupboard out...looks very bare and lonely...sad day...and my lunch for tomorrow looks very bare...sandwich, apple, banana, kiwi,water and that's bloody it!

Ran 5 miles tonight...pissing rain, windy, and paddy last....but I did it...it was tough after missing so much over the last two weeks and I wasn't sleeping properly over the coughing with the chest infection...Mags and Sheila were with Catriona and myself tonight.....not used to running with real people...nuthead...

4 miles tomorrow...1st day of ' Let's Eat No Treats Campaign'....tough....